Dallas Cowboys Tie Green Bay Packers in Primetime Overtime Thriller

Cover photo: Dallas Cowboys’ quarterback Dak Prescott and Green Bay Packers’ defensive end Micah Parsons during Sunday night’s game at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Photo credit: Julio Cortez, Associated Press.

A tie? 

The Dallas Cowboys hadn’t had one in fifty-six seasons. The Green Bay Packers’ last was in 2018. The highest-scoring tie in NFL history came in 1964, a game between the Oakland Raiders and New England Patriots that ended locked at 43-43. 

A tie? In a game like this? With the NFL’s second-best defense points wise against a defense that allows teams to breeze down the field whenever they feel like it? 

A lot of people thought that the Dallas Cowboys would not have much of a shot on Sunday night when they hosted the Green Bay Packers in what was to be a Micah Parsons’ jab at the Jones’ - perhaps a sack or two - and head into Week 5 with a rousing win at his old stomping grounds. 

In a game that many thought that the Cowboys did not have a shot in, the offense ignited from Week 3’s fourteen-point effort when a flame did not do as much as flicker to score 40 points and get 300+ yards from Dak Prescott and 134 receiving yards from wide receiver George Pickens. The problem was, the Packer offense was firing all night, too, with Jordan Love throwing for 337 yards and three touchdowns, all of which were to wide receiver Romeo Doubs. 

And although he had been quiet for most of the night, it was the newly-minted Packer Parsons who made a big play down the stretch that may have secured the tie for the Packers in a game where both offenses went shot-for-shot. 

The end result was, yes, a tie - a 40-40 ball game on a day that the only tie that Cowboy owner Jerry Jones thought he’d be concerned with was a Windsor knot. The contest provided more excitement than anyone thought. So far, it is the game of the year. No one wants a tie, but the end result was quite fitting for a game where both teams went mano e mano. This was Arlington’s version of the Shootout at the O.K. Corral. 

Prescott was spectacular - 31-of-40 for 319 yards and three touchdowns - as was Love, who completed 31-of-43 passes. The Cowboys’ Javonte Williams ran for 85 yards on 20 carries and a touchdown, and the Packers’ Josh Jacobs totaled 86 yards on 22 carries with two scores. Jacobs also had 71 yards receiving on four receptions. 

Pickens, in the absence of CeeDee Lamb, was targeted eleven times by Prescott and performed like the No. 1 supremely talented wideout that he is - two touchdowns to go along with his eight catches and 134 yards. Late in the first half, he caught a pass in the end zone from Prescott to give the Cowboys a 16-13 halftime lead. The Cowboys had blocked an extra-point attempt - which Markquese Bell returned for two points - with 10:37 remaining in the second quarter to get on the board at 13-2, and Prescott ran in a touchdown to make the score 13-9 with forty-one seconds remaining in the opening half. James Houston’s strip sack of Love set up the Pickens score.

Jalen Tolbert caught four balls for 61 yards, his most improbable catch an incredible sideline grab at the five-yard line on a 2nd and 7 play in overtime. On the play, Prescott scrambled to his right and delivered an on-time dime to the 26-year-old for a 34-yard gain. Pickens’ play of the night was a sideline catch with forty-eight seconds remaining in the opening half in which he was falling out of bounds over two Packers. With the Cowboys facing 3rd and 4 in overtime on their half of the field, Prescott found Pickens toward the sideline for a first down. Earlier, with forty-eight seconds remaining in regulation and the Cowboys down 34-30, Pickens ran an out route and caught a pass from Prescott before turning and jetting towards the end zone for the 37-34 go-ahead touchdown. 

The Packers promptly went down the field and Brandon McManus hit a 53-yard field-goal to tie the game and send it overtime. On the game’s final play with a 40-37 score, Love, racing against the clock, attempted a throw to the back of the end zone that hit Cowboy linebacker Jack Sanborn in the back. The clock stopped at one second, giving the Packers the opportunity to tie the game, which they did with a 34-yard make from McManus.

On the Packers’ side, Doubs was dominant against a Cowboy secondary that had Trevon Diggs not start and safety Malik Hooker hurt his toe early in the game. Both Diggs and DaRon Bland played fifty-three out of eighty-three snaps in the game. Doubs caught six balls from Love for 58 yards with his three scores. 

