After winning the coin toss, the Green Bay Packers requested the ball. They had some knowledge.
Jordan Love was prepared for this moment, as the Packers knew. They needed to be aware of the pressure an early touchdown would put on the Cowboys.
Although not every playoff outcome alters the NFL's entire structure, the Packers' 48-32 victory over the Cowboys looks like it will have a long-lasting impact. With a nearly flawless 157.2 passer rating in his playoff debut, Love made a strong impression on fans and established himself as a quarterback to keep an eye on going forward. He may even carry on Green Bay's remarkable run of quarterback excellence. After the win, Green Bay will play the top-seeded San Francisco 49ers away from home the following week.
The Cowboys will be thinking about making changes everywhere, including with head coach Mike McCarthy, after the humiliating loss at home. It was the first time the Cowboys had ever allowed more than 38 points in a playoff game, and the Packers' performance on Sunday tied a franchise record for points in a playoff game. A Cowboys defence that was excellent throughout the regular season was completely unimpressive during the postseason.
The Packers became the first NFL playoff team to win as a No. 7 seed. In other words, the Cowboys became the first club in the playoffs to fall short against a No. 7 seed.
After receiving the opening kickoff, the Packers went 75 yards for a touchdown. The Cowboys never allowed the game to get close after that; they pressed the entire time. We'll be talking about that resounding victory for months or maybe years.
Jordan Love gets heated right away.
Neither on offence nor defence, the Cowboys ever appeared at ease. The Packers, meanwhile, appeared to be the club that was predicted to win.
From the first drive, love was wonderful. He immediately established the tone by blocking the rush and hitting Romeo Doubs with a huge pass. That set off the first scoring drive.
Love kept making plays while Dak Prescott made blunders. By the end of the first quarter, Prescott's passer rating was 0.0. Deep in Dallas territory, he threw an interception to Jaire Alexander that resulted in a Packers touchdown. Later in the second quarter, Prescott appeared to miss Packers defender Darnell Savage over the middle, as he proceeded to throw a devastating pick-six. With a simple 64-yard return for a touchdown and a 27-0 advantage, Savage scored.
Love was playing like a superstar on the road in his first playoff start against a top-notch defence. In the first half, he finished 13 of 16 for 185 yards and a touchdown. While he was facing down the Cowboys' rush, he made multiple crucial throws. Prescott spent time earning MVP buzz late in the season, but Love thoroughly outplayed him when it counted most on Sunday.
The Cowboy's season ends suddenly.
In the latter part of the first half, the Cowboys came to life. On the last play before halftime, they scored. After Dallas' lengthy drive came to a stop when they had the ball first in the second half, they had to settle for a field goal.
It is nearly impossible to come back from a 27-point lead in the NFL, though. There are only five occasions in the NFL season (including regular and postseason) where a team has overcome a 27-point deficit to win. After the Cowboys narrowed the Green Bay lead to 27-10, Love produced yet another impressive drive for the Packers. With his third touchdown of the game, Aaron Jones gave the team a 34-10 lead. That put an end to any reasonable hopes of a Dallas victory.
For the Cowboys, things only continued to get worse. The Cowboys had to settle for an extra point after kicker Brandon Aubrey missed one due to a penalty on a 2-point convert. Then, due to a misunderstanding on the part of the defence, Packers tight end Luke Musgrave found himself wide open for the longest score of an NFL receiver—38 yards.
On Sunday, everything about the Cowboys seemed wrong. The unstoppable Prescott and CeeDee Lamb of the regular season often did not have the same vision. Though Love gets a lot of credit for dismantling the Cowboys, the defence was terrible. The Cowboys were that poor, even if the Packers played better. There's a reason why most of the game was spent on social media wondering when McCarthy would get fired.
That was a significant day for the Packers, but the attention will be on what happens in Dallas next. Their youthful offence is captained by a budding quarterback, and their victory in Dallas validates all the gains they made towards the end of the season. The Packers should be confident going into the offseason, regardless of what transpires in San Francisco the following week.
Conversely, the Cowboys are not feeling well as they head into the summer. An NFC East title or twelve wins during the regular season won't matter to them. All that will stick in their minds is a terrifying defeat at home against the Packers. This is a loss that will reverberate for some time.