The Green Bay Packers were able to snap their five-game losing skid on Sunday, beating the Dallas Cowboys 31-28 in overtime and ruining Mike McCarthy’s homecoming.
After weeks of struggling to put together a complete game, the Packers were able to muster a respectable performance on both the offensive and defensive sides of the football. Even after falling behind by 14 with just two minutes left in the third quarter, Green Bay was able to claw their way back and force overtime. Ultimately, they came up clutch when they needed it most.
Here are five numbers that tell the story of Green Bay’s victory over the Cowboys.
14
The Packers’ offense twice capitalized on Cowboys turnovers, scoring 14 points. An integral part of football, broadly, is what you do when the other team makes a mistake. In the recent past, the Packers were experts at punishing teams whenever they slipped up. Recently, though, they hadn’t had that same killer instinct.
This week, they threw interceptions on two consecutive drives. The first one came in the red zone after Aaron Rodgers had fumbled deep in Green Bay territory, setting up the Cowboys with the chance to go up two scores early. The Packers took the ball back only two plays after giving it away and scored just two minutes later to tie the game. On Dallas’ next possession, the Packers defense intercepted Dak Prescott again and gave the ball to their offense in Cowboys’ territory, and the offense seized the lead.
91.2
Packers’ third-string safety Rudy Ford recorded a 91.2 PFF grade in coverage. Usually a special teamer, Ford had a breakout game on the defensive side of the ball, recording two interceptions on four pass targets. Ford’s ability to get these takeaways shifted the momentum of the game early and turned what could have been a two-score deficit into a one-score lead for the Packers.
Ford’s importance this week can not be understated, and it might have helped him carve out a role for himself in the defense. With Darnell Savage’s struggles in coverage this year, there could be a possibility that we see Ford get more playing time as the season goes on.
3
Speaking of breakout games, Christian Watson defied all expectations this week and scored three touchdowns. Early in the game, he had a crucial drop on third-and-four, and the Packers had to attempt a 54-yard field goal.
But after yet another crucial drop, Watson went on to have the biggest game in his young career, catching a 58-yard touchdown pass in the second quarter after beating his man on a go route. He would follow this up by catching a 39-yard touchdown pass on a crucial fourth-and-seven to cut the Cowboys’ lead to a touchdown. He wasn’t done yet. Watson scored the game-tying touchdown from nine yards out.
Watson finished with four catches for three touchdowns and 107 yards, all career highs. With the Packers’ offense struggling to find a reliable receiver this season, Watson’s potential breakout could be big for the second half of the season — and further into the future. He provides the offense with a credible threat to stretch the field and make the big play.
203
Aaron Jones’ and A.J. Dillion’s contributions on the ground were key to the offense moving the ball; they totaled 203 rushing yards between them. In the past few weeks, despite being the Packers’ best weapon on the offensive side of the football, Jones wasn’t getting the touches he needed. This week, head coach Matt LaFleur made good on his promise to get the ball in Jones’ hands more often, and Jones ran the ball 24 times for 138 yards and a touchdown. He was efficient, getting 5.8 yards per attempt.
Dillon was also very good when Green Bay called upon him, getting 65 yards on 13 attempts. Dillon and Jones are the focal points of the offense as the passing game still works itself out. Their ability to move the chains on their own will be key. If they can get going, the rest of the offense can feed off their energy as they did this week.
20
Rodgers attempted just 20 passes today. When you think about a team with a quarterback of Rodgers’ caliber, you would assume the strategy would be to have the ball in their hands as much as possible.
That might have been the case in years past. However, this year, you could argue that limiting the number of times that Rodgers drops back to pass might be a solution. By delegating more responsibility to the running game, it puts less pressure on Rodgers, and he can react to what the defense gives him and play a more natural game. This week, when he was limited in the number of times he dropped back, Rodgers was surprisingly much more effective, posting a quarterback rating of 146.7.
