ARLINGTON, Texas – The Packers scored on their opening drive of the game and never looked back, handling the Cowboys 48-32 Sunday at AT&T Stadium in the NFC Wild Card playoffs.
With the win, No. 7-seeded Green Bay will travel to San Francisco for the divisional round. The Packers became the first No. 7 seed to knock off a No. 2 seed since the NFL began this playoff format in 2020.
The Packers jumped all over the Cowboys, taking a 27-0 lead in the second quarter following S Darnell Savage's 64-yard pick-six. Dallas scored 10 points on either side of halftime, but Green Bay's offense simply couldn't be stopped and the Packers kept building on their lead, getting it to 48-16 at one point in the fourth quarter.
QB Jordan Love fashioned a near-maximum 157.2 passer rating, completing 16-of-21 for 272 yards with three TDs. He was at the maximum 158.3 until throwing an incomplete pass with just over two minutes left when the offense was trying for one more first down to run out the clock.
The Packers' 48 points tied the franchise record for a postseason game, matching the 2010 divisional win in Atlanta. It's also the most points Dallas has ever surrendered in a postseason game.
WR Romeo Doubs had his first career 100-yard game with six catches for 151 yards and a score. TE Luke Musgrave and WR Dontayvion Wicks had the other two receiving TDs.
Meanwhile, RB Aaron Jones had 21 carries for 118 yards and three TDs, his fourth straight 100-yard game. He's also scored seven TDs in his last two games at AT&T Stadium. The three rushing TDs tied the Packers' single-game postseason record, also held by Ryan Grant (2007 divisional vs. Seattle).
For the Cowboys, QB Dak Prescott was 41-of-60 for 403 yards with three TDs, two INTs and a 89.8 rating. WR CeeDee Lamb had nine catches for 110 yards, WR Michael Gallup had six catches for 103 yards, and TE Jake Ferguson had 10 for 93 yards and all three Prescott TDs. RB Tony Pollard had 14 carries for 52 yards and a TD.
Packers CB Jaire Alexander had the other interception for Green Bay, setting up the Packers' second TD of the game in the first quarter. Alexander left the game in the second half with an ankle injury. He had been questionable coming into the game with an ankle injury.
Here's a recap of all the action:
Packers lead Cowboys 7-0 after first quarter
The Packers won the coin toss and elected to receive. After an illegal contact penalty on DaRon Bland, Jordan Love found Romeo Doubs for a 22-yard completion to midfield. Aaron Jones carried the ball four straight times, including a 13-yard gain, to move inside Dallas' red zone.
Two completions to tight end Tucker Kraft moved Green Bay into goal-to-go. On third-and-goal, Jones plowed through for a 3-yard touchdown to put the Packers ahead 7-0 with 7 minutes, 8 seconds left in the first quarter. That was Jones' fifth career postseason rushing touchdown, tying Edgar Bennett's franchise record.
Dak Prescott scrambled for 18 yards on third-and-3, but the Packers' defense got off the field after Isaiah McDuffie tackled Jake Ferguson for no gain on first down. Sam Williams interfered with Jayden Reeds fair catch, resulting in a 15-yard penalty.
Starting at their own 24, Love bought time and hit Doubs again in the middle of the field for 26 yards on third-and-9. Green Bay was unable to convert its next third-and-9 and was forced to punt on the next play. KaVontae Turpin Daniel Whelan's 39-yard punt at the Dallas 8.
On third-and-5, Jaire Alexander intercepted Prescott on a slant intended for Brandin Cooks. The Packers took over possession of the ball at the Dallas 19. Jones caught a 13-yard screen from Love on first down.
Green Bay had possession of the ball for 11 minutes, 4 seconds in the first quarter.
Packers lead Cowboys 27-7 at halftime
The second quarter began with Love firing a 15-yard pass to Doubs on a slant to the Dallas 1. On the next play, Jones fought his way to the touchdown to extend Green Bay's lead to 14-0 with 14:15 left in the first half.
Prescott moved the ball past midfield with a 22-yard pass to Jake Ferguson but Kenny Clark tackled Tony Pollard for a 1-yard loss and Keisean Nixon sacked Prescott on the play to force a Bryan Anger punt. Green Bay took over at its own 7.
Love converted on third-and-1 with a 10-yard pass to Tucker Kraft. After a timeout, Love hit Doubs on a 39-yard crosser. It's the longest reception of Doubs' career and also put the second-year receiver over 100 receiving yards for the first time in his career.
