GREEN BAY – Missed opportunities and turnovers were the story of the day for the Packers as they fell, 30-16, to the Cowboys on Sunday at Lambeau Field.
Unofficially, Cowboys RB Ezekiel Elliott, the league's No. 1 rusher, ran for 157 yards on 28 carries, while rookie QB Dak Prescott completed 18-of-27 for 247 yards with three scores and his first career interception.
Packers QB Aaron Rodgers finished 31-of-42 for 294 yards with one TD, one interception and a lost fumble. RB Eddie Lacy, playing on a bad ankle, had 17 carries for 65 yards, and WR Ty Montgomery had 10 receptions for 98 yards.
Here's a quarter-by-quarter recap of the action.
Fourth quarter:
The Packers couldn't take advantage of the Dallas turnover to start the quarter. QB Aaron Rodgers threw high for WR Randall Cobb in the end zone and then had a pass batted down at the line of scrimmage. Green Bay settled for K Mason Crosby's 34-yard field goal to get within 20-9 with 14:48 to go.
Dallas came right back, converting on third-and-1 with a play-action pass to a wide-open WR Lucky Whitehead, who streaked by CB LaDarius Gunter at the line of scrimmage while the young Green Bay defender was peeking into the backfield. The 35-yard gain was followed by a 12-yard run by RB Ezekiel Elliott, who went over 100 rushing yards on the day.
A 13-yard pass to TE Jason Witten then set up a 4-yard TD pass to WR Cole Beasley, pushing the Cowboys' lead to 27-9 with 10:26 left.
The Packers finally found the end zone with 6:53 to go. A 13-yard pass to Cobb started the drive, and WR Jordy Nelson had grabs of 9, 12 and 25 yards before Cobb finished it off with a 6-yard TD catch. The Packers were within 27-16, and an unsportsmanlike conduct call on the Cowboys on the PAT moved the ensuing kickoff up to the 50.
The Cowboys easily recovered the onside kick, though, as Witten snagged the high bounce uncontested. Dallas converted on third-and-5 with a 7-yard pass to Witten, and Elliott followed with a 29-yard rush to the Green Bay 21 that all but sealed the game. The Cowboys tacked on a 32-yard Dan Bailey field goal to make it 30-16 with 3:41 left.
Packers WR Ty Montgomery fumbled on Green Bay's next possession, and that was that.
Third quarter:
Two Green Bay turnovers in the third quarter prevented the Packers from getting back into the game, but Dallas QB Dak Prescott's first career interception with 20 seconds left in the quarter gave the Packers life as the Cowboys took a 20-6 lead into the fourth quarter on Sunday at Lambeau Field.
A promising drive to open the second half ended terribly for Green Bay. RB Eddie Lacy carried four straight times for 16 yards, and WR Ty Montgomery gained 9 on a third-down reception to move the chains. But on second down just across midfield, QB Aaron Rodgers was intercepted by Dallas S Barry Church, and the Cowboys took over.
The Cowboys got a 25-yard run from RB Ezekiel Elliott and a 19-yard catch-and-run by WR Cole Beasley to make it first-and-goal on the 5, but the Packers' defense held there, forcing Dallas to settle for a 22-yard field goal by K Dan Bailey. The Cowboys took a 20-6 lead with 6:58 left in the quarter.
The Packers tried to answer. A 12-yard completion to WR Davante Adams converted on third-and-11, but Adams was down after the play and eventually left the game to be evaluated for a concussion. Then WR Ty Montgomery became the focal point of the offense, rushing for 6 yards and catching back-to-back passes for 12 and 15.
Rodgers then hit WR Jeff Janis on consecutive plays for 8 and 6 yards before going back to Montgomery for 14 yards to make it first-and-goal on the 1. Then disaster struck again. Looking like he was trying to run a QB draw, Rodgers was stripped of the ball by DE David Irving, and Irving recovered for the Cowboys on the 4-yard line with a minute left in the period.
Dallas gave the ball right back, though, as Prescott on third down threw his first career interception. Packers S Morgan Burnett made the diving grab and the Packers had the ball in the red zone as the third quarter expired.
Second quarter:
\The Cowboys drove 97 yards for a touchdown in the final minute of the first half to take a 17-6 lead over the Packers at halftime on Sunday at Lambeau Field.
