Packers vs. Cowboys score, takeaways: Aaron Rodgers, Christian Watson explode in comeback to upset Dallas

Green Bay scored 17 unanswered to knock off the Cowboys

The Packers were not expected to win on Sunday, even while hosting the Cowboys on their own turf at Lambeau Field. They certainly were not expected to win in the fourth quarter, when they trailed by 14 points to a Dallas team enjoying a CeeDee Lamb breakout. But don't tell that to Aaron Rodgers, who came alive while connecting with rookie Christian Watson to lead Green Bay to 17 unanswered points and a 31-28 overtime upset, snapping the Packers' five-game losing streak.

Former Packers coach Mike McCarthy wasn't just on the other sideline to witness the Cowboys' defeat; he had a hand in the affair, opting to go for it on fourth down during Dallas' lone OT possession, rather than trying a 53-yard field goal to get ahead. But it was Watson who really damaged America's Team on Sunday, scoring three touchdowns and hauling in multiple deep shots to give the Packers the home-run threat they've sorely been lacking.

Here are additional takeaways from Sunday's Packers win, which improved Green Bay to 4-6 and dropped Dallas to 6-3:

Why the Packers won

Somebody finally decided to play catch with Aaron Rodgers! Turns out, Christian Watson didn't just do that; he easily burned almost every Cowboys cornerback who attempted to contain him. The rookie wideout wasn't perfect, but he was darn close, finishing with 107 yards and three touchdowns on four catches, giving Green Bay its first true home-run threat of the year. His emergence enabled Matt LaFleur's squad to actually put up a fight while down 14 in the fourth, though Aaron Jones was reliable as usual carrying the offensive load early. The defense remained vulnerable in every facet, but Jaire Alexander had a couple of clutch breakups working on CeeDee Lamb. The biggest props belong to A-Rod's unit, however, which finally, in the waning minutes and then in OT, showed some of the charisma and confidence befitting a true contender.

Why the Cowboys lost

No. 1: Dak Prescott, though resilient enough to give Dallas a two-score lead in the third, was generally off the mark, firing two picks right into the Packers' hands out of the gate -- miscommunications or not, they were ugly -- and struggling to establish any rhythm in the fourth. No. 2: Dan Quinn's vaunted "D" barely affected Rodgers; Micah Parsons was a virtual nonfactor by his standards, and as a result, no one in their secondary could keep up with Watson, even though he was literally the only Packers receiver to serve a steady threat. Mike McCarthy also hurt himself by gambling in OT, choosing to go for it on fourth down instead of trying a 53-yard field goal -- a decision that allowed Green Bay to win it with a field goal of its own.

Turning point

It's gotta be the fourth-down call from McCarthy. Tied 28-28 and driving inside the Packers' 40 on the first possession of OT, Dallas would've claimed the "W" with a touchdown. A field goal, meanwhile, would've at least guaranteed they'd be alive if the Packers could only get three. On fourth-and-3, rather than let Brett Maher try a kick from 53, McCarthy called a short pass, but Dak Prescott couldn't connect with Tony Pollard while facing pressure, and Green Bay quickly seized on the opportunity, moving all the way to the Cowboys' 20 when Rodgers found Allen Lazard for a 36-yard strike three plays later.

Play of the game

Give it to the rookie Watson, whose first TD just instilled a different kind of energy in these Packers on maybe their biggest night of the season:

What's next

The Packers (4-6) will stay at home for Thursday night's quick turnaround against the Titans (6-3), who edged the Broncos on Sunday. The Cowboys (6-3), meanwhile, will travel to Minnesota for a matchup with the Vikings (8-1), who upset the Bills in Week 10's wildest back-and-forth.

[Nov 13, 2022 at 7:56 pm ET · Cody Benjamin]

PACKERS WIN! Mason Crosby hits the field goal, and that's it. Green Bay wins it 31-28. Losing streak is over in Lambeau.

[Nov 13, 2022 at 7:53 pm ET · Cody Benjamin]

Allen Lazard, quiet all night, finally comes alive over the middle, wide open for an RPO route over the middle, and goes for 36 yards! The Packers are already in field goal range.