On third-and-7, Love avoided the blitz and threw a beautiful 20-yard touchdown to Dontayvion Wicks in the back of the end zone to extend Green Bay's lead to 20-0 with 3:23 left in the first half. Anders Carlson's extra point banged off the right upright.
After the two-minute warning, safety Darnell Savage intercepted Prescott and returned it for a 64-yard touchdown to push Green Bay's lead to 27-0 with 1:50 left in the first half. It's Savage's first interception since a pick six last December in a 41-17 win over Minnesota.
That's the fourth-longest pick six in Packers' playoff history. Savage joins George Teague, Damarious Randall and Tramon Williams vs. Atlanta.
A 49-yard Turpin kickoff return and a horse collar penalty set up first down for Dallas at the Packers' 37. Lamb caught a 10-yard pass on third-and-10 from the Green Bay 11, but he didn't get in the end zone. The half ended with a 1-yard TD pass to Ferguson.
Packers lead Cowboys 41-16 after three
The Packers' defense nearly got off the field on the first series of the second half, but Kenny Clark was flagged for a facemask on his third-and-1 stop of a scrambling Prescott. The penalty moved the ball to the Green Bay 40.
Preston Smith batted down a pass at the line of scrimmage on third-and-10 at the Packers' 16 and Dallas settled for a 34-yard field Brandon Aubrey field goal to cut the Packers' lead to 27-10 with 9:23 left in the third quarter.
Jones gained 10 yards on back-to-back carries before Love connected with Doubs on a career-long 46-yard completion off play-action to the Dallas 17. Jones completed the five-play, 75-yard scoring drive with an 8-yard run and a 9-yard TD to put the Packers ahead 34-10 with 6:38 remaining.
With the touchdown, Jones became the second Packers player to have three TD runs in a playoff game, joining Ryan Grant (Seattle, 2007). Jones is also the second running back to have three TD runs in an NFC Wild Card playoff game (Shaun Alexander).
Prescott hit Michael Gallup for a 42-yard completion to move into Green Bay territory. One play later, Jaire Alexander was helped off after a 6-yard pass to Cooks. Alexander is questionable to return with an ankle injury.
Pollard converted a third-and-1 with a 2-yard run. Prescott scrambled six yards to set up first-and-goal at the Green Bay 2. Pollard scored two plays later on a 1-yard run up the middle. The Cowboys went for two initially but elected to kick the extra point from the Dallas 25 after Jalen Tolbert was called for offensive pass interference. Aubrey missed the extra point, leaving Green Bay's lead at 34-16 with 3:03 left in the third quarter.
Jones rushed for 37 yards on back-to-back carries before Love found a wide-open Luke Musgrave for a 38-yard touchdown to push the Packers' lead to 41-16 over the Cowboys with 1:27 left in the third quarter. Those 41 points are the most Dallas has allowed in a playoff game.
The Cowboys turned the ball over on downs at their 40 after Prescott's fourth-and-5 deep pass fell incomplete.
Packers beat Cowboys 48-32, will face 49ers in NFC Divisional round
Jones broke a 19-yard run at the start of the fourth quarter to register his fourth consecutive game with at least 100 rushing yards. He finished with 21 carries for 118 yards.
Emanuel Wilson plowed his way to the Dallas 4, setting up fourth-and-3. Love ran a play-action before firing a sidearm pass to Doubs for the 3-yard touchdown to push Green Bay's lead to 48-16 with 10:23 left in regulation. Doubs caught six passes for a career-high 151 yards and a TD.
Prescott connected with Ferguson on a 7-yard touchdown pass following an 11-play, 75-yard drive. Dallas went for two, cutting the deficit to 48-24 with 5:54 left. Lukas Van Ness had his first career postseason sack on the drive.
After Green Bay recovered the onside kick, Sean Clifford relieved Love on the next series. The Packers punted after three Patrick Taylor runs. Dallas scored again on a four-play, 91-yard drive that ended with another TD pass to Ferguson. The Cowboys got the two-point conversion, cutting Green Bay's lead to 48-32 with 3:25 remaining.
The Packers recovered the onside kick at the Dallas 39. Love and Jones re-entered the game but the Packers went three-and-out and punted the ball back to the Cowboys.
Dallas moved the ball down the field again, with Preston Smith recording a sack with 30 seconds left. Prescott's fourth-and-8 pass to the end zone fell incomplete for the turnover on downs. Love kneeled out the win to make the Packers the first No. 7 seed to beat a No. 2 seed since the playoffs expanded to 14 teams in 2020.
