5 key plays that “packed up” the Cowboys vs. Green Bay
The Green Bay Packers defeated the Dallas Cowboys 23-13 on Sunday Night Football at Lambeau Field. There’s no sugarcoating it: This team is bad.
They’re unprepared, they don’t tackle well, and have been unable to produce explosive plays the last two weeks. The head coach doesn’t have any answers and his situational play-calling leaves a lot to be desired. The defense still doesn’t look remotely close to what was advertised.
On a weekend when the Philadelphia Eagles and the New York Giants lost, the Cowboys still couldn’t capitalize. So how did we lose again? How did we fall to 2-4? Here are five pivotal moments that swung the outcome.
1. The Golden Touch
Matthew Golden had his hands all over this outcome, literally. He had a few costly drops earlier that could have extended Green Bay drives or produced additional points. One of his biggest contributions, however, came on defense for the Packers.
Late in the first quarter, after Green Bay had taken a 7-0 lead on a nine-yard touchdown pass from Jordan Love to Golden, Cowboys linebacker Dee Winters made an outstanding read. Winters undercut a pass intended for Golden, securing Dallas’s first interception of the season. He got up and weaved through several Packers players, appearing to return it roughly 40-plus yards for a touchdown that would have tied the game.
Replay review correctly determined that Golden had touched Winters while he was still on the ground, ruling him down by contact at the Green Bay 42-yard line. The effort from the Cowboys defense to block and spring Winters was notable. This unit has been heavily criticized all season, to the point of holding a players-only meeting, and the near pick-six showed pride and fight.
Symbolically, it highlighted how other teams finish plays while Dallas often falls just short of full execution. It also set up the next critical mistake.
2. Dak Gives It Away
Green Bay’s defense, coordinated by Jonathan Gannon, disrupted the Cowboys all night with pressure and coverage that confused the offensive line and Dak Prescott. After Winters’s interception gifted Dallas strong field position at the Packers’ 42, the offense drove into the red zone but failed to capitalize.
Early in the second quarter, on 2nd-and-8 from the Green Bay 17, Prescott absorbed a heavy hit from Zaire Franklin. On the next snap he tried to thread a pass over the middle intended for CeeDee Lamb. Safety Evan Williams read it perfectly, leaping to intercept the ball at the three-yard line and returning it about 17 yards to the Packers’ 20. Prescott never appeared to see the safety.
The Cowboys defense, starved for takeaways, had done its job. The offense’s inability to turn the short field into points was backbreaking for the team’s psyche, especially after Lamb had earlier prevented a potential interception on a contested throw. Prescott needed to protect the ball and keep points possible; instead the turnover allowed Green Bay to extend its lead.
3. CeeDee’s Slip and Slide (Dak’s Second Interception)
The Cowboys offense was supposed to be their strength. What was unacceptable was the continued turnovers.
After Dallas forced a stop deep in its own territory and trailed by only 10 points, the offense had a chance to close the gap. Field conditions at Lambeau were slippery, and multiple players struggled with footing. Dallas engineered a solid drive that reached Packers territory.
A holding penalty pushed them back, creating first-and-15 from the Green Bay 28. On that play, CeeDee Lamb slipped and fell on his route. Prescott’s pass sailed into the arms of Packers rookie cornerback Brandon Cisse for his first career interception.
With limited timeouts remaining and the defense unable to get consistent stops, the odds of Dallas getting the ball back before halftime were unlikely. On the ensuing Packers drive, a pass interference penalty on Joey Porter Jr. helped set up the Packers. Jordan Love finished it with a one-yard quarterback sneak, making the score 17-0 with 0:23 left in the second quarter.
4. Dak Misses Lamb on the Slant/Fourth-Down Failure
Green Bay’s defensive approach of stacking the box and forcing Prescott into quick throws mirrored tactics that had previously slowed Dallas aginst Tampa Bay. One critical sequence came on a drive where the Cowboys needed points to stay in the game.
On 3rd-and-2, Prescott had CeeDee Lamb open on a quick slant. Under pressure and unable to set his feet cleanly, he threw a low pass that Lamb could not secure.
Forced into a fourth-down decision, the Cowboys called a sprint rollout to the left targeting Lamb on an out route. Packers safety Javon Bullard broke it up cleanly, resulting in a turnover on downs. That drive needed to produce points for Dallas to maintain a realistic chance. Instead, the missed opportunity kept the Packers firmly in control.
5. Bland’s Near Miss (Potential Interception Overturned/Incomplete)
Down 20-7 later in the game, the contest remained within reach if Dallas could force a stop and score quickly. The Cowboys pass rush pressured Jordan Love into an ill-advised throw. DaRon Bland got his hands on the ball, partially securing it with his fingertips before trying to gather it fully as his momentum carried him toward the sideline.
For a brief moment. it appeared Dallas had the turnover it needed to potentially draw within one score. Officials initially signaled incomplete, then interception, before ultimately ruling the pass incomplete after review. The sequence was deflating for Cowboys fans. Bland has had multiple near-misses on potential game-changing plays in recent weeks, and this one fit the pattern of close-but-not-quite execution that has plagued the defense.
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