GREEN BAY -- The biggest change with the Cowboys' defense compared to the Packers' two meetings with them last year is some new personnel in the secondary.
Gone are veteran cornerbacks Morris Claiborne and Brandon Carr, plus safety Barry Church, as Dallas has elevated younger players in their place. But Head Coach Mike McCarthy doesn't see the new personnel necessarily changing anything scheme-wise with how the Cowboys will try to attack QB Aaron Rodgers.
"They're aggressive, particularly in our second game down there in the playoff game," McCarthy said on Friday. "That's the kind of game we're getting ready to play."
The Cowboys' defense starts up front with NFL sack leader DeMarcus Lawrence, who has 7 1/2 sacks in four games. Dallas also is getting back pass rusher David Irving from a four-game suspension to start the year. Middle linebacker Sean Lee also has been day-to-day with a hamstring injury.
Whether the Packers will have starting tackles David Bakhtiari and Bryan Bulaga back to help protect Rodgers remains to be seen, but McCarthy said they're getting healthier. Bakhtiari and Bulaga have yet to play a game together in 2017 due to their injuries.
"We'll see. Practice tomorrow will answer those questions," McCarthy said. "I'm happy with the progress we've made health-wise. We're getting better. Energy was good. We're just getting ready to go."
Also on the injury front, WR Davante Adams has not yet cleared the concussion protocol. McCarthy expects to know Adams' status by the time the team boards the plane for Dallas on Saturday afternoon.
