Packers overcome late Cowboys rally to win 34-31, advance to NFC Championship

Updated

The Green Bay Packers stunned the Dallas Cowboys on a game-winning, 51-yard field goal by Mason Crosby as time expired to advance to the NFC Championship with a 34-31 victory on Sunday.

Crosby's clincher was the last of three 50-plus yard field goals converted in the final two minutes of the game, a frenzied affair that looked like a blowout early on as Aaron Rodgers picked apart the Cowboys secondary. A one-yard touchdown plunge by Ty Montgomery put the Packers up 21-3 midway through the second quarter.

But after shaking off some early rust from their bye week, Dallas' pair of rookie phenoms eventually found their footing. Ezekiel Elliott finished the game with 125 rushing yards, while Dak Prescott became the first rookie in NFL history with three passing touchdowns in a playoff game. Two of them went to Dez Bryant, and Prescott followed the second one by rushing for a two-point conversion that knotted the game at 28 with 4:08 remaining.

It turned out that still left enough time on the clock for Rodgers to lead not one, but two go-ahead drives. The first concluded in a 56-yard field goal by Crosby, which Prescott and the Cowboys quickly responded to by driving 42 yards in 54 seconds. Dan Bailey's 52-yarder briefly tied it up before Rodgers added to his storied postseason résumé.

Facing a 3rd-and-20 from Green Bay's 32-yard line, Rodgers scrambled and found Jared Cook hugging the left sideline in Dallas territory. Cook hauled in the pass and somehow maintained his balance long enough to keep two feet inbounds at the 34-yard line, setting the stage for Crosby's game-winner and etching his name into Packers lore.

The Packers will play the Atlanta Falcons next weekend in the final NFL game played at the Georgia Dome before the Falcons move into a new stadium next season. Atlanta will attempt to qualify for its second Super Bowl in franchise history, while Green Bay aims for its seventh Super Bowl berth and second with Rodgers under center.

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