DALLAS – The Packers took advantage of a free play to score a touchdown and take a 7-3 lead after one quarter over the Cowboys on Sunday in the NFC Divisional playoff at AT&T Stadium.
The Cowboys got the ball first and got across midfield on the strength of two RB Ezekiel Elliott runs for 9 yards and a pair of 13-yard passes to WR Terrance Williams and WR Dez Bryant. But Packers DB Micah Hyde sacked QB Dak Prescott on first down, and CB LaDarius Gunter broke up a third-down pass for Bryant. Gunter collided with S Morgan Burnett on the play and was down for a while but got up and walked off under his own power.
On fourth-and-2 from the Green Bay 32, the Cowboys decided to kick a field goal, and K Dan Bailey was good from 50 yards out to make it 3-0.
The Packers came right back. QB Aaron Rodgers caught the Cowboys with 12 men on defense to convert a third-and-5 before RB Ty Montgomery broke a 15-yard run and WR Randall Cobb slipped free for a 16-yard catch-and-run. On first down from the Dallas 34, the Cowboys jumped offside, and Rodgers was able to find TE Richard Rodgers for a TD pass, putting the Packers up 7-3 with 8:58 left in the first.
The Cowboys went right back to Elliott, as he ran four times for 21 yards and Williams caught a 12-yard pass. But Dallas WR Brice Butler was called for unsportsmanlike conduct, moving the ball back to the Dallas 48. Hyde broke up a deep ball for Butler on second-and-20, and Prescott overthrew Butler on third down, forcing the Cowboys to punt.
Taking over on their own 10, the Packers got out of the hole with a 14-yard pass to TE Jared Cook on third-and-7. Rodgers converted the next third down with a 9-yard pass to WR Geronimo Allison, and an 8-yard pass to Cobb got the Packers to midfield. On third-and-2, Rodgers found WR Davante Adams for 32 yards to the Dallas 17.
Cobb picked up 8 yards on a pass reception on the final play of the first quarter, putting the Packers on the Dallas 9 as time expired.
