The Dallas Cowboys don’t have time to lick their wounds after getting mauled by the Chicago Bears in Week 3. Their Week 4 matchup against the Green Bay Packers looms large both from an emotional and a practical stand point. What questions should Cowboys fans be asking as Sunday approaches?

Can George Pickens be a Sufficient WR1?

With CeeDee Lamb out due to a high ankle sprain, all eyes turn to George Pickens in the passing game. Luckily, he’s not totally without experience as a top option. 

Filling that role last year for the Pittsburgh Steelers, he recorded 59 catches for 900 yards and three touchdowns in 14 games. That came with what could be charitably described as subpar quarterback play from Justin Fields and Russell Wilson. 

Yes, he’ll face a tough task against the Packers’ Keisean Nixon and Carrington Valentine, ranked as the sixth and eleventh best corners respectively by PFF. But these are the type of situations that Dallas brought him in for and now, it’s time to deliver. 

How Will DaRon Bland Look if he Plays?

While it’s not been confirmed, it seems likely that Bland will make his return after a two-game absence. That is, of course, exciting and welcomed news, but it remains to be seen how effective he’ll be in his return. 

In the one game he played for the Cowboys this season, he seemingly struggled against the Eagles in the opener, recording a 52.9 PFF grade. That metric is somewhat misleading though. 

While he recorded run defense and tackling grades below 30.0, his coverage grade was a very good 70.4. So yes, while you want your corners to be well-rounded players, Dallas would likely be able to overlook those poor marks if his coverage is to that same level. 

It’s also entirely possible that he recorded such poor grades because he was nursing the injury that’s kept him out. In his career, his lowest tackling grade was a respectable 65.2 in his rookie season. 

So, while his Week 1 numbers are eyebrow raising, it seems that he’s due for some positive regression if he’s fully healthy.

How Does the Makeshift Offensive Line Perform?

Just when it seemed like the offensive line was making progress, they got bitten by the injury bug and lost Tyler Booker to a high ankle sprain. So, how will the team respond?

We’ve covered the fact that TJ Bass will likely fill in for Booker in his absence. Will the rest of the starters be able to build off of their best performance of the year? 

It will be a tall task against a Green Bay pass rush that features multiple effective contributors beyond Micah Parsons. How the offensive line responds will dictate not just the outcome of this game, but likely the trajectory of the Cowboys season.