Cowboys Country

Cowboys Collapse, Lose in OT to Packers at Lam-boo Field: Top 10 Whitty Observations

A record day for CeeDee Lamb and a heart-warming homecoming for Mike McCarthy were ruined by the biggest fourth-quarter collapse in Cowboys history in a 31-28 loss to Green Bay.

Richie Whitt

The "Ice Bowl" in 1967. The 45-7 embarrassment that got Wade Phillips fired in 2010. "Dez Caught It" in 2015. And now, the 14-point choke job in the fourth quarter in 2022.

Ruining Mike McCarthy's homecoming with a record, epic collapse, the Dallas Cowboys' nightmare at Lambeau Field continues in a gut-wrenching, 31-28 overtime loss to the Green Bay Packers.

10. 195 and Uh-Oh - The Cowboys led, 28-14, and had the Packers facing 4th-and-7 at Dallas' 39-yard line with 13 minutes remaining. We're not real big on "win probability" percentages and whatnot, but at that point it felt pretty safe that the Cowboys were going to win. Until they didn't. Through a series of heroic plays by Aaron Rodgers, multiple Cowboys' penalty blunders and yet another kick-to-the-crotch by Green Bay's Mason Crosby, the Cowboys lost for the first time in their 63-year franchise history when leading by 14+ points in the fourth quarter. Before Sunday, there were 195-0 in that scenario. Fittingly, the most colossal choke job in the history of America's Team happened at Lambeau Field.

9. Lam-boo Field - The Cowboys are 2-10 all-time in Green Bay. Dak Prescott is now a very painful 1-1.

8. Overtime Ouch - The Cowboys had numerous chances to bury the Packers. Not just in this game, but for the season. At 3-6 and with a five-game losing streak, Green Bay's 2022 was teetering perilously close to the edge. Dallas led 7-0 and had the ball inside the Packers' 10. Dallas led 28-14 late. And, most painful, Dallas was driving for an apparent go-ahead score in overtime until penalties - the trademark of McCarthy's Cowboys teams - reared their ugly head once again. Tony Pollard's run to Green Bay's 27 was wiped out by an inexplicable penalty on rookie receiver Jalen Tolbert for lining up offside. Three plays later No. 3 running back Malik Davis scampered up the middle to the 26, only to have offensive lineman Connor McGovern called for holding. Said McCarthy: "I’m very frustrated with the end of the game, obviously. The penalties were very, very, VERY frustrating,” Added Prescott about the flags, "To me, that’s excuses. We just got to play beyond that.” The overtime possession ended on consecutive Prescott incompletions that both gave the ball to Green Bay and ended the life of McCarthy's headset.

7. Dumb Decision? - Brett Maher's calling card is his booming leg. The Cowboys' kicker has 14 field goals of 50+ yards in his career, including four this season. But McCarthy eschewed a long (52 yards) field goal that could've given Dallas a lead in overtime and instead went for 4th-and-3 at Green Bay's 35. Six plays later the Cowboys lost.

6. Cowboys Killer - Texas born-'n-bred Crosby did it to Dallas, again. The Packers' kicker calmly booted a chip-shot 28-yard field goal with 3:06 left in overtime. Same result, but a much easier kick than the 51-yarder he made at AT&T Stadium for a dramatic 34-31 Green Bay win over the Cowboys in the 2016 playoffs.

5. CeeDee Lamb-beau - While the Cowboys - including their current No. 1 receiver - openly flirt with the idea of signing free-agent star Odell Beckham Jr., Lamb played like a superstar. Also in the wake of his team almost trading for Texans' receiver Brandin Cooks, Lamb overcame an early shaky route that led to an interception to catch a career-high 11 passes for 150 yards and two touchdowns, including a gorgeous 35-yarder that pushed Dallas' lead to 28-14 in the fourth quarter. It is the first 100-yard game by a Cowboys' receiver this season.

4. Good Dak - With a second-quarter completion to Lamb, Prescott surpassed Roger Staubach on the team's all-time passing yards list. Only Tony Romo (34,183) and Troy Aikman (32,942) have more thrown for more than Dak (22,939).

3. Gross Dak - With a 7-0 lead and the ball at Green Bay's 9-yard line, it wasn't time to get greedy. Considering the way Dallas' defense was dominating - including a strip-sack of Rodgers on the previous series - a 10-0 lead would've felt almost insurmountable. Sure Dalton Schultz and Lamb mistakenly ran the same route, but on third down you can't risk throwing that ball into traffic in the end zone. The Packers were on the ropes early but Prescott let them off. It was his first Red Zone interception since Week 6 of 2021 at the Patriots.

2. Tony Haullard - With Ezekiel Elliott again sidelined with a sore knee, Pollard again proved he's a capable RB1. After amassing 147 yards and three touchdowns on just 15 touchdowns two weeks ago against the Bears, he produced another 100-yard rushing day (115) and a touchdown against Green Bay. Dallas' leading rusher this season: Pollard five times; Elliott four.

1. The Final Nail - It took a bevy of mistakes to craft such a collapse. The lack of coverage on the Packers' Christian Watson, who caught three touchdowns and had his fingertips on a fourth. The lack of impact by Micah Parsons, whose defense allowed 207 yards rushing and who was as invisible as he's been all season. The failure of the offense to pick up three yards on consecutive plays in overtime. The three penalties in the extra quarter, including a costly 15-yard facemask on Dante Fowler. But the play that sealed the Cowboys' fate was a simple slip-and-fall by slot cornerback Daron Bland, allowing Rodgers to flip a quick pass to an open Allen Lazard for a 36-yard gain to put the Packers in game-winning field-goal position. The Cowboys' defense - which surrendered season-highs in yards and points - gave up 174 yards and 14 points on 22 plays in the fourth quarter alone. “It’s disgusting,” Parsons said. “It’s something that can’t happen, right? People can say it’s just one game, but, you know … bad things tend to repeat.”

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Richie Whitt
RICHIE WHITT

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