Dallas Cowboys vs. Green Bay Packers: Full Report Card Grades for Dallas
Every great ride has to come to an end, and that is just what happened Sunday as the Dallas Cowboys fell to the Green Bay Packers 26-21. The Cowboys will now look ahead to the offseason where they will try to strengthen their team for next year.
Everyone is going to be talking about the overturned catch call, but the Cowboys had other opportunities to win the game.
When it comes down to it, the Packers were the better team Sunday, and that is why they came away with the win.
Aaron Rodgers proved why he is the best quarterback in the NFL as he sliced and diced the Cowboys late, even though he was hobbled with his calf injury.
The Cowboys defense just couldn't get off the field as the Packers went 9-of-14 on third down, and it ultimately broke the Cowboys back.
The Cowboys will now look ahead to free agency and the draft in an attempt to improve their team.
Let’s take a look at how each position graded out in this divisional-playoff-game matchup.
Quarterback
1 of 10
Tony Romo has been one of the best players in the NFL this season, but Sunday he was just barely not good enough.
He went 15-of-19 for 191 yards and touchdowns in a game where the Cowboys put a huge emphasis on running the ball.
What Romo has done this year is truly remarkable. The amount of production he has had, despite all the injuries he's had to endure, is really amazing.
The big question now is whether Romo can carry the considerable momentum that he has built into next year. If he can, the Cowboys should be one of the favorites to reach the Super Bowl in 2016.
Grade: B+
Running Back
2 of 10
Fumbling problems hampered DeMarco Murray throughout the first half of the season, and it came back to bite him again against the Packers.
Murray finished the day with 25 carries for 123 yards, a touchdown and a fumble. While he was extremely effective on the ground, you cannot turn the ball over in the playoffs and expect to win.
He ran hard and well throughout the game, and he did great with what the offensive line gave him, but once again you can't fumble in those situations.
This may have been Murray's last game in a Cowboys uniform as his contract is up once the season is over. It will be interesting to see if the Cowboys opt to bring back the most productive running back in the NFL for the 2015 season.
Grade: B-
Wide Receiver and Tight End
3 of 10
One call from the referee totally changed the outlook of the game as Dez Bryant's catch near the goal line was overturned. If Bryant's catch stands, his performance looks much better.
However, he was doubled for most of the game, and his productivity suffered because of it. He finished with three catches for 38 yards.
Jason Witten was once again extremely reliable as he had six catches for 71 yards. Even though Witten is getting older and less athletic, he is still extremely effective.
It seems that Terrance Williams only catches touchdowns as he had one catch for 38 yards and a touchdown. Williams has played better as of late, but he needs to work being more consistent throughout the game.
Grade: B-
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Offensive Line
4 of 10
The Cowboys offensive line has been the best unit on the team, and while certain players had their struggles, they played well against the Packers.
The Cowboys did give up four sacks, but a lot of that was due to Romo holding onto the ball too long as he was trying to make a play.
The offensive line was dominant at times in the running game as it created some big creases for Murray to run through.
Ronald Leary struggled mightily early in the game against Mike Daniels as he just wasn't good enough to handle him one-on-one.
On the other hand, Zack Martin played extremely well and proved once again that he is one of the premier guards in the NFL, despite only being a rookie.
The Cowboys have to feel good about their offensive line entering next year as it should only get better as a unit.
Grade: B
Defensive Line
5 of 10
While the defensive line made clutch plays and stops against the Detroit Lions, it failed to do so against the Packers.
On the bright side, DeMarcus Lawrence got a sack and looks to be developing nicely as the Cowboys head toward next season.
As a whole, the Cowboys failed to get much pressure on a hobbled Aaron Rodgers, especially when it mattered most. When a player's ability to move is significantly hindered, you have to take advantage, and you have to do it.
Jeremy Mincey had another great day for the Cowboys as he was a force in the running game. Mincey is another case of the Cowboys picking up someone else's trash and making it their treasure as he had a fantastic season.
Overall, the Cowboys should be pleased with how their defensive line, especially Mincey and Tyrone Crawford, played, despite not having a lot of talent.
If the Cowboys can acquire some more talent on the defensive line this offseason, such as Brandon Graham, it could be a very solid unit.
Grade: C+
Linebacker
6 of 10
The Cowboys linebacker unit has been ravaged with injuries, and it was just too much for it to overcome in the end.
Rolando McClain left the game with concussion-like symptoms, and Anthony Hitchens played with an ankle sprain, which severely limited the linebacker group as a whole.
With those two hobbled, it meant significant snaps for players such as Kyle Wilber, who isn't bad, but he is not the type of player you want to play a lot of snaps.
Anthony Hitchens played his heart out, but you could tell he was slowed by his ankle injury. While many questioned the selection of Hitchens in the draft, he has played extremely well this year and looks primed to be a key cog in the Cowboys defense next year.
Grade: B-
Secondary
7 of 10
The secondary had its struggles against the multiple weapons on the Packers offense Sunday as they failed to slow down Rodgers throughout the day.
The one defender who appeared to play well was Orlando Scandrick who locked down whomever he was assigned to. The Packers had to figure out ways to get Randall Cobb away from Scandrick because of how well Scandrick was doing covering him.
While Sterling Moore has been of the pleasant surprises for the Cowboys this season, he had a hard time against the Packers. He struggled to maintain sound technique when bringing down ball-carriers, and it resulted in some missed tackles throughout the game. As bad as his tackling was, his coverage wasn't much better as the Packers picked on him all day.
The secondary is a unit with a lot of uncertainty, along with linebacker, and it will be fascinating to see how the Cowboys look to improve each.
Grade: C
Special Teams
8 of 10
The Cowboys' most consistent player this season, Dan Bailey, found the worst time of the year to start to struggle. This was the second game in a row that Bailey missed a field goal, and it was a crucial turning point in the game.
Chris Jones had a good day punting the ball as he averaged 48.5 yards per punt.
The Cowboys special teams had been great as of late, but Bailey's missed field goal was one of the biggest reasons why the Cowboys came up short against the Packers.
Grade: C-
Coaching
9 of 10
It's hard to really criticize this coaching staff, especially with how well it did with the talent of the Cowboys.
However, play-caller Scott Linehan's call on the 3rd-and-1 right before the half was puzzling. It put the Cowboys in a tough field-goal situation and ultimately gave the Packers an opportunity to kick a field goal before the half ran out.
Defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli did about as well as you can expect against a team like the Packers with what he was working with. He put the team in great positions, but it didn't always make the plays.
It will be interesting to see if Marinelli returns, as his contract is up and one of his best friends, Lovie Smith, has an opening on his staff.
Head coach Jason Garrett has done an incredible job with this team as it fought to the very end and never gave up in any game no matter the situation. Garrett deserves a raise for the job he has done this year.
The Cowboys look primed to become a perennial playoff contender and a great deal of that is because of what Garrett has done with this team.
Grade: B
Final Grade
10 of 10
| Positional Unit | Overall Grade |
| QB | B+ |
| RB | B- |
| WR | B- |
| OL | B |
| DL | C+ |
| LB | B- |
| Secondary | C |
| Special Teams | C- |
| Coaching | B |
| Cumulative Grade | C+ |
The Cowboys didn't play poorly against the Packers, but it just wasn't enough to get the job done in the end. Even though this loss stings, Cowboys fans should not be sad about how this team has played this season. The Cowboys were expected to be a losing team, but they ended up with 13 wins.
If the Cowboys can draft well, re-sign some important players and sign a couple of solid contributor in free agency, there is no reason this team can't compete for a Super Bowl next year.
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