GREEN BAY, Wis. — Mike McCarthy slammed his headset down. You could tell this game meant everything to him. The Cowboys wanted to bring home the win for their head coach in the “Mike McCarthy Revenge Game.”
Instead, the Cowboys’ defense fell apart and the offense couldn’t finish when it was needed and Aaron Rodgers was, well Aaron Rodgers. Green Bay knocked off Dallas, 31-28, in overtime on Sunday afternoon at Lambeau Field.
The Packers’ five-game losing streak came to an end and maybe gave them some hope in the NFC playoff chase. The Cowboys remain in good shape at 6-3.
Here are five things of note from the game:
Dak Prescott overcomes picks and delivers
When quarterback Dak Prescott throws multiple interceptions, the Cowboys are a losing football team. Well, Dallas continued its losing ways, now 3-11 when Prescott throws multiple picks.
Prescott completed 27 of 46 passes for 265 yards with 3 touchdowns and 2 interceptions. At times, it seemed the cold weather was getting to Prescott with some of his throws, but he settled down to finish with a 78.6 quarterback rating.
The pair of interceptions were bad throws that might have been the intended target’s fault. At one point during the game, Prescott was yelling at CeeDee Lamb and Dalton Schultz. After his second pick, he was on the sidelines talking with Lamb with both players trying to come to an agreement on things.
CeeDee Lamb with a breakout game
The Cowboys’ receivers heard plenty about hoe the potential addition of Odell Beckham Jr. would only enhance this group. Well, Lamb responded with a two-touchdown performance, picking up career-high 11 catches for a season-high 150 yards. It was the first 100-yard game of the season not only for Lamb but the entire Cowboys’ receiving corps.
Lamb’s last score of the day, a 35-yarder late in the third quarter which pushed Dallas into a two-score lead, was too easy. He got separation from safety Darnell Savage and when Dak Prescott found him, all Lamb did from there was hold the ball out in front of him and trot into the end zone.
This was a needed effort for the Cowboys receiver group that still is missing another piece — maybe it’s Beckham or maybe James Washington when he returns from a broken bone in his foot in December. But Lamb’s efforts, the sixth 100-yard game of his career, can’t go unnoticed.
The last offensive play
In overtime, the Cowboys elected to go for it on a fourth-and-three instead of attempting a 52-yard field goal. Prescott was getting brought down by the Packers’ Jarran Reed as his throw to Tony Pollard sailed high. McCarthy slammed his headset down to the grass in frustration. You could question whether the Cowboys needed to attempt a field goal there or go for it. It’s a good question to ask, yet, Prescott didn’t have enough time to make plays in the end.
Defense fails the Cowboys late
Up two scores, the Cowboys defense should have closed the game out, instead it struggled to stop the run and allowed Rodgers, yes, the same Aaron Rodgers that’s turned into a Cowboys killer on multiple occasions, to rally his team back. There was at least one rookie receiver on the field making plays and that was the Packers’ Christian Watson. He finished with 4 catches for 107 yards and 3 touchdowns.
The Cowboys’ secondary struggled to contain not only Watson but the two-headed monster of the Packers run game, Aaron Jones and AJ Dillon. Combined, the Packers rushed for 207 yards.
The game was decided when Rodgers connected on a 30-yard pass to Allen Lazard that set up the game-winning field goal. With Lazard in the slot, cornerback rookie DaRon Bland slipped. Five Cowboys’ players slipped on the Lambeau Field grass on Sunday, which allowed receivers to get wide open.
Ezekiel Elliott, Anthony Brown injuries
The day started with starting running back Ezekiel Elliott being listed as inactive for the game with a hyperextended knee. It’s the second consecutive game Elliott has missed since suffering the injury, and counting the bye week, he’s been out three weeks. With the Cowboys playing three games in 12 days, starting with Sunday’s clash with the Packers, it’s probably best to give Elliott as much time as possible to recover. Dallas will visit Minnesota next week and it’s quite possible Elliott might play there.
The Cowboys had three players get nicked up in the game with cornerback Anthony Brown being the most serious injury. He left the game in the first half after suffering a concussion. He landed face first while trying to defend a long touchdown pass to receiver Christian Watson. Kelvin Joseph replaced Brown at cornerback. Also, Linebacker Leighton Vander Esch (undisclosed) and receiver Michael Gallup (knee) left the game in the first half only to return after a brief absence.
