The Dallas Cowboys crashed out of the NFL playoffs with a humiliating 48-32 defeat to the seventh-seeded Green Bay Packers in the wildcard round on Sunday.
The Packers, the youngest team in the NFL who snuck into the playoffs on the final day of the regular season with a 9-8 record, totally dominated the Cowboys before allowing two late touchdowns.
Quarterback Jordan Love, who took over in Green Bay this season after the departure of Aaron Rodgers, threw for 272 yards and three touchdowns in his playoff debut.
Running-back Aaron Jones had three rushing touchdowns and put up 118 yards on the ground and the Packers earned a clash with the top-seeded San Francisco 49ers.
“We came in here with the mindset that we were going to dominate,” Love said. “A lot of people counted us out and we didn’t care about that. We knew what an opportunity we had in front of us and made the most of it tonight.”
Dallas gave up the most points in a playoff game in franchise history while quarterback Dak Prescott threw two costly interceptions in a nightmare first half which saw the home side fall 27-0 down in the second quarter.
The manner and scale of the defeat are likely to raise questions over the future of Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy, a former Super Bowl winner with the Packers who was hired to end the wait for another Cowboys NFL championship, which has now stretched to 28 years.
Green Bay’s confidence was evident from the outset as they elected to receive and scored a touchdown on their first drive – Jones rushing in from three yards.
Prescott’s miserable day began with an interception — cornerback Jaire Alexander picking him off and the Packers taking over 19-yards out and Jones scoring from three-yards on the third play.
Green Bay’s offense was meeting no resistance as Love delivered a 20-yard touchdown pass to Dontayvion Wicks who had escaped Dallas corner Stephon Gilmore.
It got worse for the Cowboys when Prescott’s pass was grabbed by Packers safety Darnell Savage who returned it 64-yards to make it 27-0.
That was the largest deficit the Cowboys had ever faced at home in the post-season but they kept a glimmer of hope for the second half with Prescott finding Jake Ferguson with a one-yard pass in the final seconds of the second quarter.
After a Cowboys field goal though, Jones ran in his third touchdown, his nine-yard rush making it 34-10.
Tony Pollard ran in a touchdown for Dallas but again the Cowboys defense couldn’t stop Green Bay as Love found a wide open Luke Musgrave with a 38-yard touchdown pass.
The unflappable Love found Romeo Doubs with a three-yard touchdown pass to give the visitors a 32 point lead with 10:23 left in the fourth quarter.
The Packers finally eased off, allowing two touchdowns for Dallas – both from Prescott passes to Ferguson.
It was far too little, far too little for a miracle comeback as Dallas, after an impressive, 12-5 regular season, fell at the first hurdle in the playoffs.
Later on Sunday, the Detroit Lions host the Los Angeles Rams.
