DALLAS — The Dallas Cowboys exited the bye week with a chance to improve to 7-2 and put the nail in the coffin of an old nemesis. That’s not how things played out however, as the Cowboys fell to the Green Bay Packers 31-28 in overtime at Lambeau Field.
There was little doubt that the Cowboys were going to get the best that the Packers had, despite Green Bay coming in having lost five in a row. Another loss would have virtually eliminated the Packers from any playoff talk and would finally give the Cowboys some satisfaction in beating Aaron Rodgers. With former Packers head coach Mike McCarthy coming back to Green Bay, it made the stakes even higher.
The Cowboys weren’t up to the task of putting the Packers and Rodgers out of their misery but extended their own frustrations instead. If the Cowboys wanted to be taken seriously this season, it’s a game they should’ve won. Even against a 3-6 team, the circumstances ratcheted up the pressure, and Dallas wilted just as they have at every chance since the turn of the century.
The Cowboys fought through a tough first 28 minutes of football while falling behind 14-7 just before the end of the first half. After quarterback Dak Prescott’s second interception led to a Packers score, the Cowboys answered with an eight-play, 66-yard touchdown drive to tie the game before halftime.
The third quarter is where it appeared as though the Cowboys were ready to put the Packers out to pasture. Back-to-back touchdown drives showed why Dallas was among the better teams in the league, and the Packers were on the downslide. The Cowboys were moving the ball through the air and on the ground with ease, getting out to a 28-14 lead as the fourth quarter began.
Down by two scores late didn’t dissuade the Packers from running the ball as their ground game dominated the Dallas defense to the tune of 204 yards. The Cowboys had issues tackling, which coupled with some bad run fits, kept the defense on the field and allowed the Packers to climb back into the game.
The Achilles heel for the Cowboys this season has been the run defense and it showed up at the wrong time. A bye week and some time to get fresh didn’t help Dan Quinn’s unit solve the problem, and the Packers took advantage.
With the run defense exposed again, Dallas gave up 14 fourth quarter points and allowed the Packers to come back to tie the game.
The first fourth quarter score came when the defense couldn’t get off the field on fourth down and allowed a 39-yard touchdown to rookie wide receiver Christian Watson. Fellow rookie cornerback for the Cowboys, DaRon Bland, couldn’t keep up with Watson and gave up the long score. It was Watson’s second touchdown of the game, but it wouldn’t be his last.
Watson ran by second year cornerback Kelvin Joseph and safety Malik Hooker for his third touchdown to tie the game late.
The Cowboys’ defense didn’t just allow a running game to beat them, but they were eaten alive by a rookie receiver who had just 88 yards on the season coming into the game. Watson finished with 107 yards and three scores, an embarrassing showing from the Dallas secondary.
Nevertheless, there was still time for the Cowboys to drive down to win the game, but they stalled on their last possession, which led to overtime.
The Cowboys were given another chance to win the game when they won the coin toss to start overtime, and they were moving the ball well before a series of errors cost them the game. To no one’s surprise, penalties were again part of the problem.
With the ball on the Packers 42-yard line, left guard Connor McGovern was called for a questionable hold on a play that would’ve given the Cowboys a first down at the Green Bay 26-yard line. The officials then missed an obvious pass interference call on Packer cornerback Jaire Alexander, which brought up a 4th-&-4 situation in makeable field goal position.
Instead of attempting the 53-yard field goal, McCarthy opted to go for the first down, which failed.
It took the Packers three plays to take advantage. Rodgers hit wide receiver Allen Lazard over the middle on a 3rd-&-short play, beating Bland again, and the gain went for 36-yards into easy field goal range, essentially sealing the Cowboys’ fate. A few plays later, the game-winning field goal was kicked, and the Cowboys walked away losers.
The decision to go for it on fourth down in overtime will be questioned, but the Cowboys should have never been in that position to begin with. Dallas had a 14-point lead late and failed to finish. The defense, which had been thought of as one of the top units in the game, couldn’t finish. Prescott couldn’t lead a scoring drive in the last quarter or overtime, to finish the Packers.
The opportunity to exorcise a lot of demons was there for the taking, and the Cowboys couldn’t finish what they started. Dallas ultimately handed away another statement game. Wash, rinse and repeat.
Do you think the Cowboys will be able to recover from the Week 10 loss? Share your thoughts with Ben on Twitter @BenGrimaldi.
