The Green Bay Packers (4-6) overcame a 14-point second-half deficit and stunned the Dallas Cowboys in overtime on Sunday at Lambeau Field, using three touchdown catches from Christian Watson and a big play in the extra period to spoil Mike McCarthy’s return to Green Bay and snap the team’s five-game losing streak.
Buy Packers TicketsIt was over when…
… Mason Crosby’s 27-yard field goal flew through the uprights with under four minutes to go in overtime, giving the Packers a walk-off win.
Game balls
– WR Christian Watson/RB Aaron Jones: Watson caught four passes for 107 yards and three scores, while Jones carried 24 times for 1438 yards and a score.
– S Rudy Ford/DL Jarran Reed: Ford intercepted a pair of Dak Prescott passes leading to 14 points, while Reed produced three quarterback hits, including the hit on fourth down that turned over the Cowboys in overtime.
– CB Corey Ballentine: The newcomer on the 53-man roster, he forced a fumble while covering a kickoff in the first half.
Key stat
207: The Packers rushed for 207 yards on 39 attempts, and Aaron Jones and A.J. Dillon received 37 carries.
Scoring
0-7: CeeDee Lamb 3-yard touchdown catch (extra point)
7-7: Christian Watson 58-yard touchdown catch (extra point)
14-7: Aaron Jones 12-yard touchdown run (extra point)
14-14: Dalton Schultz 5-yard touchdown catch (extra point)
14-21: Tony Pollard 13-yard touchdown run (extra point)
14-28: CeeDee Lamb 35-yard touchdown catch (extra point)
21-28: Christian Watson 39-yard touchdown catch (extra point)
28-28: Christian Watson 7-yard touchdown catch (extra point)
31-28: Mason Crosby 27-yard field goal
Quick hits
– Losers of five straight and down 28-14 in the second half, the Packers could have folded up shop and called it a season. Instead, Christian Watson sparked the season back to life with a pair of brilliant touchdowns. Who knows. Maybe this will be a season-defining turning point.
– Aaron Rodgers threw only 20 passes and completed just 14 total, but he averaged 11.2 yards per attempt, tossed three touchdown passes and finished with a passer rating of 146.7. He was terrific.
– Aaron Jones and A.J. Dillon both had double-digit carries, averaged over 5.0 yards per rush and had at least one rush of 15 or more yards. This was a dominant effort from the Packers run game. Jones’ 24 attempts represented his second-most in a game in his career.
– Rudy Ford, a new starter at safety this week, saved the Packers early with an interception in the end zone following a turnover and a second interception setting up a quick touchdown.
– The Packers defense, despite giving up over 400 yards and 28 points, got four-straight stops to end the game, including a fourth-down stop in overtime.
– Sammy Watkins, after three rough games coming off injured reserve, caught all three of his passes for 47 yards, including a 23-yarder.
– The Packers were much more effective in the play-action passing game.
– This was the team’s first 30-point game of the 2022 season.
– One win to get everything rolling? We’ll see. The NFC is still wide open at the bottom. The Packers are alive and still right in it, but some tough games remain, including the next two weeks.
What’s next
In just four days, the Packers will host the Tennessee Titans (6-3) on “Thursday Night Football” from Lambeau Field. The Titans beat Nathaniel Hackett and the Denver Broncos in Week 10.
