The Dallas Cowboys and the Green Bay Packers will look to resume their decades-long rivalry on Sunday when Dallas travels to Lambeau Field. The Packers are looking to end a five-game skid against a team that recent history indicates they have a good chance of beating. Meanwhile, the Cowboys are in the midst of an in-division battle as they try to keep pace with the undefeated Eagles.

The game will be the first for Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy against the Packers since he was fired in 2018 by the team. McCarthy said that he is looking forward to the contest and all the drama it brings.

“It’s a fan base that loves their team,” McCarthy said. “I’m hopeful that we have a lot of Cowboys fans there. I was in a conversation last week about it. I actually worked in Green Bay in 1999 when Coach (Mike) Holmgren came back to Lambeau Field for the first time (as coach of the Seahawks). I thought the crowd treated him with respect. It’s a really special place that way, and I would be all for a very positive reception.”

Dallas is likely to lean on the defense yet again as they face a Packers offense that has appeared far from the usually-dynamic unit in recent years. Last year’s League MVP Aaron Rodgers has thrown just 14 touchdowns against seven interceptions in nine games this season. The last time Rodgers threw seven or more interceptions in a season was in 2016, a year in which he also threw 40 touchdown passes. He has been limited in practice this week with a thumb injury but participated Thursday. He is listed as questionable for Sunday.

McCarthy was Rodgers’ head coach in Green Bay for all but the quarterback’s first season, with the team backing up Hall of Fame QB Brett Favre. Rodgers addressed the relationship during a recent press conference.

“I’ll always be tied with him because of the connection that we had and the years we spent together,” Rodgers said of McCarthy. “Obviously my longest-tenured coach, my longest-tenured play-caller. I’m thankful for those years and thankful maybe a little bit more now as the years go by.”

Throughout the more-than 12 seasons that McCarthy ran the Packers, the team was a force to be reckoned with in the NFC North. The same aggressive style that made the Packers a success is now beginning to be evident in Dallas.

The Cowboys’ offense is humming again after a scary injury in Week 1 to quarterback Dak Prescott. Prescott has hit three touchdowns through the air in the last two games, both wins, and had 250 yards against the Detroit Lions in the last game before the bye.

The NFL world finally got to see what Tony Pollard looks like as a featured back when Ezekiel Elliott was held out with a knee and leg injury. Pollard averaged 9.4 yards on 14 carries and gained 131 yards against the Lions, scoring three touchdowns in the process. Cowboys’ coaches say that Elliott will continue to be the featured back going forward, a scary proposition for teams struggling against play-action calls. Both Elliott and Pollard are excellent in the receiving game.

Green Bay has looked out of sorts in recent weeks, and perhaps this is the game in which they right the ship and perform at the level the team was expected to show. Then again, this game might be an excellent opportunity for McCarthy to get a little retribution while letting the Dallas defense feast on an offense that hasn’t performed well in weeks.

ESPN Analytics gives the Cowboys nearly a 70% chance of winning on the road against the Packers. Kickoff is at 3:30 p.m. CT.