MADISON, Wis. -- Green Bay Packers wide receiver Greg Jennings acknowledges that a bad loss can linger into the next week and damage a team's collective confidence, but Jennings insists the fallout from a disappointing loss to Brett Favre and the Minnesota Vikings didn't figure into the Packers' head-scratching loss to a winless Tampa Bay team on Sunday.

"We didn't win that football game for a number of reasons," said Packers coach Mike McCarthy.

McCarthy added, "We understand that the loss we came off of was fully addressed Monday, but even me sitting here today, and this is what I told the team. Our message is very clear. The head coach has to coach better, the coaches have to coach better, the players have to play better, and we have to win games. That's our focus."

While Packers players and coaches deny any sort of hangover effect from the Vikings loss, there's no denying that the team is at a crossroads.

"We really want to win the game this week. There's no question about that. We approach every game the same way," McCarthy said. "November football is definitely, the importance and urgency has to increase. I think that's natural, something we talk about as a football team. We're going to apply all of our energy into this Dallas game plan. We've adjusted some things schedule-wise that I normally do this time of year."

The Packers have switched to what the team calls a "winter" schedule. It's a modification to how they approach the game through meetings and practice, but McCarthy said it's not anything new this season.

"I think it will help our football team, especially with 12 days when we'll have three games that we'll play," McCarthy said. "That's about as far down the road as we're looking. We're going to pour everything that we have into winning at home against the Cowboys."

To hand the streaking Dallas Cowboys their first loss in more than a month will be a steep challenge. The Cowboys can mount a serious pass rush with DeMarcus Ware, and that is something the Packers have struggled with.

"It is a serious issue," said Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers. "Because we are all frustrated and we are all to blame and you don't want to point fingers at anyone and its starts with me. I think sometimes I am hanging on to the ball too long and there are times when guys get beat one on one and then we have miscommunication so we need to clean up all three."

A win Sunday and the Packers are back on track for the playoffs. Currently, 4-4 puts the Packers one game back of a wildcard spot.