STAR POWER
Rodgers foils Cowboys in Dallas again, 35-31
ARLINGTON, Texas — Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers had more magic in store for the Dallas Cowboys, who can’t seem to find the mojo that carried them a year ago.
Rodgers threw a 12-yard touchdown pass to Davante Adams with 11 seconds remaining, lifting the Packers to a 35-31 win Sunday evening as another thriller was added to these franchises’ storied series. This edition came nine months after Green Bay’s divisional playoff win on the same field.
Rodgers capped a 75-yard drive in just 1:02, going toward the same end zone as in the playoff game. In that game, Rodgers’ long completion to Jared Cook on third-and-20 in the final seconds set up Mason Crosby’s winning field goal as time expired in a 34-31 win.
“It comes down to little things being executed perfectly,” Rodgers said after the Packers’ seventh win in eight games in the series. “It was important plays at the most important times by those guys.”
Adams had been in the NFL’s concussion protocol but was active 10 days after leaving the field on a stretcher because of a helmet-to-helmet hit that resulted in a suspension for Chicago linebacker Danny Trevathan. Adams had seven catches for 66 yards and two touchdowns.
Dak Prescott, who had touchdown passes on the Cowboys’ first three possessions, put Dallas in front on an 11-yard touchdown run with 1:13 remaining to cap a 17-play drive that lasted almost nine minutes.
But another defensive letdown, just like a year ago in the postseason, left Dallas (2-3) already with the same number of losses from the magical rookie season when Prescott and running back Ezekiel Elliott led the Cowboys to the No. 1 seed in the NFC.
The Packers (4-1) had gone ahead earlier on Damarius Randall’s 21-yard interception return for a touchdown, the third of five lead changes in the fourth quarter. Green Bay rallied from 15 points down in the first half after letting a 21-3 lead get away in last season’s playoff win.
Aaron Jones became the first Green Bay running back with 100 yards in his first start as a rookie since Samkon Gado in 2005. He had 19 carries for 125 yards and a touchdown. He replaced Ty Montgomery, who was out after breaking ribs in the win over the Bears.
“He earned the opportunity to start today, and he produced,” Packers coach Mike McCarthy said.
Elliott ended a three-game drought without reaching the 100-yard mark, which matched the longest skid from his rookie season, by finishing with 116 yards on 29 carries.
Rodgers was 19-for-29 for 221 yards and three touchdowns, and he set up the winning score with an 18-yard scramble. After an incompletion to Adams, who was working against rookie Jourdan Lewis, Rodgers went there again. Adams made the grab as Lewis turned too late.
“I was going to call a different play, but (Adams) said to call it again,” Rodgers said. “With his eyes, he said, ‘Throw a better ball.’”
Prescott looked the part of Rodgers, scrambling to set up big completions and running 21 yards himself on one play to help the Cowboys build a 21-6 lead.
He was 25 of 36 for 251 yards and three first-half touchdowns, two to Cole Beasley and one to Dez Bryant, who joined Hall of Famer Bob Hayes as the only Dallas receivers with at least 70 touchdown receptions.
“It’s a tough one,” Prescott said. “You’re frustrated. We knew how important it was for us to get this win and try to go into this bye week 3-2, and now on the flip side it’s just about staying focused — a lot of football left to play.”
Before Prescott’s touchdown run for a 31-28 lead, there were consecutive challenges from each coach over a first down. A catch by Beasley was ruled a first down and reversed, as was Elliott’s fourth-down plunge when he was ruled short but replay showed the ball reaching Green Bay’s 19-yard line.
Officials then measured the first down, and the Cowboys got it by half a football.
Cowboys defensive end David Irving returned from a four-game suspension and made two sacks. He had a sack and three forced fumbles with a recovery in last year’s 30-16 win at Green Bay during the regular season.
The Packers’ Crosby missed his first two PATs, the first time in his 11-year career to miss more than one in a game. The first clanged off the left upright in the first quarter, and the second was wide left in the second quarter. He made all 36 kicks in 2015, the first year the NFL extended the distance, but missed three last season.