GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) – It was an emotional week and an equally emotional afternoon at Lambeau Field Sunday as the Green Bay Packers finally put an end to their five game fog that started with the trip to London by beating their former Head Coach 31-28 with a walk off field goal in overtime.
Mason Crosby’s aching back held up on the 28 yard boot to spoil Mike McCarthy’s first visit back since his 13 year, Super Bowl winning run in Green Bay.
There were huge performances from a lot of players that saw the Packers rally from down 28-14 in the 4th quarter, the first time in Dallas franchise history they lost with a two touchdown lead in the final period, that’s 195-0 until this one.
Christian Watson dropped the first two balls thrown his way on the opening series but he would respond with three touchdown receptions, covering 58, 39 and 7 yards, the first rookie receiver to go over a hundred with a hat trick since James Lofton.
Rudy Ford, getting a shot to play safety with Darnell Savage pulled into the slot, came up with a pair of interceptions in the second quarter that were converted into points by an offense loathe to score period the past month.
Aaron Jones piled up 138 yards on the ground with a 12 yard touchdown, part of 207 yard rushing effort.
Aaron Rodgers completed only 14 passes in 20 attempts but finished with a passer rating of 146.7.
For Head Coach Matt LaFleur, it was an exhausting, but very worthwhile effort:
After a scoreless first quarter, the Cowboys put up a 17 play, 83 yard drive that covered 8:21, capped by Dak Prescott’s three yard scoring strike to Cee Dee Lamb who would finish with an impressive 10 catch, 150 yard and two score game. Aaron Rodgers would get sacked and fumbled at his own 10 yard line. Looking to double up the score, Ford stepped in front of a Prescott pass intended for Dalton Schultz a yard deep in the end zone and returned it 34 yards the other way.
Facing a third and one, Rodgers went back to Watson, who got inside leverage on corner Anthony Brown and pulled down the deep shot at the 15 and cruised into the end zone for his first NFL touchdown reception, capped by a magnificent back flip celebration.
Ford came through again as Prescott fired late and short down the middle hitting Rudy right in the numbers and in stride for another 34 yard runback to the Dallas 24. Three plays later, Aaron Jones burst through a hole over the left side and sped to the corner for a 12 yard touchdown to put the Packers up 14-7 with 1:42 left in the half.
As has been the case throughout the season, the defense picked a bad time to back peddle. Dallas covered 68 yards in 1:34 as Shultz pulled in a five yard touchdown pass with :08 left in the half for a 14-all tie.
The third quarter looked a lot like the first 9 games for Green Bay. The opening series died at midfield. The defense had Dallas backed up inside the 10 and got a big three and out. Bryan Anger’s 55 yard punt was fielded by Amari Rodgers who ran into traffic after an 11 yard return and he coughed it up. It was his fifth fumble of the season and the Cowboys cashed it in. Tony Pollard found a big hole on a draw play and scored from 13 yards out to put Dallas up 21-14.
A third and 4 sack of Rodgers forced another punt and the Cowboys were able to convert a 2nd and 21 after an intentional grounding penalty and finished off the 86 yard drive in four big plays, the last, a 35 yard strike to Lamb who ran away from Savage and Jaire Alexander in coverage.
On this day, the offense had answers. Reaching the Dallas 39 but facing 4th and 7 heading in the same direction of Crosby’s 54 yard field goal try that came up well short in the first quarter, LaFleur went for it and Rodgers found Watson on a deep crossing route for the 39 yard scoring strike and the comeback was on.
The defense got a stop and Keisean Nixon, taking Amari’s punt returning duty, made a dangerous catch and the Packers were backed up at their 11. A.J. Dillon busted a 17 yard run and then Jones did an escape job at the line of scrimmage and got loose for a 30 yard burst. Rodgers then hit Watson on a 7 yard fade route in the left corner of the end zone to get the game even at 28 with 2:29 to play.
The defense did it’s job again and the Packers had 1:38 left from their own 33. Two runs netted nine yards and on third and one, LaFleur called for another deep shot but it was covered and Rodgers was forced to thrown the ball away and cameras caught him letting his boss have it. The game went to overtime and Dallas won the toss.
Two key penalties hurt, an offensive offsides call was overcome but a big run by Mike Davis was called back on a hold. Shultz gained 16 yards on 2nd and 19 and on third and three, Alexander blanketed Lamb for an incompletion. McCarthy then gambled for it on 4th down at the Packer 35, foregoing a 53 yard field goal try. Jarran Reed was able to latch on to Prescott trying to escape the pocket and while dragging him down, forced a desperate pass that sailed over Pollard’s head.
Facing another third and one, Rodgers and Lazard connected on a run solution check with an inside go route that broke loose for 36 yards to the Dallas 20. Another Cowboy penalty, a facemask grab on a Jones run for 5, moved the ball to the 7. Rodgers took a knee back to the ten to set up Crosby’s game winning kick.
So many notable big plays, but the day belong to Watson, who endured off season knee surgery, a pair of pulled hamstrings, a concussion and yes, first year drops to produce an unforgettable game:
As for the quarterback, Rodgers was just as collected in a reserved post-game press conference but said he just had a feeling about this one all week.
The Packers put up 415 yards of offense and hit 30 points since their last victory, against New England, also in overtime way back on October 2. The defense gave up a season high in points (28) and yards (415) but they came up with two huge picks and pitched a shutout in the 4th quarter and overtime when things were looking bleak.
I mentioned the sore back of Crosby. Practice squad kicker Ramiz Ahmed was a game day callup and handle the kickoff duties only. Mason said his back was tightening up during the Detroit game and the coaching staff thought this might be for the best. Ahmed had three touchbacks and the cover unit kept the dangerous KaVontae Turpin in check for the most part.
Isaiah McDuffie, subbing for the still injured and inactive De’Vondre Campbell led the defense with 12 total tackles. Adrian Amos and Alexander each had 9.
The rest of the inactives were Shemar Jean-Charles, Krys Barnes, Rasheed Walker, Luke Tenuta, Romeo Doubs and Jonathan Ford.
Newly signed safety Jonathan Abram dressed and played on special teams.
As for McCarthy’s return to Titletown? A disappointing homecoming:
The Cowboys drop to 6-3 and into third place in the NFC East while the Packers improve to 4-6 with a very short week next, hosting the Tennessee Titans at Lambeau on Thursday night.
