After a disappointing loss in Week 5, a welcome mini-bye after the Thursday night game, the addition of a new defensive consultant and a much-publicized players-only meeting, the hope was that the Dallas Cowboys might find a renewed spark in this Sunday night showdown at Green Bay.
Instead, the Cowboys got off to a slow start and continued their frustrating trek through this 2026 season with a 23-13 loss to the Packers. The 13 points was undoubtedly a disappointing result for a team that came into the night ranked seventh in the NFL with a 27.6 points-per-game average.
The first half in particular was dismal, as Dallas was shut out 17-0, marking the first time the Cowboys had been shut out in the first half of a game since Nov. 7, 2021, against the Broncos, an 86-game streak that was the fourth longest in NFL history, according to NBC Sports.
Obviously, the defense has been a work in progress, but the struggles of the Dallas offense have been unexpected, to say the least. Under intense pressure throughout the game, Dak Prescott finished the night completing 63% of his passes for 258 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions for a 65.2 passer rating, his second consecutive game with a rating under 70. His 54 pass attempts tied for the fourth-highest mark of his career.
And the ground game remained largely ineffective, as the team averaged just 3.2 yards per carry for a total of 48 rushing yards.
Then there was Green Bay's offense, which came into this game ranked last in the NFL on third-down conversions, finding success just 27.6% of the time. But the Dallas defense seemingly had no answer when it came to third downs through the first two quarters as Green Bay converted nine of its 10 tries.
While the defense saw some improvement in the second half, limiting the Packers to just two of eight on third downs and only six points, it wasn't enough. In the end, quarterback Jordan Love completed 56.1% of his passes for 276 yards, one touchdown and one interception for a 74.8 rating. Receiver Matthew Golden did most of the damage, totaling 104 receiving yards and a score.
Overall, the Cowboys were outgained by the Packers, 318 to 303, and again lost the time of possession, 30:51 to 29:09, totals that made the game seem much closer than it actually was.
First Quarter
The game certainly didn't get off to the start the Cowboys wanted. After the team punted on its first offensive possession, Green Bay took over and promptly went on what has become an all-too-familiar lengthy march that took 6:30 off the clock.
Dallas simply couldn't get off the field on the 90-yard drive as the Packers converted four third-down attempts, including twice moving the chains despite facing third-and-13. Even the touchdown was a third-and-6 toss from Love to Golden for the early 7-0 lead.
But then the Cowboys defense did something it hadn't done yet this season – record an interception. Linebacker Dee Winters dove in front of Golden for the second pick of his career, setting Dallas up at the Green Bay 42-yard line.
Second Quarter
So much for that. On the third snap of the new quarter – after Prescott took a big hit on the play before and was slow to get up – he then tried to throw over the middle on third-and-8 at the Packers' 17. He had hoped to connect with CeeDee Lamb in the end zone, but safety Evan Williams made a leaping grab at the 3-yard line and returned the interception out to the Green Bay 20.
This time the Packers went on a 15-play, 73-yard drive to reach the Dallas 2-yard line, a series that ate up another 8:17. The defense was able to keep Green Bay from crossing the goal line, but a chip-shot 25-yard field goal increased the deficit to 10-0.
Of course, there was still plenty of time for the Cowboys to get on the board before the half came to an end, and the offense was gaining ground, reaching the Packers' 28-yard line. But when Lamb slipped while coming out of his break, Prescott's intended pass to him became an easy interception for cornerback Brandon Cisse.
Unfortunately, the home side now had time to add to their point total, which they soon did. Green Bay was helped by a pair of pass interference penalties on Dallas, one a 37-yard infraction by Joe Porter Jr. and the other by DaRon Bland in the end zone that put the ball at the 1. Love followed that flag with a quarterback sneak across the goal line to give the Packers a 17-0 advantage after 30 minutes of play.
Third Quarter
With the Packers getting the ball to start the second half, the Cowboys needed a stop to keep the game from getting out of hand. And the unit did its part, forcing a three-and-out.
And in turn, the Dallas offense found some rhythm as well, kick-started by a 16-yard punt return from Jonathan Mingo. The Cowboys then used a nine-play drive to travel 46 yards to pay dirt, a series that saw a Prescott-to-Lamb connection pick up 17 of those yards on fourth-and-2. Javonte Williams also chewed up 15 yards on four carries, the last of which was a 1-yard rumble up the middle for the touchdown.
The good times didn't last, though, as the Packers came right back with a 44-yard field goal to maintain a 20-7 lead going into the final frame. Admittedly, Dallas did catch a break just two plays prior to the three-pointer when Christian Watson dropped a would-be touchdown pass in the end zone.
Fourth Quarter
Once the Cowboys failed to convert on fourth-and-2 at the 50-yard line, Green Bay used the favorable field position to its advantage. While the defense kept the Packers out of the end zone again, the home side tacked on another 29-yard field goal.
With the game slipping away and getting chippier as well, the Cowboys desperately needed to get into the end zone. Prescott avoided his third interception of the night when a potential Packers' pick was negated due to a rushing-the-passer penalty, but even with that gift, Dallas was unable to score.
Forced to go for it on fourth-and-11 at the Green Bay 14-yard line, Prescott heaved the ball to the end zone under heavy pressure, the ball sailing out of bounds to end the possession.
Dallas did come back with a 13-play, 78-yard drive to finally get that touchdown with 52 seconds left in the game, wideout Ryan Flournoy hauling in a 6-yard pass and diving to the pylon for his first score of the season. But Prescott's pass to Lamb for the two-point conversion fell incomplete, the Cowboys' comeback hopes dashed, 23-13.