[Nov 13, 2022 at 7:52 pm ET · Cody Benjamin]

Green Bay's big defensive stop to get the ball in OT:

[Nov 13, 2022 at 7:51 pm ET · Cody Benjamin]

Jaire Alexander gets to CeeDee Lamb a little early but deflects the Cowboys' third-down pass, then Mike McCarthy declines the chance to try a 53-yard field goal, instead keeping the offense on the field for fourth-and-3 from the Packers' 35, and Jarran Reed gets to Dak Prescott for the sack. It's Green Bay ball, and a field goal wins it.

[Nov 13, 2022 at 7:44 pm ET · Cody Benjamin]

Offsetting personal fouls called against both sides on the OT kickoff. The Packers player charged: Johnathan Abram, just claimed off waivers from the Raiders days earlier. Dallas, meanwhile, gets a big chunk as Dak Prescott threads one to CeeDee Lamb, who hangs on despite a shot from Adrian Amos. Cowboys now in Packers territory.

[Nov 13, 2022 at 7:38 pm ET · Cody Benjamin]

Cowboys get the ball first in OT. Here we go.

[Nov 13, 2022 at 7:36 pm ET · Cody Benjamin]

Free football in Green Bay. We're headed to overtime, knotted up at 28-28. Give credit to Aaron Rodgers and Co. for climbing out of a 14-point fourth-quarter hole. Now let's see whether Rodgers or old pal Mike McCarthy can win it in the extra frame.

[Nov 13, 2022 at 7:33 pm ET · Cody Benjamin]

Aaron Rodgers visibly upset with Matt LaFleur after throwing it away on third-and-1, failing to find anyone open on a play-action pass. Now Cowboys will get the ball back with :16 left.

[Nov 13, 2022 at 7:32 pm ET · Cody Benjamin]

Don't love the clock management from the Packers on this drive. They let it run all the way down to :30 on their first two plays, so they used over a minute. Now it's third-and-1, so you need to move the chains to avoid Dallas using a timeout and getting its own drive before the end of regulation.

[Nov 13, 2022 at 7:29 pm ET · Cody Benjamin]

1:38 on the clock. Packers have two timeouts left. It's 28-28. Mason Crosby is surely getting that leg warm.

[Nov 13, 2022 at 7:29 pm ET · Cody Benjamin]

Jaire Alexander with great coverage on Michael Gallup, and the Packers force a three-and-out right after Green Bay's latest scoring drive. The home team will get a chance to take its first lead of the day, and maybe the last one of the game. Buckle your seat belts.

[Nov 13, 2022 at 7:24 pm ET · Cody Benjamin]

Watson's latest trip to the end zone:

[Nov 13, 2022 at 7:22 pm ET · Cody Benjamin]

CHRISTIAN WATSON again! No. 3 for the rookie! Packers set up the play-action fake beautifully, and Watson easily outruns a pair of Cowboys defensive backs for the seven-yard TD. It's now a 28-28 game. Packers just erased a 14-point deficit in this quarter.

[Nov 13, 2022 at 7:20 pm ET · Cody Benjamin]

Oh my goodness. Packers have the momentum (and the crowd) rolling in their favor. Rodgers hits Christian Watson for an important third-down conversion. And then Aaron Jones somehow stops and spins out of traffic in the backfield to break away for a 26-yard sprint. Packers knocking at the door, with Rodgers hitting Sammy Watkins to pull into the red zone, down seven.

[Nov 13, 2022 at 7:12 pm ET · Cody Benjamin]

Preston Smith gets his hands on Dak Prescott on third down, forcing an incompletion to hold Dallas without points on a crucial defensive stand. The Packers are officially back in this. Down seven, they've got a chance to knot this thing up once more. Let's see what the Cowboys do with Christian Watson, who's truly been boom or bust in this breakout game. Only two catches, but for 97 yards and a pair of TDs. He's got the speed to burn them again.

[Nov 13, 2022 at 7:07 pm ET · Cody Benjamin]

Very loud at Lambeau Field all of a sudden. Packers defense looking to keep this to a one-score deficit after Christian Watson's second score makes it a 28-21 game. Can't really afford to let Dallas put another six on the board at this juncture.

[Nov 13, 2022 at 7:03 pm ET · Cody Benjamin]

Perfect touch pass from Rodgers, and perfect route from Watson, to make this fourth-down TD look easy and get the Packers back in the mix:

[Nov 13, 2022 at 7:02 pm ET · Cody Benjamin]

But Christian Watson answers the bell! Wow. The rookie is single-handedly elevating the otherwise shoddy passing attack. Matched up in man coverage with Jourdan Lewis, Watson easily beats his man and hauls in a Rodgers strike on fourth-and-7, with the game potentially on the line, taking it all the way in for the score. What a game-changer there. Two big TDs for the wideout.

