Excitement and apprehension mingle in the hours leading up to the Cowboys' divisional playoff game.
The optimism and confidence built by a 13-3 record are real. But what quarterback Aaron Rodgers has done for Green Bay in recent weeks tempers that enthusiasm.
So do the emotional scars Dallas fans carry from past failures.
Sunday marks the fifth time in the last 20 years the Cowboys find themselves one win shy of advancing to the NFC Championship Game. The infrequency of reaching this round and the thud that follows has been impossible to ignore.
This mix of past, present and future is a lot to untangle before the Cowboys and Packers kick off.