The Green Bay Packers and Aaron Rodgers played possum for a half, but they got the playoff monkey off their back, beating the Dallas Cowboys 26-21.
This is the Packers’ first win in the divisional round since their 2010 Super Bowl run and sets up an NFC Championship match-up with the nemesis Seattle Seahawks.
It was a hard-fought win that appeared to be more of the same for much of the game. That being a defense that wasn’t quite good enough and Rodgers not playing up to his usual standards in the playoffs.
The Cowboys held a 14-10 lead at the half and a 21-13 lead in the third quarter, while Rodgers failed to get the offense going. Sometime in the third quarter, Rodgers came on and late in the fourth the defense got the stop they needed, after replay correctly overruled a fourth-down Dez Bryant catch with a little over two minutes remaining.
Rodgers, meanwhile, ended up torching the Cowboys for 317 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions on one leg. Randall Cobb and Davante Adams each had 117 receiving yards, while Richard Rodgers caught the go-ahead touchdown — a 13-yard fastball.
Eddie Lacy ran for 101 yards on 19 carries, rounding out what was an all-around productive offensive day.
Defensively, the Packers did enough, in the process reinforcing what we already knew — they’re a pretty average unit.
While the Packers defense got gouged by Cowboys’ running back DeMarco Murray, who ran for 123 yards and a touchdown, they effectively shut down the Cowboys’ passing game.
Tony Romo threw for just 191 yards and was sacked four times, 1.5 of which came courtesy of Nick Perry. However, Mike Daniels and Julius Peppers provided the bulk of the pressure, while the secondary supplied solid coverage.
The secondary’s play was highlighted by Bryant’s stat line. The first-team All Pro caught just three balls for 38 yards.
Now the question becomes this. Are we ready to start talking Super Bowl?
No, we’re not. Seattle has looked like the best team in football down the stretch and the Packers are traveling to arguably the toughest place to play in the NFL.
That being said, the Packers are in it and they’ve got a fighter’s chance.
That’s all you can ask for at this time of season.