Power Rankings: Shhh ... Packers have a big one coming up

Updated Nov. 27

Just once, wouldn't you love to hear an NFL player or coach say they have a big, maybe huge, game in front of them? Let's hear them talk about the importance of it instead of feeding us the tired old clichés about one game at a time.

Those of us in the Green Bay Packers' locker room following their Thanksgiving Day victory over the Detroit Lions tried to get the players to tell us about the importance of their meeting with the Dallas Cowboys this week. I tried a variety of ways to get somebody, anybody, to say it was big.

Brett Favre and Mike McCarthy are two big reasons for the Packers' success. (Getty Images)

Nobody would bite.

"One game I don't think is going to define us one way or the other," Brett Favre said. "It may have some implications in the playoffs, but we can't worry about that right now. Now we can concentrate on Dallas."

Said defensive end Aaron Kampman: "It's one game. That's how we see it."

That's not how we see it. We see it as the NFC's version of a Regular Season Super Bowl. A few weeks back we had the New England Patriots and the Indianapolis Colts in the AFC, and that one lived up to the hype.

This one will as well.

It's a special Thursday night at Texas Stadium between the 10-1 Cowboys and the 10-1 Packers. It is in no way or form just another game.

The Packers have lost eight consecutive games at Texas Stadium and haven't won there since 1989. But this is a different group from those teams, except for Favre. It shouldn't matter to the youngest team in the NFL. Most of these players were still in grade school when most of those games were played.

Both teams can score, which is why it will be a treat. The Cowboys are the second-highest scoring team in the league at 32.5 points per game, while the Packers are fifth at 26.5. Green Bay has averaged 33.5 the past four games.

For now, the Packers remain in the No. 2 spot in our CBSSports.com Power Rankings. That's mainly because when they are healthy they are better than the Cowboys on defense. The Packers give up 16.5 points per game, while the Cowboys give up 20.1

So the Packers stay ahead of the Cowboys. I'm not saying they will win Thursday -- you have to wait until Thursday for that pick -- but on an even field I would take Green Bay.

Poll Who will win Thursday night?   47%  Cowboys     53%  Packers     Total Votes: 83905

If the Packers don't have Charles Woodson, that will sting. Woodson, the best corner in the league this season, is iffy with a toe injury. That could change the way the Packers play since they rely so much on man coverage with Woodson and Al Harris when he is on the field.

A few weeks back, the Packers went to Denver and Kansas City and won games in tough environments in a six-day span. Now they are faced with back-to-back road trips on consecutive Thursdays. Last week, they dominated the Lions. This week, it's the NFC's Regular Season Super Bowl. The winner will likely have home-field advantage in the playoffs and probably the inside track to the real Super Bowl.

So is it just a game? Even if the players try to insist that it is, we know better.

This is big.

Too bad it's on The NFL Network, and much of the country won't be able to see it since it's not on some cable systems. As one Packers front office official said, "I bet the rush to get DirecTV this week in our state will be unreal."

It should be. We have a special game coming Thursday -- even if the Packers won't say it.

The Power Rankings through Week 12:

