Jordan Love has reached the play-offs in his first season as Green Bay’s starting quarterback – something neither Aaron Rodgers nor Brett Favre managed
|
Dates: 13-28 January 2024 |
|
BBC coverage: Live text coverage of every match on the BBC Sport website and app and live radio commentary on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra and BBC Sounds every Sunday evening. |
The Green Bay Packers pulled off the first shock of this season’s NFL play-offs as they claimed a stunning 48-32 win at the Dallas Cowboys.
The Cowboys had won 16 straight home games since last losing at the AT&T Stadium in their 2022 season opener.
Dallas were also the second seed in the NFC Conference, with Green Bay the seventh, yet the Packers charged into a 27-0 lead and never looked back.
They finished with seven touchdowns – three rushing scores by Aaron Jones, a pick-six and three touchdown passes by Jordan Love, who has impressed in his first season since replacing Aaron Rodgers as Green Bay’s starting quarterback.
Love, 25, also had 272 passing yards with no interceptions for an almost-perfect passer rating while Romeo Doubs had a career-high 151 receiving yards with one touchdown.
Jake Ferguson scored three of the Cowboys’ four touchdowns but that was of little consolation to ‘America’s Team’, who have not reached the Super Bowl since the 1995 season.
Dallas have finished the last three seasons with a 12-5 record but failed to deliver in the play-offs, losing three of their four post-season games under coach Mike McCarthy, who led the Packers to their last Super Bowl win in 2011.
The visitors won the toss and took full advantage, producing a drive that lasted almost eight minutes and resulted in a Jones touchdown.
Dallas quarterback Dak Prescott was then intercepted by cornerback Jaire Alexander and Jones again made the hosts pay by getting in from close range.
The Cowboys were now playing catch-up but Love made a 20-yard touchdown pass to Dontayvion Wicks before safety Darnell Savage returned Prescott’s second interception for a 64-yard score.
A Dallas touchdown right before half-time gave the hosts a glimmer of hope but their defence could not find a way to stop Love.
Further touchdowns by Jones, Doubs and Luke Musgrave put the game beyond Dallas before two late efforts by Ferguson made it a scoreline which flattered the Cowboys.
As the NFC’s lowest seed, the Packers are now guaranteed to visit the top-seed San Francisco 49ers in next week’s divisional round.
Olivia Martin is a dedicated sports journalist based in the UK. With a passion for various athletic disciplines, she covers everything from major league championships to local sports events, delivering up-to-the-minute updates and in-depth analysis.
