The Green Bay Packers and Dallas Cowboys battled until the very end on “Sunday Night Football,” but after 70 minutes, neither team could claim victory. Instead, the 40th meeting between the storied franchises ended in a 40-40 tie.
It’s the second straight letdown result for the Packers, a team that easily could be 4-0 heading into their Week 5 bye.
In last week’s loss to the Cleveland Browns, it was the offense that couldn’t get much going against a stout Cleveland defense. This week, it was the defense that couldn’t stop so much as a nosebleed. The 40 points allowed were the most of the Jeff Hafley era, while the 436 total yards surrendered were the second most.
After the offense took a 34-30 lead with less than two minutes remaining, the defense almost immediately surrendered a touchdown. The Packers then needed all 43 seconds left in regulation to get into position to kick a field goal and get the game into overtime.
The defense managed to hold the Cowboys to a field goal, while some poor clock management by the offense forced them into settling for the game-tying field goal with one second left in the game.
The Packers now have a week off to reflect on their past two performances before taking on the Cincinnati Bengals.
Here are the standouts from a Week 4 matchup that could have been better and also worse.
QB Jordan Love
Missing two starters on the offensive line, Love delivered his best performance of the season. He had no choice if he wanted to stand toe-to-toe with Dak Prescott, who was masterful in his own right. Love completed 31 out of 43 passes for 337 yards and tossed in three touchdowns. He showed impressive poise and was clutch when he needed to be, completing a 25-yard pass to help set up the game-tying field goal in regulation and then a critical 14-yard pass on 4th-and-6 to Matthew Golden in overtime to help prevent the second loss on the season. He could have managed the final few plays in overtime better, but Love was largely responsible for keeping his team in the game.
WR Romeo Doubs
Doubs was Love’s go-to target for most of the night, especially in the red zone. He caught six passes for 58 yards and a career-high three touchdowns. Doubs stepped up in big moments, including a huge catch on third down that was soon followed by a go-ahead touchdown catch with 1:49 left in regulation. The Packers’ No. 1 receiver can change weekly, and it happened to be Doubs in Dallas.
RB Josh Jacobs
Injuries and inconsistent run blocking have caused Jacobs to have a slow start this season, but he’s done a good job of making the most of what he’s had to work with. Jacobs posted a season-high 86 rushing yards and scored twice, while also leading the team in receiving with 71 yards. It was his best performance of the season and hopefully a sign of things to come.
RB Emanuel Wilson
After being the team’s most efficient runner against the Browns’ top-ranked run defense last week, Wilson followed it up with another impressive outing. He carried the ball eight times for 44 yards, his highest output of the season. Wilson also caught three passes for 37 yards and was effective in pass protection. He’s been a great complement to Jacobs in the No. 2 running back role dating back to last season.
Edge Micah Parsons
Parsons was easily the best part of Green Bay’s defense against the Cowboys. He registered three quarterback hits and logged a season-high 10 pressures, according to Pro Football Focus. Also, his chase-down sack on Prescott in overtime may have saved the game. A win would have made his return to Dallas more enjoyable, but Parsons left it all out on his former home field.
K Brandon McManus
Having two kicks blocked in as many weeks is inexcusable, but it is also rarely on the kicker. After another blocked kick, McManus steadied himself with two clutch makes, a 53-yarder to force OT and a 34-yarder to secure the tie. The Packers wouldn’t have handed McManus a three-year contract if they didn’t believe in his ability to make big-time kicks. However, their issues with field goal protection need to be addressed quickly.
This article originally appeared on Packers Wire: 6 standouts from Packers’ Week 4 tie with Cowboys
Reporting by Brandon Carwile, Packers Wire / Packers Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