Routinely, Cowboy linebackers Sanborn and Kenneth Murray looked lost, and the zone coverage continued to be to the Cowboys’ detriment. On many plays, Sanborn is not quick enough to make a play in the run game and is a liability in coverage. Murray also is not great in either area. The defense cannot get Demarvion Overshown, targeted for a Thanksgiving return, back fast enough. In the meantime, University of Florida rookie Shamar James got some snaps. While he has speed, he did not know where to be on a couple of plays. That will change with practice reps, though. He should get more snaps going forward to give the defense some more speed. 

Houston’s late first-half strip sack was the Cowboys’ lone on the evening. Kenny Clark and Osa Odighizuwa continued their strong play in getting pressure up the middle, and Marist Liufau made some solid plays - one of which was a big time hit on Packer receiver Matthew Golden on a punt return. Liufau plays hard and is fast. Dante Fowler Jr. continues to struggle getting to the quarterback, while rookie Donovan Ezeiruaku with four tackles and a tackle for loss played better in the run game at times and showed improvement. Defensive tackle Mazi Smith also was ok. Cornerback Reddy Steward started and registered six tackles with a tackle for loss. Like Liufau, he plays fast - the key is just at times harnessing that energy to not make mistakes. Jadeveon Clowney got his first action as a Cowboy - twenty-three snaps - and recorded three tackles. While he did not look particularly fast, he made some good plays in the running game and brought physicality. His timing should improve as he gets more into game shape. 

Prescott was sacked one time all game, by Parsons in overtime on a crucial 2nd and goal play that may have saved the game for the Packers. Prescott was scrambling to his left and Parsons, blocked by Brevyn Spann-Ford, got around the Cowboys’ reserve tight end and chased Prescott down. It was one of the few plays where Parsons got a clean shot at his former teammate. All game long the Cowboy front did a good job in double-teaming Parsons or chipping him with a running back (Williams) or tight end. Still, Parsons was impactful. He was credited by Pro Football Focus with eight pressures in the game. 

Brock Hoffman - who is filling in a center for Cooper Beebe - and Tyler Booker’s fill in T.J. Bass both played well, Bass in particular in his first start. Right tackle Tyler Guyton played well holding his own against Parsons, and reserve tackle Nate Thomas (Thomas filled in for Guyton who was being checked for a concussion) played thirteen snaps at left tackle and four at right tackle. On twelve passing plays, Thomas did not allow a quarterback pressure. The Cowboys’ offensive line continues to impress. They play a physical style and take after the old Schottenheimer mantra that Brian got from his dad Marty of being nasty and physical at the line of scrimmage. 

The Cowboy offense, number one in the league as of September 29 in yardage (404.3 yards per game), can move the ball and put up points. The defense just gives up points however, and is last in the NFL in yards allowed at 420.5. Through four games, the Cowboys’ offense has demonstrated a penchant for big plays while showcasing their talented receivers and rock solid run game on an offense led by their rock solid quarterback. The defense through four games has shown a penchant for giving up chunk plays and allowing opposing offenses to really do whatever they want. 

The Packer defense, meanwhile, came into Sunday night second in the NFL in yards per game allowed. With Sunday night’s performance, that number dipped to eighth, at 283.3 yards per game. Credit should be given to the Cowboy offensive line and Pickens, who showed that he is in fact a star that plays with a star on his helmet. Prescott is the driving force. The veteran quarterback played calm and was cool in the clutch. 

In a game that they were not supposed to be in according to record and recent history, the Cowboys did their best to avenge the 48-32 playoff loss from two seasons ago. Nobody wants a tie - the Cowboys’ last was 24-24 against the San Francisco 49ers on November 27, 1969 - but the offense put together a sterling performance that put the team in position to win. Unfortunately, it was the defensive side that was subpar once again. 

As for the Micah-Cowboy drama that has been discussed ad-nauseam for weeks, that can finally be put to bed. 

Both teams delivered on a Sunday night classic in a game that many people did not expect to be close. 

The Cowboys visit East Rutherford on October 5 to take on the New York Jets, who are 0-3 going into Monday night’s contest against the Miami Dolphins. Hopefully the defense can be better by next week.

Prescott, Williams, Pickens and the rest of the offense deserve it. Nobody wants a tie.