It was a cold November late afternoon at Lambeau Field, and my daughter Aly and I were surrounded by way too many Dallas Cowboys fans, including a couple a few rows in front of us decked out in cheeseheads painted Dallas blue. Then there were the two jokers next to us, who yelled, “pick six, pick six!” every time Aaron Rodgers dropped back to pass. Apparently, they thought what happened last week in Detroit was a common occurrence.
It made for a long afternoon for us Packer fans, who saw a 14-7 lead in the closing seconds of the first half transform into a 28-14 deficit late in the third quarter. It was a lead we later learned that the Cowboys had never lost in franchise history, spanning 195 games.
So, of course, in this season where nothing makes sense, the Packers found a way to rally. It’s a season where the Miami Dolphins and New York Jets are ahead of the Buffalo Bills, a season where the Los Angeles Rams are toast, and Davante Adams is even more miserable than Packer fans. I mean, it’s so freaking weird — the Vikings win every close game they play. In a season like this, the Packers found a way to buck history, rally to force overtime, and then, gasp, actually not vomit all over themselves and secure a season-saving 31-28 win over Mike McCarthy and the Cowboys.
And finally, the sea of blue around us had the smiles wiped off their faces.
Obviously, the story of the game was Christian Watson’s coming out party. Of course, it didn’t start out that way, with two drops on the game’s opening drive. Hi speed is legit, you can really appreciate it when you watch him in person. It was as if a light bulb went on when he made the twisty over-the-shoulder catch and took it in for a 58-yard touchdown to tie the game at 7. His other three catches for the day were all huge, two for scores and one to keep a fourth-quarter drive alive. You gotta feel so happy for that kid.
If he can stay healthy, it changes everything for the Pack’s offense. It finally operated the way we’ve been clamoring for weeks: give the ball to Aaron Jones. Please. 24 carries, 138 yards. 13 more for AJ Dillon. They combined to rush for 203 yards and over five yards a carry. That has to be the identity of this offense going forward. Put Rodgers under center, let the running game hum, and then watch Rodgers light it up with play-action. And with Randall Cobb expected back on Thursday night, Rodgers will have three legit weapons at WR for the first time in quite a while.
Of course, we can also give Dak Prescott an assist for the win. His two interceptions were just awful decisions, and safety Rudy Ford made him pay both times. The Pack’s decision to move Darnell Savage to the nickel and replace him with Ford at safety paid immediate dividends. They both missed a tackle or two, but Ford showed explosiveness and a nose for the ball that’s been missing for quite a while.
Other things that stood out: right tackle Yosh Nijman played a clean game and held up against the league’s best pass rush. Did you guys notice Micah Parsons on Sunday? I didn’t. He and David Bakhtiari handled their business, and the whole line dominated in the run-blocking game. Finally, it appears the Amari Rodgers era is over. It should have ended any number of times over the last six weeks. But his punt return fumble, coming off a great three-and-out by the defense that had the ‘Boys pinned deep, could have been a back-breaker. Dallas scores to take the lead, and the game’s momentum shifted completely. Keisean Nixon replaced him and had a shaky moment or two, but at least he wasn’t wearing No. 8 on his uniform. It’s astounding that this organization has put so little emphasis on finding dependable return guys during this Super Bowl window.
But the Pack found a way to prevent dealing with the longest losing streak since ’88. For one Sunday, they got their mojo back, and now they will need to be equally resilient on Thursday night, when Derrick Henry and the physical Tennessee Titans come to town. Another win will inch them closer to .500, and give them a few extra days to rest, heal up, and get set for a road trip to Philly.
I’ll worry about all of that in a day or two. For now, I’ll revel in how good it was to jump around and celebrate with my daughter and the raucous crowd around us. And I’ll wonder what those Cowboy fans plan to do with their blue cheeseheads. I know this, it matched their mood as they slowly climbed the steps to leave Lambeau.