Power Rankings
Current		Team	Previous
	1	Titans · Trends	1
	If Kerry Collins plays like he did against the Bears, they will be a Super Bowl team. It's that simple. The passing game is the one area of this team that worried some.
	2	Giants · Trends	2
	They run it better than anybody, which controls the football. And when they get a lead they have a pass rush that can get after it. They're the best team, even if they are in the second spot here.
	3	Panthers · Trends	3
	Can I really put a team that had a quarterback throw for 72 yards and get picked four times in the third spot? At 7-2, you have to do it.
	4	Buccaneers · Trends	6
	Jon Gruden has to be thrilled with his 6-3 start and the way Jeff Garcia has played. We know the defense will be good.
	5	Redskins · Trends	7
	They come off the bye with a huge game against the Cowboys at home. They need to win it to try to keep pace with the Giants in the division -- or they will be taking the wild-card route.
	6	Patriots · Trends	10
	As Matt Cassel grows, they will only get better. They have two huge games in the next two weeks against the Jets at home and at Miami. Win them, and they will win the division.
	7	Jets · Trends	8
	They've done what they've been asked to do, which is beat up on a weak schedule. We'll know if they're any good Thursday after they play the Patriots.
	8	Cardinals · Trends	9
	They're going to the playoffs. Barring a late-season collapse of epic proportions, even by Cardinals standards, they will win the division. That means we'll get the treat of watching that offense more in the postseason.
	9	Cowboys · Trends	11
	The most important question in Dallas since Who shot JR is this: How's the pinkie? That's Tony Romo's pinkie.
	10	Falcons · Trends	12
	Matt Ryan isn't playing like a rookie, that's for sure. But the most impressive thing is how well the defense is playing. Brian VanGorder is doing a nice job with that unit.
	11	Colts · Trends	18
	The past two weeks have saved their season. They appear to be getting it right in time to make a second-half push.
	12	Steelers · Trends	4
	I worry about their passing game. Ben Roethlisberger isn't playing well. He needs to get it going or they'll be watching come playoff time.
	13	Ravens · Trends	14
	Joe Flacco is the real deal and the defense is playing good football. Nice job, John Harbaugh.
	14	Eagles · Trends	5
	They get the Bengals this week, which is a must-win if they are to have any chance to win the division. They're 0-3 against the NFC East, with two losses at home. That's not good enough.
	15	Vikings · Trends	19
	Will they ever get good quarterback play? Not with the group they have, which means it's all about Adrian Peterson and the defense.
	16	Bills · Trends	13
	Trent Edwards has cooled and so have the Bills. He just hasn't been smooth the past three weeks. The Bills are fading fast.
	17	Bears · Trends	15
	Get better, Kyle Orton. Soon. The offense isn't the same without you, and the Bears head to Green Bay this week.
	18	Dolphins · Trends	20
	They get Oakland at home, a game they should win, which will set up a huge division game in two weeks with the Patriots. Is that possible?
	19	Packers · Trends	16
	They lost two tough road games and now must try to regroup against division rival Chicago at home. One thing that is missing is the running game from last season.
	20	Broncos · Trends	21
	Here's the deal: Jay Cutler will have to win shootouts for this team to be in the playoffs. He's capable, that's for sure.
	21	Jaguars · Trends	23
	Jack Del Rio's tough talk worked against Detroit. But that's the Lions. We'll know if they're back for sure next week when they play the Titans.
	22	Saints · Trends	17
	At 4-5, they're in last place in the division. They still have games left against all three teams, but they better get it going.
	23	Chargers · Trends	24
	Even when they win, like they did Sunday, it's not pretty. The pass defense made Tyler Thigpen look like Len Dawson.
	24	Browns · Trends	22
	The change to Brady Quinn matters none if the defense can't stop anybody. Where is the pass rush or the coverage?
	25	Texans · Trends	25
	They are a different team without Matt Schaub. Sage Rosenfels just can't get it done. To think there was a controversy of sorts before the season between those two.
	26	Rams · Trends	26
	The past three games have taken the luster off Jim Haslett's first two games. That's what happens when the talent base isn't that good.
	27	Seahawks · Trends	27
	At least this time when they came east they didn't get blown out. Seneca Wallace played better, but their season is over.
	28	Bengals · Trends	28
	Coming out of the bye, coach Marvin Lewis just might be playing for his job. At least his team showed life the last time out.
	29	Raiders · Trends	29
	They did play better on defense against the Panthers. Now we'll see if it holds up on a long road trip to Miami.
	30	49ers · Trends	30
	They battled Monday night, which has to make feisty Mike Singletary happy. The good thing is some young players are starting to step up.
	31	Chiefs · Trends	31
	Tyler Thigpen has played well the past couple of weeks. The next seven games should be to find out if he can be a long-term answer.
	32	Lions · Trends	32
	Drew Stanton should play the rest of the season. They have to see what he can do. If not, they need to hope Matt Stafford comes out.