Back in 2010, the Green Bay Packers were the NFC’s No. 6 seed — the lowest possible at that time.
Green Bay proceeded to pull off three straight road upsets to reach the 45th Super Bowl. The Packers then downed Pittsburgh, 31-25, to win the franchise’s fourth Super Bowl and 13th NFL title.
The 2023 Packers are the NFC’s No. 7 seed — once again, the lowest possible. And much like that team from 13 years ago, these Packers just might be destined for a memorable playoff run.
Green Bay went to second-seeded Dallas Sunday, dominated the Cowboys from the opening kickoff, and left AT&T Stadium with an unforgettable 48-32 win.
The Packers led, 27-0, and 48-16, before Dallas made the final score more respectable.
"There is a different energy about our team," Green Bay coach Matt LaFleur said. "It’s so much fun to come to work with these guys every day and … the way they compete and push each other, I’m just happy for those guys."
Green Bay, a 7-point underdog, won its fourth straight game and improved to 10-8. Dallas, which hasn’t reached an NFC Championship Game since 1995, ended the year 126 and the future of head coach Mike McCarthy is in jeopardy.
Green Bay will now travel to San Francisco for a divisional playoff game Saturday at 7:15 p.m.
Rob Reischel
"Just being in the locker room right there, it’s a great environment to be in," Packers quarterback Jordan Love said. "Can’t say enough how proud I am of everybody in the locker room.
"It’s been a long season. We’ve been counted out a lot of the season, so, just the way everybody keeps battling, keeps competing, getting better and obviously putting on great performances like tonight. So, it’s a great feeling."
Here’s the good, bad and ugly from the Packers’ enormous win over the Cowboys:
THE GOOD
JORDAN LOVE: What more can Love possibly do in his first season as a starter?
Love completed 16-of-21 passes for 272 yards, three touchdowns, no interceptions and finished with a 157.2 passer rating — just 1.1 away from a perfect mark. That was the fourth-highest passer rating in NFL postseason history.
“Man, Jordan Love, wow,” LaFleur said. “That’s about all I can say is ‘wow.’” Love actually left the game midway through the fourth quarter with a perfect rating of 158.3. When Dallas scored a pair of late touchdowns, though, Love re-entered and threw an incompletion that lowered his mark.
Love made every throw possible against a Dallas defense that entered the game ranked fifth in passing yards allowed and fifth in points allowed.
Love carved Dan Quinn’s defense apart, making throws with pressure in his face, firing darts off his back foot and throwing with pinpoint accuracy from outside of the pocket.
Love guided the Packers to touchdowns on five of their first six possessions, completing passes to seven different players along the way.
“Unbelievable just how much he’s grown,” Packers left guard Jon Runyan said of Love. “Everybody sees it. I think we’ve won eight of the last 11 games and he’s really just starting to flourish. He feels comfortable. This is his offense. His team. We’re just going to ride him and he’s going to take us where this team can go. Just keep going, keep pushing.”
Love threw a 20-yard laser to Dontayvion Wicks for a touchdown early in the second quarter to give the Packers a 20-0 lead. Love stood tall against a six-man rush and threw a strike to Wicks off his back foot.
Love threw a 38-yard TD pass to tight end Luke Musgrave late in the third quarter as the Packers stretched their lead to 41-16. And Love hummed a 3-yard TD pass through traffic to Romeo Doubs with 10 minutes left that gave Green Bay a 48-16 lead and largely ended things.
“We believed in him from the beginning,” Packers running back Aaron Jones said of Love. “We know it’s a process. We knew it would take time.
“You would hear me during the season and other players (say), we were right there, we’re right there, we’re right there. We’ve been able to get over that hump.”
AARON JONES: Green Bay’s standout running back, who grew up in El Paso, Texas, has enjoyed some of his greatest moments against Dallas. And Sunday was no different.
Jones had 118 rushing yards on 21 carries (5.6) and scored three touchdowns.
In four career games against Dallas, Jones now has nine total touchdowns.
“You guys see it, right?” LaFleur said of Jones. “Just his ability to put his foot in the ground, be explosive, make people miss. I can’t say enough great things about the guy, the football player, what he means to our team, the leadership he brings. He’s a rare guy. There’s not many like him.”
In all, Jones is now 4-0 against the Cowboys. He’s carried the ball 83 times for 488 yards (5.9), has 12 receptions for 115 yards (9.6) and nine total touchdowns.
During a 2017 win over the Cowboys, Jones had 134 total yards and a touchdown.
He then had 182 total yards and a career-best four TDs during a 2019 win in Dallas. And last season, Jones had 156 total yards and a touchdown in another Green Bay win.
“This was my dad’s team,” Jones said of his late father, Alvin. “This was my team growing up. You always want to be like your father, so that’s how it became my team. Emmitt Smith was my favorite running back. My first jersey was a (No.) 22.
“It was just a special place. Dallas is a special place to me, so it’s a full circle moment. It feels like home.”
WHAT A START: The Packers won the coin toss, took the ball, then drove 75 yards in 12 plays and took a 7-0 lead on a 3-yard Jones touchdown run.
Green Bay ran the ball eight times on the march, including seven carries for 25 yards from Jones. Love also completed all four of his passes for 42 yards.
The march took 7 minutes, 52 seconds and quieted a raucous Dallas crowd.
