Four takeaways from the Packers win over the Cowboys

In a thrilling wild-card playoff game, the Green Bay Packers pulled off a stunning victory over the Dallas Cowboys with a score of 48-32. This match was held at the AT&T Stadium, a venue where the Packers have never lost in six visits, including a Super Bowl win over Pittsburgh.

The Packers, led by the successor to four-time MVP Aaron Rodgers, Jordan Love built a commanding 48-16 lead in the fourth quarter. The Cowboys managed to score two late touchdowns, but it was not enough to overcome the deficit.

Green Bay’s offence was firing on all cylinders. Quarterback Love completed 16 of 21 passes for 272 yards, throwing for three touchdowns. Aaron Jones was a force on the ground, rushing for three touchdowns. Darnell Savage made a significant contribution on defence, returning an interception 64 yards for a touchdown. Romeo Doubs had a career-high 151 yards receiving, just a week after being hospitalised with a chest injury.

On the other side, Dallas Cowboys’ quarterback Dak Prescott threw two interceptions before managing to throw three mostly empty touchdown passes. Despite facing the NFL’s fifth-best defence, the Packers matched their Super Bowl-winning team from 2010 for the most points in a playoff game.

For more details about the game, check out our own Will Moxon’s piece on last night’s game. 

Here are the key takeaways from the disappointing loss for America’s team and a monumental win for the Green and Gold. 

Jordan Love has a surreal postseason introduction

The Green Bay Packers may have just found their third consecutive elite quarterback in Jordan Love. Whilst it has taken a while, Jordan Love has arrived and in his first playoff game he has absolutely shown why the Packers were confident in him taking the mantle from Aaron Rodgers. Love was the difference-maker as he utilised the playmakers he had and was the tone-setter for the Packers.

He was instrumental in delivering this shocker at Jerry’s World. But this single performance is a lot of more than just an amazing wildcard game. Delving into the historical context, Love’s near-perfect passer rating propels him into the echelons of elite NFL postseason history.

His poised and efficient play nearly positioned him within the exclusive club of quarterbacks boasting a perfect playoff passer rating (Peyton Manning, Terry Bradshaw, Don Meredith and Dave Krieg), underscoring his remarkable effectiveness. Moreover, for a quarterback in his inaugural season as a starter, Love’s display of composure and skill in a high-pressure playoff environment speaks volumes about his leadership potential and future standing in the league.

Beyond personal growth, Love’s contributions have been pivotal in reinvigorating the Green Bay Packers, transforming a season that began with a 3-6 record into a remarkable turnaround, winning 7 of their last 9 games. His ability to galvanise the team not only secured their playoff berth but also instilled confidence as they progressed further.

The victory also holds financial implications for Love, triggering a £500,000 escalator for his 2024 base salary in his Green Bay contract. Love’s performance serves as validation for the Packers’ contentious decision to draft him as the potential successor to the legendary Aaron Rodgers, affirming the organisation’s belief in his abilities and the success of their long-term planning.

It will be a tough task to continue this type of success in the postseason, especially with their name game at Levi Stadium against arguably the best team in the NFC in the San Francisco 49ers. But Love has proven to his doubters that he is in fact an upcoming QB and perhaps will do more in the years to come.

Green Bay’s defensive playmaking

The Green Bay Packers showcased exceptional defensive prowess in their recent matchup against the Dallas Cowboys, a performance that undeniably played a pivotal role in securing their victory. Cornerback Jaire Alexander and safety Darnell Savage emerged as standout contributors, each intercepting passes during the first half, thereby laying the foundation for the Packers’ early lead.

Notably, Alexander’s ability to rebound from an ankle injury sustained in practice demonstrated his resilience and determination. However, despite this triumph, the Packers’ defence has grappled with inconsistency throughout the season, particularly struggling against the run. This vulnerability becomes a crucial focal point as they prepare to face the San Francisco 49ers, a team renowned for their robust running game led by Christian McCaffrey. 

The impending clash holds immense significance, as the 49ers boast a formidable offensive line-up featuring playmakers like Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk, and George Kittle. Given the Packers’ documented challenges against the run, the 49ers may strategically exploit this weakness.

As the Packers gear up for this critical encounter, their defensive unit must rise to the occasion, not only to contain the 49ers’ potent offence but also to navigate potential hurdles posed by injuries, such as Alexander’s.

