Packers shock Cowboys, set to face 49ers in divisional round.
Texas’s Arlington Against the No. 7-seeded Green Bay Packers in Sunday’s wild-card game, the NFC’s second-seeded Dallas Cowboys were overwhelming favorites, but they were never in the contest.
The Packers led by 20 points at the half and never looked back en route to a 48-32 triumph. They scored on their opening drive.
Now, Green Bay travels west to play the 49ers, who are ranked first, next week in the divisional round.
The Cowboys head into the summer with uncertainty surrounding the futures of defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, quarterback Dak Prescott, and coach Mike McCarthy after finishing 12-5 in the regular season and missing out on the playoffs.
These aren’t the same youthful Packers. These are the Packers of Jordan Love.
Surrounded by the NFL’s youngest collection of pass-catchers, the first-year starting quarterback put on a show fit for a king on Sunday, defeating the Cowboys in his first-ever playoff game.
If Love’s 32 touchdown passes during the regular season, which ranked second in the NFL behind Prescott, weren’t enough to thrill a team looking to win three straight quarterback championships (Aaron Rodgers, Brett Favre), then Sunday’s overwhelming dominance should do the trick.
Love ended with a 157.2 passing rating, going 16 of 21 for 272 yards and three touchdowns.
He becomes only the second quarterback in the Super Bowl history, behind Aaron Rodgers (45) and Baker Mayfield (48 points), to lead their team to at least
The young Packers are not the same ones anymore. These are Jordan Love’s Packers.
Encircled by the NFL’s newest group of pass-catchers, the rookie starting quarterback defeated the Cowboys in his very first playoff game on Sunday, putting on a spectacle befitting a monarch.
If Love’s 32 touchdown passes in the regular season—which came in second to Prescott in the NFL—were insufficient to excite a squad hoping to win three straight quarterback titles (Bret Favre, Aaron Rodgers), then Sunday’s utter domination ought to do the trick.
Love completed with a 157.2 rating by completing 16 of 21 passes for 272 yards and three touchdowns.
After Baker Mayfield (48 points) and Aaron Rodgers (45), he is just the second quarterback in Super Bowl history to lead their
With two games at AT&T Stadium, where the Cowboys were 8-0 during the regular season, the season finished with such a thud that only doubts remain. It was a season that appeared full of promise, with a third consecutive 12-5 finish, an NFC East title, and a road to an NFC Championship Game.
The Packers used every trick in the book to destroy the Cowboys.
This raises concerns about the future of head coach Mike McCarthy, the sustainability of quarterback Dak Prescott, and the possible exit of defensive coordinator Dan Quinn. This is what occurs when a team puts on such a horrible show that it ends up being the worst home playoff defeat in the team’s history. The worst was a 38-14 defeat in the 1969 Eastern Championship Game against the Cleveland Browns.
Since their previous participation in
During the regular season, Prescott had one game with multiple interceptions (three vs San Francisco). In the previous two years, it was his second multi-pick playoff game. With 36 touchdown throws, Prescott led the league, but he never seemed at ease against a Packers defense that wasn’t regarded as the best at any time during the season. He was not connecting with receiver CeeDee Lamb, particularly in the first half, as they were unable to connect on four passes. In the regular-season finale, Prescott was 13 of 13 on throws to Lamb; on Sunday, he was 9 of 18.
Crucial play: Let’s revisit the game’s third play. When the Cowboys faced a second-and-13 scenario with Green Bay, Jordan Love hit receiver Romeo Doubs for a spectacular 22-yard pass.
