Packers upend Cowboys in NFL first-round game

Packers upend Cowboys in NFL first-round game

The Green Bay Packers got into the NFC playoffs as the final wild-card qualifier by winning their last three games of the regular season to reach 9-8 and having the nine teams they beat have a better win-loss record than the nine teams beaten by the Seattle Seahawks in the 2023 NFL season.

The Dallas Cowboys earned the No. 2 seed in the conference playoffs by posting a 12-5 record and winning the NFC East with the highest-scoring offense in the NFL.

All that meant absolutely nothing on Sunday as the Packers defeated the Cowboys 48-32 in a first-round playoff game at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Green Bay scored the game’s first 27 points and had a 32-point lead before Dallas got two touchdowns and two 2-point conversions in the final six minutes.

In his first playoff appearance, Packers quarterback Jordan Love completed 16-of-21 passes for 272 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions.

Green Bay running back Aaron Jones ran for 118 yards and three touchdowns on 21 carries, and Packers wide receiver Romeo Doubs had six receptions for 151 yards and one touchdown.

Dallas lost despite piling up 510 yards of offense. Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott completed 41-of-60 passes for 403 yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions. Green Bay safety Darnell Savage returned an interception 64 yards for a touchdown as the Packers took a 27-0 lead with 1:50 left in the first half.

Five players from Alabama high schools and colleges got on the field during the Green Bay-Dallas game:

· Packers kicker Anders Carlson (Auburn) made six extra points. He missed his third PAT attempt when the football hit the right upright.

· Cowboys cornerback Trevon Diggs (Alabama) is on injured reserve and not eligible to play.

· Packers wide receiver Grant DuBose (Park Crossing, Miles) is on the practice squad and not eligible to play.

· Packers safety Rudy Ford (New Hope, Auburn) is on injured reserve and not eligible to play.

· Packers cornerback Zyon Gilbert (Jeff Davis) is on the practice squad and not eligible to play.

· Cowboys cornerback Noah Igbinoghene (Hewitt-Trussville, Auburn) did not record any stats.

· Packers offensive tackle Kadeem Telfort (UAB) is on the practice squad and not eligible to play.

· Cowboys wide receiver Jalen Tolbert (McGill-Toolen, South Alabama) was targeted twice but did not have a reception.

· Cowboys defensive end Sam Williams (Lee-Montgomery) did not record any stats.

· Packers defensive lineman Colby Wooden (Auburn) made three tackles.

Green Bay will visit the San Francisco 49ers, the NFC’s No. 1 seed, in the Divisional Round of the playoffs next week. The time and date are to be determined after the completion of the first round on Monday night.

Anders Carlson of the Green Bay Packers kicks an extra point during an NFL playoff game against the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday, Jan. 14, 2024, at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.(AP Photo/Sam Hodde)

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Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.