Clarence Hill’s 5 Things from the Dallas Cowboys’ 31-28 loss to the Green Bay Packers
There was a time when Dallas Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy never wanted to leave Green Bay.
But after Sunday’s 31-28 overtime loss against the Packers, McCarthy likely couldn’t get out of town fast enough.
A emotional and taxing homecoming was extended into overtime when the Cowboys squandered a 28-14 fourth quarter lead, allowing quarterback Aaron Rodgers to toss touchdown passes of 29 and 7 yards to rookie receiver Christian Watson to tie game.
The Cowboys got the ball first in overtime but the Cowboys were set back by a holding penalty quarterback Dak Prescott couldn’t connect on third and fourth down from the Green Bay 35.
McCarthy said it was too far to try a field goal because of wind and felt it was best to try to win the game on the opening possession.
Rodgers, a long-time Cowboy nemesis, made good on his opportunity to foil his old coach.
Rodgers connected with Alan Lazard on third-and-1 to set up a 28-yard game winning field goal by Mason Crosby.
It ended the revenge hopes of McCarthy, who was fired by the Packers in 2018 following 13 years there as a coach, including a Super Bowl title in 2010.
It was McCarthy’s first trip back to Green Bay as an opposing coach. He bought more than 50 tickets for friends and family.
It ended in disappointment with him shaking hands with his former quarterback when the game ended.
McCarthy was visibly teary-eyed in the post game press conference.
He called the penalties in overtime very very frustrating and refused to go in detail about his homecoming weekend, that included him spending the night at his farm, rather than the team hotel and walking around Lambeau Field early Sunday morning.
“I’m not trying to be rude,” the Cowboys coach said emotionally, “but I’m humble-pied out.”
Prescott said summed of the emotions of his teammates best: “We wanted to get it for for Mike. And it sucks we didn’t And that’s that there’s there’s no way to sugarcoat it. There’s nothing else to add on.”
Entering today’s game, the Cowboys were 180-0 all-time when leading by 14 points through 3 quarters. Including playoffs, they were 195-0 all-time.
The Cowboys (6-3) saw their two-game winning streak come to an end, while the Packers (4-6) snapped a five-game losing streak.
McCarthy and the Cowboys continue their run through the NFC North next Sunday at the Minnesota Vikings. They defeated the Detroit Lions and Chicago Bears before the Packers game.
Clarence Hill’s 5 Things from the Dallas Cowboys 31-28 loss to the Packers:
Up and down game for Dak Prescott
Dak Prescott had a start of the game to forget.
He was inaccurate and off target for much of the first quarter. He tossed two unconscionable interceptions in the second quarter.
But with Cowboys down 14-7 late in the second quarter, the light seemingly clicked on for Prescott.
He directed an eight-play, 64-yard scoring drive, capped by a 5-yard throw to Dalton Schultz to end the half with the game tied at 14-14.
He then opened the third quarter with scoring drives of 45 and 86 yards. The second one ended with a 35-yard toss to CeeDee Lamb, giving the Cowboys a 28-14 lead.
But Prescott and the offense did nothing in the fourth quarter as the Packers rallied to tie the game.
He was 3 of 8 for 18 yards in the fourth quarter in what was a largely inefficient night statistically. Prescott completed 27 of 46 passes for 265 yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions.
And he couldn’t get it down on the first drive of overtime.
Tony Pollard sets career high in carries in place of Ezekiel Elliott
Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott was sidelined for the second straight game with a sprained knee, making Tony Pollard the lead back against the Packers.
Pollard and Malik Davis combined for 153 yards on 27 carries.
Pollard set a career high with 22 carries and he was the go-to guy in the fourth quarter with the Cowboys trying to nurse a 28-21 lead.
Davis supplemented Pollard with 38 yards on five carries. Pollard finished with 115 yards, his third 100-yard game of the season.
But in the end it wasn’t enough to ice the game away or help spark the Cowboys to victory when it mattered most in overtime.
