It was widely said that this week’s trip to Green Bay would be the toughest test yet for the 4-1 Dallas Cowboys. It would be the most pressure put on rookie quarterback Dak Prescott, the toughest run defense Ezekiel Elliott had yet faced, and the best offense the Cowboys defense had come up against.
Well, we’re now the 5-1 Dallas Cowboys.
Test passed.
With perhaps his status as the team’s starting QB on the line, Prescott remained a shining star. He had adversity to overcome, finally throwing his first interception and also having two fumbles. However, the good far outweighed the bad as he completed 67% of his throws for 247 yards and a career-high three touchdowns.
Elliott also put up a career high with 157 yards. The Packers boasted the NFL’s top-ranked run defense going into this game, though many felt it was a bad statistic due to weak competition. The Cowboys ended up running for more yards today than the Packers last four opponents had combined.
The Cowboys defense, once again, did enough to win. They could not get to Aaron Rodgers but did not give up big plays in the passing game, forcing him to march the field anytime he wanted to score. Green Bay did not have a single play of more than 25 yards.
Other Notes
- The greatest QB of the 90s was in the announce booth today. He also invited Brett Favre up to talk for a bit.
- Things got scary with secondary injuries. Morris Claiborne left the game after a helmet-to-helmet blow with Sean Lee and did not return. Barry Church also went out for a while but came back late. The sight of J.J. Wilcox and Jeff Heath at safety was the stuff of nightmares, but thankfully the Packers could not exploit it.
- During that time, Byron Jones made one of the best plays of his young career. Playing corner with Claiborne out, he covered speedster Randall Cobb deep down the field and deflected long throw. Few safeties, current and all-time, have that kind of versatility.
- Brice Butler dropped what could’ve been a career highlight on a rare deep throw from Prescott. Butler had his man beast and Dak put the ball right on the money, but Butler just couldn’t complete the play.
- Cole Beasley, on the other hand, just keeps making plays. He is becoming deadly on WR screens and led the team yet again with six catches.
- Dan Bailey appears to be fully healed, nailing three field goals right down the middle.
- Travis Frederick dropped an audible, angry F-bomb when Dallas had to burn it’s third first-half timeout to avoid a delay of game. I wouldn’t want that guy cussing in my general direction.
- By my count today, Aikman, Favre, and the entire FOX NFL Sunday crew all said Dak Prescott should remain the starter over Tony Romo. Many of those votes came before his big win against the Packers.
Dallas will now go into their bye week as the only one-loss team in the NFC East. The Eagles dropped to 3-2 with a loss against Washington, who are now at 4-2 and in second place. The Cowboys will host the Eagles in Week 8.
We’ll have to wait and see who the starting QB will be.
