Mike McCarthy on return to Green Bay: Would have preferred it earlier in the season

On3 imageby:Nikki Chavanelle05/16/22

NikkiChavanelle

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The NFL officially released its full 2022 schedule on Thursday night, giving the Dallas Cowboysfull glimpse at the season that awaits. The Cowboys will play in five primetime games with several more late-afternoon games, including a Week 10 matchup versus the Green Bay Packers.

The former Packers skipper has no qualms about facing his former team on the road. However, he’s not loving the specifics.

“Going back to Green Bay will be fun,” McCarthy said. “I was hoping it would be in October or September, but November will be fun.”

The game marks a reunion for Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy who won a Super Bowl with the Packers in 2010. It will be the first time he coaches at Lambeau Field since leaving in 2018. Towards the end of his tenure, animosity between McCarthy and star quarterback Aaron Rodgers came to a boiling point. Now, the two will meet again as true foes on the field on Nov. 13.

The Packers have three of their last four games of the regular season at home, which general manager Brian Gutekunst was particularly happy about.

“Getting teams at Lambeau Field, in front of our fans, is so much of a distinct advantage for us, specifically at that time of the year,” Gutekunst said. “Hopefully, we’ll have a lot to play for at that time and it’ll help us accomplish a lot of the goals we’ve set out to accomplish.”

Matt LaFleur weighs in on McCarthy returning to Lambeau

Green Bay head coach Matt LaFleur also weighed in on the Week 10 game and Mike McCarthy’s return to Green Bay.

“You got to beat everybody, every week,” LaFleur said after the schedule reveal. “I happen to drive down his street every day, so I’m constantly reminded about that.

“He’s a guy I got a lot of respect for, I think everybody in this organization does as well. He did a lot of great things here. When he comes back into town, he’s the head coach of the Dallas Cowboys and we’ve got to find a way to beat the Cowboys. They’re a great team.”