In essence, while the Packers’ defensive playmaking was instrumental in overcoming the Cowboys, the looming game against the 49ers presents a formidable challenge that demands strategic adaptation and resilient performance from the Packers’ defensive line-up.

Dak Prescott playoff struggles

Now going to the other quarterback, Dak Prescott. Despite having an amazing regular season, he continues to have issues with performing in the playoffs. 

Despite an impressive stat line of 403 yards and three touchdowns, Prescott’s overall play was marred by critical errors, particularly in the first half of the game. His two interceptions, one of which resulted in a Packers’ defensive touchdown, proved costly, granting Green Bay 14 points and putting the Cowboys in an early and challenging position.

Before the Cowboys faced a substantial deficit in the fourth quarter, Prescott’s inconsistency hindered their ability to keep pace with the Packers’ scoring, as evidenced by his subpar passer rating of 61.2. 

With this loss, Prescott’s postseason record dropped to 2-5, highlighting a consistent pattern of underperformance in high-stakes playoff scenarios against formidable opponents. Even though Prescott’s statistics improved during a late-game surge, questions arose about the significance of his production in less meaningful situations when the Packers’ defence may have been more conservative.

The scrutiny extended to Prescott’s decision-making and leadership, particularly in critical moments, with concerns raised about his inability to connect with key receivers like CeeDee Lamb and the costly turnovers. As the Cowboys assess Prescott’s impact on the team’s future, his playoff struggles may influence decisions regarding his continued role with the organisation, despite his commendable regular-season performances.

Mike McCarthy’s future is now very uncertain

Before last night’s game, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones made a comment relating to McCarthy’s future stating that he had not “thought one second about it,” he told reporters.

Well he has to think about it now as they’ve lost yet another playoff game in disappointing fashion. Jones described being ‘floored’ and how this loss was beyond his ‘comprehension’. Those comments and this loss most definitely has put McCarthy’s future in shaky grounds, despite having three straight 12-win seasons and a Super Bowl-winning effort with the Packers 13 seasons ago, McCarthy’s tenure with the Cowboys has been marked by playoff disappointments.

McCarthy’s regular-season success has been consistent, but his performance against lower-seeded teams in the playoffs has been less impressive. This latest loss to the Packers, a team McCarthy formerly coached, has intensified the scrutiny on his ability to lead the Cowboys to playoff success. Despite playoff struggles, McCarthy has had sustained success at two stops and his offence evolved into something more modern in Dallas.

However, the Cowboys’ Super Bowl drought has now extended to 28 seasons, and there are questions about whether McCarthy is the right coach to get the team over the hump in the playoffs. Their star quarterback Dak Prescott has confidence in his coach and talked glowingly about McCarthy saying “He’s been amazing [McCarthy],I don’t know how there can be [questions about his future] but I understand the business.”

The QB took the blame for the loss stating “I sucked tonight, I got it going a little bit later but none of that mattered at that point.” Under McCarthy, Prescott has had his best season as he led the NFL in touchdowns with 36 during the regular season. He also acknowledged that without McCarthy, this success he and the Cowboys have had so far would not have happened.

So what happens now with the Cowboys and McCarthy? That’s for Jones and the front office to decide but Jones has a talented team that just won the NFC East for a second time in four years with a 12-5 record. But after a third consecutive season of a dozen regular-season wins meaning nothing in the playoffs, the Cowboys will once more need to consider critical changes especially with Dak Prescott set to enter his final year. Jones is well aware that other successful NFL coaches like Bill Belichick, Pete Carroll, and Mike Vrabel are available in this cycle.

If McCarthy isn’t let go, he would likely have a short extended lease on the job for 2024 and the front office will need to work out some deals to bring in more playmakers considering they have very little wiggle room in the salary cap.

But if McCarthy is let go, apart from Belichick… who is more qualified than McCarthy? Even if Belichick was approached, would he be willing to join a franchise where the owner and front office are very hands-on and have a lot of input when Belichick for 24 years was in-charge of all of that at New England. While it is right to question McCarthy’s position, is it all down to him?

It’s nearly 30 years since they’ve made an NFC and Super Bowl Championship game, Jones has been there and he has gone through almost three decades worth of coaches. It’s perhaps time to look further up the ladder and to see what the culture at America’s team is like? Because right now, it’s not a culture where winning is perpetuated constantly and perhaps it needs to be so there can be a culture shift.