Green Bay's blitzes bury Dallas: Packers win 23-13 as the Cowboys' offense collapses
The Packers have held three straight opponents under 14 points and lead the NFL with nine interceptions. Dallas has scored under 17 a game for two weeks running and falls to 2-4.
- Green Bay beat Dallas 23-13 on Sunday Night Football — the third straight week the Packers held an opponent under 14 points, and they lead the NFL with nine interceptions. m:…1264 m:…6364
- The Cowboys fell from roughly 34 points a game in Weeks 2-4 to under 17 a game over their last two; their first-half shutout was the first of the season and ended an 86-game streak. m:…4396 m:…4971
- Dak Prescott threw for 258 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions for a 65.2 rating — his second straight game under 70 — and the Cowboys ran for just 48 yards. m:…4971 m:…6364
- Green Bay is 4-2 after three straight wins since a 1-2 start, tied with the Bears for second in the NFC North; Dallas dropped to 2-4 and faces Philadelphia next. m:…1264 m:…4396
- Flag trouble for the Packers: 11 penalties for 96 yards, including five personal fouls. m:…1264
A defense doing the heavy lifting
Green Bay beat Dallas 23-13 on Sunday Night Football, and the defense did the heavy lifting. The Packers held the Cowboys to seven points through the first 59 minutes, limited Dak Prescott to 258 yards on 54 attempts with two interceptions, and stuffed the Dallas ground game to 48 rushing yards. It was the third consecutive week Green Bay held an opponent under 14 points. m:…1264 m:…6364 m:…4971
The takeaways keep coming: Green Bay now leads the NFL with nine interceptions. Safety Evan Williams set the tone with a first-quarter pick of Prescott, and defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon kept the pressure on with aggressive blitzes and pressure calls throughout the night. Afterward, quarterback Jordan Love said, "We want to make every play, and if we don't, guys have got to respond" — a line from the Packers' own team feed that fit a night when the offense kept handing the ball back. m:…6364 m:…0382 m:…1264
Dallas's vanished offense
The Cowboys' offense has gone missing. The unit that averaged roughly 34 points a game from Week 2 through Week 4 has averaged less than 17 a game over its last two. Dallas was shut out in the first half for the first time this season — down 17-0 at the break — ending an 86-game streak without a first-half shutout, per the Cowboys' own feed. The offense failed on 8 of its 13 third-down tries. m:…4396 m:…4971
Prescott finished with a 65.2 passer rating, his second straight game under 70. He put the loss on his side of the ball: he said the defense played well enough to win, while conceding the offense "didn't hold our own" Dallas is 2-4, and the schedule offers no relief: the Eagles are next. m:…4971 m:…4396
Green Bay's uneven night
It was not a clean night for the Packers either. Love threw for 276 yards with one touchdown and one interception, and the run game managed 57 yards on 26 carries. Matthew Golden was the bright spot through the air with 104 receiving yards and a touchdown, and Savion Williams added 41 yards from scrimmage in his first appearance of the season. The redeeming number was third down: the offense converted 9 of 10 in the first half, staying on the field when it mattered. Cornerback Brandon Cisse left the game with a stinger, and Carrington Valentine filled in with four tackles and a pass breakup. m:…1264 m:…0382 m:…4971
Discipline is still a problem — 11 penalties for 96 yards, five of them personal fouls. But Green Bay has won three straight since a 1-2 start and sits at 4-2, tied with the Bears for second in the NFC North. The defense is carrying this team; the open question is whether the offense and the flag count can catch up before a tougher stretch. m:…1264
Matthew Golden was flagged for taunting after a 37-yard reception in the first quarter, but he and Christian Watson still became the first duo in team history with 25-plus catches, 500-plus yards and three-plus touchdowns in the first six games. Green Bay outgained Dallas 318 to 303, and Dee Winters added his second career interception. m:…0382 m:…6364 m:…4971
What is still unresolved
- Whether the Cowboys' offense recovers against Philadelphia after two straight sub-17-point games.
- Whether Green Bay's penalty problem (11 for 96, five personal fouls) shows up in a closer game.
- How the Packers' backfield looks with Josh Jacobs expected back from the commissioner's exempt list this week.
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