“I just think playing against a team like the Cowboys as explosive as they’ve been offensively and then what they’ve been able to do defensively as well, I thought it was best in that particular game to try to manufacture a scoring drive, get up on them early and our guys were able to go out there and execute,” LaFleur said.
JAIRE ALEXANDER: The 2023 season had largely been a lost one for Green Bay’s one-time, Pro Bowl cornerback. Alexander played in just seven games this season due to shoulder and back injuries, and served a one game suspension for insubordination.
Then Alexander turned an ankle during last Wednesday’s practice and was a game-time decision. But Alexander was able to go, and made one of the biggest plays of the day.
Early in the second quarter, Alexander held his inside position on a slant route for Brandin Cooks and outfought him for the ball. Alexander intercepted Dak Prescott’s pass at the Dallas 19, and three plays later Jones plowed in for a 1-yard touchdown to give the Packers a 14-0 lead.
“Oh man, we needed that,” Alexander said. “We needed that. We needed to quiet the crowd down and when we get interceptions that’s always going to do it. Yup, we needed that.”
DARNELL SAVAGE: The Packers’ fifth-year safety has had an up-and-down career in Green Bay. But Savage made the biggest play of his career late in the first half.
Savage jumped a slant route intended for CeeDee Lamb, intercepted Prescott and raced 64 yards for a touchdown that gave the Packers a 27-0 lead.
“I knew where 88 was,” Savage said of Lamb. “I knew he likes to go to 88. I was just reading his eyes and ended up making a big play for the team.”
ROMEO DOUBS: Green Bay’s rookie receivers — Jayden Reed and Wicks — as well as rookie tight ends Tucker Kraft and Luke Musgrave have gotten a lot of attention this season.
The steady, unflappable Doubs doesn’t get as much acclaim. Instead, he simply goes about his business each day and has enjoyed a solid second season.
Doubs had the best game of his two-year career Sunday, hauling in six passes for 151 yards and a touchdown.
In the first half alone, Doubs had four catches for 102 yards and a pair of enormous third-down receptions to keep early drives alive.
“It was awesome, just how locked in Rome was this whole week, and it obviously showed with the performance he put on,” Love said of Doubs.
“We needed him. He stepped up huge and was able to put a couple of really good routes on tape and made some huge explosive plays.
“I’m proud of Romeo and just the way he’s continued to continue to battle. He probably hasn’t been getting as many balls his way as he wanted to, but he continues to come to work and find ways to get better. Made some plays tonight.”
FAB FIVE?: Green Bay’s offensive line didn’t allow a sack of Love, and gave him plenty of time to find wide-open receivers throughout the game.
They also did yeoman’s work clearing space for Jones, who had another enormous game against the Cowboys.
“O-line stepped up big,” Love said. “They had a great game. Kept me clean all night.”
FIRST HALF FRENZY: The Packers outgained Dallas, 217-151, in the first half and raced to a 27-7 lead at the break.
Green Bay also averaged 7.0 yards per play, while the Cowboys averaged 4.2.
Love was brilliant, completing 13of-16 passes for 185 yards, one touchdown, no interceptions and a 135.7 passer rating.
Prescott was 13 of 21 for 87 yards, one touchdown, two interceptions and a 47.2 passer rating. Prescott’s two interceptions — one by Alexander and the other by Savage — also led to a pair of Green Bay touchdowns.
THIS AND THAT: Reed drew an early 15-yard fair catch pass interference penalty that gave the Packers the ball at their own 24-yard line instead of the 9-yard line. … Daniel Whelan’s first punt pinned Dallas at its own 8-yard line. … Musgrave recovered an onside kick after the ball slipped through Reed’s hands.
THE BAD
ALL BRAKES, NO GAS: LaFleur pulled many of his starters midway through the fourth quarter. Defensive coordinator Joe Barry played prevent defense much of the second half. Dallas never came closer than 16 points, but playoff football is not the time to take your foot off the gas.
The Cowboys scored a pair of touchdowns in a 2 1/2-minute window and pulled within 48-32 with 3:25 left in the game. LaFleur responded by putting his No. 1 offense back on the field.
Truth is, that group should have never gone to the bench in the first place. And Barry’s defense needed to stay aggressive throughout, not go into prevent mode.
LaFleur made things far more interesting than they needed to be.
“Bad decision by me by pulling our guys and having to put them back in,” LaFleur said.
THIS AND THAT: Dallas kick returner KaVontae Turpin had a 47yard kickoff return late in the first half on a drive that led to the Cowboys’ first touchdown. … Green Bay linebacker Quay Walker was hit with a 15-yard horse-collar tackle late in the first half. … Linebacker De’Vondre Campbell dropped a sure interception at the goal line just before halftime. Four plays later, the Cowboys scored and narrowed Green Bay’s lead to 27-7. … Green Bay nose tackle T.J. Slaton was hit with a 15-yard unnecessary roughness penalty late in the game.
THE UGLY
ANDERS CARLSON: Green Bay’s rookie kicker has struggled with accuracy all year and the Packers should give serious thought about replacing him before they face the 49ers.
Carlson missed his sixth extra point of the season. No other kicker in the league missed more than three this year.
Carlson has now missed at least one kick in nine of the last 11 games, making him arguably the most unreliable kicker in the league.
“Every kick has its own story,” Carlson said. “That’s something I’ve talked about the whole year. No matter if it’s a perfect ball, an A-plus ball or a miss, the next kick’s going to be a new story. So, just writing the story the best way I can.”
Right now, that story has been a nightmare for Green Bay.