Rodgers really has the Cowboys’ number. The Green Bay Packers have finally ended their long losing streak as they survived a grueling duel with the Cowboys, winning 31-28 in overtime.
Well, Green Bay really has always owned the Dallas Cowboys. Whether it is Bart Starr in the Ice Bowl, Aaron Rodgers in the Dez Catch Game, or that Bad Man again in the 2016 Divisional Game the Green Bay Packers will always find a way to beat the Dallas Cowboys, even when the Packers are awful, and the Cowboys are flying.
I mean, how did the Cowboys actually lose this game?
Not only did they come into the day with a 6-2 record and having won 6 of their last 7 games, but they were also emotionally charged up by the return of their head coach, Mike McCarthy, to his former team. Plus, they had the best pass rush in the entire league, led by Micah Parsons, Demarcus Lawarence, and Dante Fowler Jr., while the Green Bay Packers pass block was oozing sacks every week.
Moreover, the Packers were coming off their 5 straight loss and their offense, which has been horrific all season long, had just hit rock bottom as they failed to score more than ten points against their archrivals, the Detroit Lions. The very same Detroit Lions that currently have the WORST EVER defense in league history.
All the momentum prior to this game was in their corner, and they even started out the game by scoring the first points of the game.
After a pretty boring 1st Quarter, Dak Prescott led the Dallas Cowboys 86 yards, converting a huge 4th down by midfield, into the endzone with a quick toss to Ceedee Lamb that put the Cowboys up 7-0. Given how Lamb finished this game with 11 REC for 150 yards and 2 TDs, I think we might have just seen his true ‘breakout’ game as a #1 WR in the league.
I was a little nervous about Lamb and his ability to become a #1 target, given how often he drops the football when thrown to him, but this game might just prove my fear to be unrealistic. He was unstoppable on the field as not even Jaire Alexander, the Packers #1 cornerback, was able to stop Lamb as he scored his second TD against him on a deep fade route.
Anyway, another wide receiver who had a breakout game was Christian Watson as he torched the Cowboys secondary for 107 yards and 3 touchdowns. Him and Lamb must have had a bet prior to this game as whenever one would score a touchdown, the other would immediately go down the field and one up them with an even more impressive TD.
Though, that didn’t stop the Cowboys from taking a commanding 28-14 going into the 4th Quarter, which mainly came from the tough running by Tony Pollard.
Having completely stepped out of Ezekiel Elliott’s shadow, Pollard is now the lead running back for this Cowboys team. Rushing 22 times for 115 yards and 1 TD, Pollard was zipping through gaps in the Packers defensive frontline and turning them into huge gains on almost every run he had.
The guy had 5.2 yards/CAR, which is an incredible feat against any defense.
But, just like how Christian Watson and Ceedee Lamb had a WR duel, Tony Pollard and Aaron Jones had a duel of their own. The Packers running back was the warhorse Matt LaFleur rode into this battle on as he rushed the back 24 times for 138 yards and 1 TD, which was too much to handle for the Cowboys linebacking core.
Despite facing off against a healthy Micah Parsons, the Green Bay Packers finally execute a perfect running scheme as Aaron Jones and A.J. Dillon combined for a grand total 207 yards. It’s not often you see a Dan Quinn defense get absolutely lit up for so many rushing yards.
What makes this successful gameplan even more surprising is the fact that Rodgers had himself a great game too as he went 14/20 for 224 yards and 3 TDs, with one of his TD passes being that 58-yard bomb to Watson that took the top off the Cowboys secondary.
Rodgers must have put some sort of hex on the Cowboys as he was his usual MVP self again, in spite of the overwhelming criticisms and hate he and his Packers were getting in the media. Like I said earlier, the super-powered Cowboys defense should have smothered Rodgers and this underwhelming Packers offense, but they failed to do so once again.
Instead, the Packers scored two 4th Quarter touchdowns to tie the game at 28 and send it to overtime, with one of them being a 4th and 7 conversion from Rodgers-Watson.
If I was a Cowboys fan, I’d be utterly livid as this team constantly finds ways to lose massively important games. It’s honestly comical how many times the Cowboys can shoot themselves in the foot with their own guns. You know, if the Cowboys were the embodiment of a character in a Western Movie, they’d be Buster Scruggs from the Ballard of Buster Scruggs.
A ‘white knight’ hero that can easily dispatch the moronic side villains but gets shot in the head immediately when he faces off in a duel against a competent villain.
Something needs to change with the culture of this organization as there is no way they will ever win another Super Bowl again if it doesn’t.
Regardless, the Packers obviously were able to stop Dak Prescott, who had an awful game plagued with turnovers as he went 27/46, 3 TDs, and 2 INTs, and the Cowboys offense in overtime, which allowed Rodgers to set up Mason Crosby to kick another game-winning field goal against the Cowboys.
Which he did with ease as the Packers (4-6) ended their slump and got their season back on track. I’m not sure if it will be enough to make the playoffs as the NFC Wild Card race is extremely tough this season, but who knows? You can never count out Aaron Rodgers.
As for Dallas (6-3), this loss just symbolizes everything that has gone wrong with this organization since the 1990’s glory days. They need a sweeping culture change, though I don’t know if they will ever get that while Jerry Jones remains as the all-powerful owner/GM.
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