Jordan Love threw a touchdown pass and scored another on a 1-yard keeper as the Green Bay Packers beat the Dallas Cowboys 23-13 on Sunday night in a game slowed by a stunning 22 penalties.
The win improved Green Bay to 4-2 on the season, extending its winning streak to three games, and pushed the Packers to 11-1-1 in their last 13 meetings with Dallas. Love finished 23 of 41 for 276 yards, including a 9-yard touchdown strike to Matthew Golden that capped the opening drive and put Green Bay ahead for good.
Dallas, now 2-4, got a late touchdown from Dak Prescott to Ryan Flournoy with 44 seconds remaining, but the Cowboys missed the 2-point try to CeeDee Lamb and couldn’t complete the comeback. Prescott threw for 258 yards on 34-of-54 passing but was intercepted twice.
The penalty count was nearly even, with each team flagged 11 times. Dallas was charged with 108 penalty yards to Green Bay’s 96.
A Shaky but Costly Night Through the Air
Love’s performance could have been even bigger. Golden dropped a would-be 43-yard touchdown and also failed to complete a catch on a potential 23-yard score in the second quarter. In the third quarter, a potential 26-yard touchdown to Christian Watson slipped in and out of his hands after the pass was tipped by Dallas’ Malachi Lawrence at the goal line.
Despite the drops, Golden still caught six passes for 104 yards to go with his early touchdown. Love went 6 of 8 for 109 yards on Green Bay’s opening possession alone, a 90-yard drive that survived a couple of penalties along the way.
Turnovers Swing the Game
Dallas trailed 17-0 at halftime, the first time the Cowboys were shut out in a first half since Nov. 7, 2021, when they fell behind 16-0 in a loss to Denver.
Prescott’s two interceptions proved pivotal. Facing second-and-8 from Green Bay’s 17, he took a hard hit from Zaire Franklin on an incomplete pass, and on the very next play Evan Williams intercepted a pass intended for Lamb over the middle.
Later, with a first down at Green Bay’s 23, Dallas was pushed back by a holding penalty before Lamb fell down on a route, allowing Packers rookie Brandon Cisse to record the first interception of his career. Green Bay turned that takeaway into points, driving 77 yards for Love’s 1-yard touchdown run with 23 seconds left in the half.
Dallas answered with a 1-yard touchdown run from Javonte Williams early in the third quarter, but Green Bay padded its lead with two field goals from Trey Smack.
Defensive Strides for Dallas
Dallas’ defense, which had been allowing a league-high 6.4 yards per play entering the game, showed signs of improvement. The unit held a players-only meeting in the days before the matchup, and the Cowboys brought in veteran assistant Mike Pettine to work alongside first-year defensive coordinator Christian Parker.
Dee Winters recorded Dallas’ first interception of the season late in the first quarter with a diving catch, then raced over 40 yards toward the end zone. A replay review determined he had been touched by Golden while still on the ground, erasing the apparent touchdown.
Injuries
Cowboys receiver KaVontae Turpin left the game with a rib injury in the first quarter, and Winters was hurt with an ankle injury in the second quarter. For Green Bay, cornerback Brandon Cisse left in the second half with a stinger.
The Packers are still waiting on the return of three-time Pro Bowl running back Josh Jacobs, who comes off the commissioner’s exempt list Monday. Jacobs has not played this season after pleading no contest last month to two misdemeanor charges connected to an altercation with his then-girlfriend in May.