A holding call on a 16-yard run by Davis ultimately killed the Cowboys final drive.
The Cowboys sat Elliott in hopes he will be healthy and ready to go for the stretch run.
Elliott said he made the decision to sit on Saturday. His knee didn’t feel good in cold. He hopes to be ready for the
Vikings game next Sunday but acknowledge the team’s stretch of three games in 12 days might factor in the timing of his return.
The Cowboys host the New York Giants on Thanksgiving Day, four days after the Packers game.
Cowboys run defense remains a problem
The Cowboys said last week that teams are going out of character to force the run against the defense to avoid their ferocious pass rush.
The Packers certainly fit that description with future Hall of Fame quarterback Aaron Rodgers throwing just four times in the first quarter and having just four completions on six attempts in the first half. But Rodgers finished strong on 14-of-20 passing for 224 yards.
One completion was a 58-yard touchdown pass to rookie receiver Christian Watson.
But teams will continue to force the run against the Cowboys until they prove they can stop it. The Packers rushed for 93 yards on 18 carries in the first half. Aaron Jones had 11 carries for 66 yards and a 12-yard touchdown run.
The Cowboys were much better against the run in the second half.
Getting a two-touchdown lead in the third quarter helped. But when the Packers made it a one-score game in the fourth, they started began gashing the Cowboys’ run defense again.
Jones had a 26-yard run to spark a 10-play, 89-yard scoring drive that was capped by a 7-yard touchdown pass to Watson to tie game at 28-28 with 2:29 left in the fourth quarter, his third of the day.
The Packers rushed 39 times for 207 yards in the game, incuding 24 for 138 from Jones.
This is a game plan other teams will continue to employ. The Cowboys have to be better against the run.
Were the interceptions on Dak Prescott or the receivers?
At the end of the day, the turnovers can’t happen. There were too egregious in the worst possible situations.
It’s easy to blame quarterback Dak Prescott for both picks as the balls were in coverage with multiple defenders surrounding the intended targets, allowing safety Rudy Ford to have a pair of 33-yard returns.
The first one came after a Cowboys sack and fumble, giving them a chance to extend their 7-0 lead.
On third-and-goal from 11, Prescott tossed a pass into the middle of the zone with tight end Dalton Schultz and receiver CeeDee Lamb yards apart.
Instead of at least getting a field goal, Ford nearly turned into a pick-6. He was knocked out of bounds by tackle Terence Steele. Lamb and Schultz were seen arguing after the play.
The Packers turned it into a 58-yard touchdown pas from Aaron Rodgers to Christian Watson.
Disaster struck again on the ensuing series when Ford picked off a Prescott pass intended for Lamb, returning it 33 yards on a drive that ended with a 12-yard touchdown run.
Per Hall of Fame receiver Michael Irvin on Twitter, Lamb was at fault: “That’s on my 88 if the center of field is close then 88 has to flatten that route across the Safty face. If it’s cover 2 or split safeties then you go up the field like 88 did. That int also is on the receiver not Dak . ... just trying to help you guys understand the game.”
Prescott rebounded to direct a 66-yard scoring drive, capped by a 5-yard touchdown pass to Schultz to tie the game 14-14 at halftime.
Lamb had two catches on the drive and finished the game with 11 catches for 150 yards and two touchdowns. It was his first 100-yard receiving game of the season. And the first for any Cowboys pass catcher.
Dak Prescott and the QB sneak
The quarterback sneak is back in the Cowboys game plan.
After quarterback Dak Prescott ripped off a 25-yard run on a quarterback sneak against the Chicago Bears two weeks ago, it appears the play will stay in the Cowboys game plan.
As it should be.
Prescott was successful on four sneaks on third and fourth down in the first half against the Packers, including twice on a touchdown drive.
At 6-foot-2, 228 pounds, Prescott is a perfect weapon on short yardage. It’s a play that hasn’t been in the team’s playbook for much of his career. But it should be going forward.
And apparently it is.