[Nov 13, 2022 at 7:00 pm ET · Cody Benjamin]

As the clock ticks in the fourth quarter, it's become increasingly obvious that the Packers still cannot move the ball the way they'd like, especially through the air. The early bomb to Christian Watson was the exception. Just four completions from Rodgers to wide receivers with 13 minutes left in the contest, and Allen Lazard has been a total non-factor.

[Nov 13, 2022 at 6:54 pm ET · Cody Benjamin]

Down two scores after the beautiful Dak to CeeDee strike, the Packers face the blitz on third-and-short, and Aaron Rodgers uses his legs to move the chains, stepping up and then scrambling forward for the first. Huge play from No. 12 to keep the series alive.

[Nov 13, 2022 at 6:49 pm ET · Cody Benjamin]

Malik Davis is looking like the closer in the Cowboys' backfield. Guy has some burst on the outside, and he's now averaging over nine yards per carry. His big first-down run sets up Dak Prescott's next strike to CeeDee Lamb -- their biggest yet. This one goes 35 yards, and it's a beauty of a toss, with Lamb easily sneaking past his man for the score. Best day of the year for No. 88, who's now got 10 catches for 135 yards and two of Dallas' touchdowns. It's a 28-14 game, and suddenly Green Bay is in a sizable hole.

[Nov 13, 2022 at 6:44 pm ET · Cody Benjamin]

CeeDee Lamb had a miscommunication earlier on Dak Prescott's second INT of the night, but other than that, he's been clutch for Dallas' passing game so far. Prescott continues to look to him on key downs, and he's now up to nine catches for 100 yards and a score, with over a quarter to play. Dak's thrown his way a total of 11 times thus far, and more are surely on the way.

[Nov 13, 2022 at 6:35 pm ET · Cody Benjamin]

Aaron Rodgers is definitely doing his best to push the ball downfield, particularly in Christian Watson's direction. He's unable to connect with the rookie for a second straight target, however, to open Green Bay's latest drive. They just aren't quite there yet in terms of quick-strike chemistry, even after the early-game TD. Rodgers had Allen Lazard open short, but opted for the splash opportunity. Then he gets swallowed whole on third down, absorbing a big hit on a sack from Sam Williams. Replay shows Lazard was open again, but A-Rod wasn't looking his way.

[Nov 13, 2022 at 6:30 pm ET · Cody Benjamin]

Tony Pollard finally gets his time to shine. Despite a quiet workload in the first half with Ezekiel Elliott absent, the spry reserve takes it 13 yards up the gut, out of the Shotgun, for the score. It's now 21-14, Dallas, meaning the Amari Rodgers fumble cost Green Bay seven points in this showdown. Let's see how Aaron Rodgers responds.

[Nov 13, 2022 at 6:28 pm ET · Cody Benjamin]

A look at the Packers' special-teams gaffe, which may well haunt them:

[Nov 13, 2022 at 6:27 pm ET · Cody Benjamin]

Cowboys go three-and-out after Kenny Clark opens the drive with a sack of Dak Prescott, but then Amari Rodgers loses the ball on the ensuing punt return, and Dallas recovers, more than making up for its own near-muff earlier in the game. Heck of a play from C.J. Goodwin helping to set up the takeaway, and suddenly the 'Boys have a great chance to retake the lead.

[Nov 13, 2022 at 6:19 pm ET · Cody Benjamin]

An update on Christian Watson, who left briefly to jog on the sidelines after appearing to re-injure his hamstring: the rookie is already back on the field, apparently with no limitations. Crisis averted there. Rodgers even airs one out to the NDSU product down the right sideline, but the wideout can't quite get his head/hands around at the right time.

[Nov 13, 2022 at 6:16 pm ET · Cody Benjamin]

Bad but familiar news on the Packers' side: Christian Watson gets tripped up running downfield and is forced to the sideline after pulling up gimpy afterward. Looked as if he hurt his hamstring, which would not be ideal considering the time he's already missed due to such an injury this year. Sammy Watkins on the field alongside Allen Lazard now out wide, and he makes an immediate impact, hauling in a first-down pass on a semi-comeback route.