The Packers caught a huge break as the second quarter began. Facing third-and-12 from the Dallas 48, QB Aaron Rodgers found no one open and was sacked, but LB Justin Durant was flagged for grabbing Rodgers' facemask, giving Green Bay a first down.
The drive stalled 2 yards short of the next first down, though, and K Mason Crosby made his second field goal of the game, a 43-yarder to make it 7-6 with 12:16 left in the half.
The Cowboys got into scoring range again. On an 8-yard pass to WR Terrance Williams, CB Damarious Randall re-injured his groin and left the game. Consecutive runs of 6 and 14 yards by RB Ezekiel Elliott moved the chains, and then the Cowboys converted on third down when Randall's replacement, CB Demetri Goodson, was called for pass interference on WR Cole Beasley.
The Packers then nearly got the ball back, as QB Dak Prescott fumble on a scramble, losing control of the ball without getting hit. But the Cowboys recovered within a big pile of bodies, and three plays later K Dan Bailey drilled a 44-yard field goal to put Dallas up 10-6 with 6:01 on the clock.
The Packers got back across midfield on a 22-yard pass to WR Davante Adams, and on third-and-5 from the Dallas 38, Cowboys CB Morris Claiborne collided with teammate LB Sean Lee on an incomplete slant pass to WR Jordy Nelson and was down on the field for a couple of minutes. He walked off slowly under his own power.
On the ensuing fourth-and-5, the Packers went for it, but Rodgers' pass for WR Randall Cobb was broken up by Dallas S Byron Jones, and the Cowboys took over just before the two-minute warning.
The Packers' defense responded with a three-and-out as Prescott threw three incomplete passes, giving the offense one last crack in the half. Rookie WR Trevor Davis returned the punt 25 yards to the Green Bay 46 with 1:39 to go.
Green Bay couldn't do anything with it, though, and punted after a three-and-out. P Jake Schum's boot was downed at the Dallas 3-yard line with 1:01 on the clock.
With the Packers using their timeouts to try to get the ball back one last time, the Cowboys got a 26-yard run from WR Lucky Whitehead to convert on third-and-1. A 42-yard pass to Williams followed, when CB LaDarius Gunter fell down, and then Prescott hit WR Brice Butler behind Gunter for a 20-yard TD with 27 seconds left in the half.
First quarter:
The Cowboys scored early and took a 7-3 lead over the Packers after one quarter on Sunday at Lambeau Field.
The Cowboys got on the board right away. Choosing to take the ball after winning the coin toss, Dallas drove 75 yards in eight plays for a touchdown. A 14-yard pass to TE Jason Witten, an 11-yard run by RB Ezekiel Elliott and a 15-yard pass to Elliott got the Cowboys deep into Green Bay territory.
WR Cole Beasley then caught a 16-yard pass, and his 1-yard reception for the score put the Cowboys ahead 7-0 with 10:03 left in the quarter.
The Packers answered with a field goal, changing personnel constantly on their opening drive. QB Aaron Rodgers scrambled for a first down on third-and-7 to star the drive, and RB Eddie Lacy broke off a 25-yard run into Dallas territory. After an 8-yard completion to WR Ty Montgomery, FB Aaron Ripkowski was stuffed on a third-and-1 run, and the Packers settled for K Mason Crosby's 37-yard boot.
The Cowboys got just one first down on their next possession. A stop of Elliott for 1 yard on a first-down run preceded a third-down completion to Witten that came up 1 yard short of the sticks.
Dallas got the ball right back, though. On a completion to WR Jordy Nelson, Dallas S Barry Church knocked the ball loose, and CB Morris Claiborne recovered for the Cowboys at the Green Bay 36.
The Cowboys got moving again right away on a 15-yard completion to WR Terrance Williams. That was QB Dak Prescott's 163rd consecutive pass to begin his NFL career without an interception, beating Tom Brady's previous NFL record.
Then on Prescott's next attempt, he almost threw his first interception, as LB Julius Peppers got a piece of his arm, and LB Joe Thomas snagged the ball in midair to thwart the scoring threat. The play was ruled a sack and fumble rather than an interception.
The turnover gave the Packers the ball at their own 30, and a completion to WR Randall Cobb got Green Bay across midfield as the quarter expired.
