The Packer Pundit

House of pain
Latest defeat in Dallas harrowing
The Green Bay Packers lost a football game that they probably couldn't afford to lose Thursday night at Texas Stadium. Given the fact that cornerback Charles Woodson and defensive end Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila sat out with injuries and quarterback Brett Favre played just 20 minutes, the Packers can hold out some hope if their paths cross once more with the Dallas Cowboys in the playoffs.

But the Packers, blessed with a minimal amount of injuries for 11 games, understand they're part of the game. They also know that the Cowboys clearly were the better team in their 37-27 victory that clinched for Dallas a playoff berth. "We didn't play a good football game," general manager Ted Thompson. "This was a different kind of atmosphere. In a game like this, there's a little more glare."

And the Packers appeared to shrink from the national spotlight, playing one of their poorest halves of the season in falling behind by 17 points in the second quarter. They turned in an honest comeback but never could regain the lead. "This win doesn't put us in the Super Bowl," said Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo, whose passer rating was 123.5. "Maybe it gives us a 52% chance instead of 50%."

The Packers (10-2) have nine days off before embarking on the final quarter of their season against opponents with a combined record of only 16-28. The Cowboys (11-1) face foes with a 20-24 mark but have the inside edge now toward home-field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs because of their one-game lead and tie-breaker advantage over Green Bay.

Favre, who finished with a scant passer rating of 8.9, is now 0-9 in Dallas. Not once in those nine games has the margin been closer than 10 points. The defeat broke coach Mike McCarthy's road winning streak at seven. The Packers still have a 3 1/2-game cushion in the NFC North over Detroit. "Green Bay's a good team," Dallas coach Wade Phillips said. "They'll keep fighting back. We knew it wasn't going to be easy. "People said Romo might have let down because his hero was playing. He didn't do that or anything like that."

In the first half, the Cowboys scored on their first five possessions, dominating a defense that had been sound and stubborn all season to the tune of 236 yards. The Packers were without Woodson (toe) and Gbaja-Biamila (ankle). "Clearly, every team is a better team when they have all their players suited up," Thompson said. "That's not an excuse. We had chances to get off the field and we didn't do it. That's a very good offensive team and, unless you get some pressure on them, they've got a lot of weapons."

Jarrett Bush started for Woodson, played poorly and was benched midway through the second quarter for Tramon Williams. Frank Walker remained the nickel back and Bush stayed on the sidelines. Equally as damaging as the lousy coverage was the lack of a pass rush. Defensive coordinator Bob Sanders seldom blitzed and his four-man rushes without "KGB" lacked punch. The Packers held Dallas to field goals on its first two possessions before the dam broke in the second quarter.

Terrell Owens came across the field on a bootleg and, when safety Nick Collins appeared to drop coverage, turned it into an easy 34-yard reception. Two plays later, Patrick Crayton beat Bush to the post for a 3-yard TD and it was 13-3. Green Bay retaliated on its next possession when Ryan Grant burst through a hole for a 62-yard TD against a defense drawn up to stop a third and 1. "We pinched them a little bit," Thompson said. "Both the safeties were surprised he got through and he just split them."

The Cowboys came right back with another TD. Owens burned past A.J. Hawk and Atari Bigby for a gain of 48. Then Romo looked left and had time to come back to the right corner, where backup tight end Anthony Fasano was behind Bush for a 26-yard score. "(Fasano) ran a corner route and we were in Cover 2," Thompson said. "We didn't expect it."

Favre's night ended on the next series. On second and 12, Favre was in shotgun formation with five wide receivers. As Favre pump-faked, dime back Nathan Jones came free off the right slot and drilled him just as he released the ball. The pass, which was intercepted by Terence Newman, was Favre's last one. He left with a right elbow injury and a separated left shoulder but promised to return to face Oakland on Dec. 9. On the next play, Miles Austin sprinted by Bush, who drew a 40-yard penalty for interference. On second and goal, Owens came free near Collins for a 10-yard TD pass.

"(Owens) had a motion," Thompson said. "We had some sort of combination coverage on. I imagine we had in-and-out and he split it."

That gave the Cowboys a 27-10 lead, and without Favre it appeared grim for the Packers. But Aaron Rodgers engineered TD drives of 74 yards to end the first half and then 74 more to open the third quarter as they closed to 27-24.

"Romo was sharp," Thompson said. "They also schemed us pretty good on some things. On some of the big plays he had a long time."

The Packers came out trying to attack cornerback Jacques Reeves, and Favre delivered his first four passes in that direction. They also were bound and determined to throw deep opposed to playing ball-control.

Leaky protection ruined that idea.

Left guard Daryn Colledge gave up two early pressures, one when backup end Stephen Bowen beat him inside and Favre's hurried bomb came up way short and was intercepted by safety Ken Hamlin.

McCarthy had seen enough midway through the second quarter. Colledge was benched, Jason Spitz moved from right to left guard and Junius Coston stepped in at right guard.

Green Bay also hurt itself with terrible kickoff coverage. Austin had runbacks of 35, 38 and 32 yards.

The Packers blew a surprise onside kickoff in the second quarter when the boot by Mason Crosby glanced off fullback John Kuhn, drawing a penalty. Crosby had made the recovery.

Green Bay's comeback began when Greg Jennings turned a 5-yard out route into 43 yards with a tremendous run after the catch, slipping away from three tacklers. That set up an 11-yard TD to Jennings, who pivoted away from safety Patrick Watkins inside the 5.

Despite being sacked twice, Rodgers led his second long TD drive, displaying a strong arm, guts, charisma and an innate ability to scramble. A key third-down facemask penalty on linebacker Shaun Ellis gave Green Bay a first down at the 11, and Grant eventually powered in for a 1-yard TD.

A 74-yard drive by Dallas late in third quarter came up empty when Owens dropped what would have been a 6-yard TD and the ball caromed to Al Harris for an interception.

A late 42-yard interference penalty against Williams set up Romo's 4-yard TD pass to Crayton, who beat Harris inside.

The Packers went 39 yards in seven plays for a 52-yard field goal by Crosby, failing on a third-and-1 run by Grant for no gain.

But the Cowboys put it away behind workhorse Marion Barber, moving 56 yards for a field goal and drain Green Bay of its timeouts.

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