Offense comes alive despite absence of Davante Adams Owczarski’s observation
ARLINGTON, Texas – After the Green Bay Packers took a home loss against the Philadelphia Eagles to heart, they shored up their run defense and their run game on offense, Sunday against Dallas. After roaring out to a 24-0 lead, they had to hold off a Cowboys surge in the second half to win 34-24 and claim sole possession of first place in the NFC North at 4-1.
The Packers put together perhaps their most complete offensive game of the year – and it was without wide receiver Davante Adams. Running back Aaron Jones was the designated star, touching the ball 26 times and setting career highs with four rushing touchdowns, 7 receptions and 75 receiving yards. Quarterback Aaron Rodgers hit eight other receivers for at least one reception.
It was an impressive performance in that way for the Packers, but it also teed up Dak Prescott and the Cowboys for Mike Pettine's defense to record three sacks and three interceptions. Dallas was never able to get Ezekiel Elliott rolling because Green Bay scored on five of its nine possessions through three quarters. The Cowboys did get going through the air in the second half to make it interesting, but the Packers had just enough answers.
5 things to watch revisited
In Jimmy he trusts: With Adams out, it was expected Rodgers was going to look for tight end Jimmy Graham after a productive week against Philadelphia. In a 14point first quarter, Graham was part of the personnel groupings but Rodgers only looked his way once – for a 23-yard gain. Then on third-and-7 in the second quarter Graham separated from safety Jeff Heath for a 12-yard catch. Graham also drew a hold on a third-and-5 in the fourth quarter.
Early returns: The Packers came into the game as the No. 31-ranked kickoff coverage unit, allowing 45.7 yards per return. On the Packers' first kickoff Tony Pollard broke out for a 27-yard return – one that Mason Crosby ended with a tackle. Crosby got up limping after the play as it looked like his left leg absorbed some contact. Crosby did return to the game to kick and the Packers limited the returns thereafter.
Coming up short: Through four games, the longest run the Packers had from scrimmage from a running back was 15 yards and six of 10 or more. On Green Bay's first scoring drive of the game, the offensive line executed a perfect inside zone block and Jones burst upfield for an 18-yard touchdown. Jones would add runs of 15 and 16 yards and three of 11 yards.
Fundamentally poor: The Packers believed their run-game issues on defense were due to inadequate fundamentals, not scheme. The emphasis was more discipline on assignments heading into Sunday, and they were that. Elliott never got going (12 carries for 62 yards and one TD). The Packers' offense kept scoring, which then limited Elliott's role on the ground.
Sweeping up: The Cowboys like running a power sweep (aka the “Lombardi Sweep”) with Elliott, as head coach Jason Garrett said they like testing the defense to the outside. But with the Packers taking a 14-0 first-quarter lead and then with advantages of 17-0 and 24-0, they essentially rendered Elliott a bystander.
Game balls Matt LaFleur
The Packers head coach adjusted his running scheme to feature his strong inside run blockers in left guard Elgton Jenkins and centers Corey Linsley and Lucas Patrick. With David Bakhtiari and Billy Turner contributing their speed-to-power on the move, the Packers found a northsouth run game. Before the game he pulled up Tra Carson off the practice squad and activated him over rookie Dexter Williams. Carson picked up several big pass-block assignments. And without Adams, the pass game was amended to feature Jones and spreading the ball around.
In the red zone, he also learned from last week's six passes that resulted in no points. Sunday the Packers threw it five times and rushed it five times in the red area, with four of those runs resulting in touchdowns.
See, what had happened was…
On second-and-3 from the Dallas 43, Packers corner Kevin King undercut a route by Cowboys receiver Michael Gallup and got two hands on a Prescott pass. But the ball squirted through onto King's helmet and eventually fell to the ground. It would have been the Packers' third interception of the game. Prescott would scramble for a first down on the next play. The Cowboys would score their first points of the game later on the drive on a field goal.
King would get an interception later in the fourth quarter to stem a Cowboys rally with 10:21 to go.
5 Numbers 1
Jaire Alexander broke up a third-and-4 pass to Amari Cooper in the third quarter,
the first third-down throw from Prescott that was not completed. 4
Packers wins, in five weeks. It is the fastest the Packers reached that mark since 2015. Also the number of touchdowns for Jones. 10.5
Total sacks by Za'Darius and Preston Smith after recording three Sunday. 21
Seasons since the last Packers running back ran for four touchdowns in a game, which was by Dorsey Levens on Jan. 2, 2000 against Arizona in 1999. 54-53
Rush yards to the left, and rush yards to the right, for Aaron Jones.
NextGen stat of the day 4.53
Yards of separation from the nearest Packers defender for Cowboys receiver Amari Cooper on his first five targets, four of which were caught for 99 yards. The league average is 2.83 yards. The one incompletion was intercepted by Packers corner Jaire Alexander.
Did you notice?
On the Packers' second scoring drive of the game, the Packers got physical on back-to-back plays to score. Wide receiver Jake Kumerow, who got the start in place of Davante Adams, pancake-blocked Cowboys safety Jeff Heath on a 6-yard shovel pass to Geronimo Allison. That set up a 3-yard Jones touchdown run where he followed rookie left guard Elgton Jenkins, who flatted Cowboys linebacker Leighton Vander Esch.
Play of the game
The Packers have struggled to run the ball the last two weeks, and they came out with six passes on their first seven plays. But on their eighth play, on second-and-10 from the Dallas 18, they unveiled an inside zone run behind Jenkins and center Corey Linsley. Jones started left and cut hard upfield and scored. It put the Packers up 7-0 and showed that the Packers made a rungame adjustment to keep it tight inside, use Jenkins' power, and get Jones going north-and-south as opposed to stretching the line of scrimmage laterally.
Overheard
“This is my house!”
Aaron Jones, after he scored his second touchdown at AT&T Stadium to put the Packers up 14-0. Jones is a Texas native and played his college ball at the University of Texas-El Paso.