Packers vs. Cowboys: Full Report Card Grades for Green Bay
The Green Bay Packers punched their ticket to the NFC Championship Game on Sunday with a walk-off win over the Dallas Cowboys on a 51-yard Mason Crosby field goal. They are the first road team to win in the 2016 postseason.
Though Green Bay led by 15 points at the beginning of the fourth quarter, the Cowboys clawed their way back into it, scoring 15 unanswered points. But a pair of 50-plus-yard field goals from Crosby helped the Pack get back on top and come away with the win.
The Packers didn't make it through the win without adding to the injury list, however, and that could be a real issue as they prepare to take on Matt Ryan and the high-powered Atlanta Falcons offense. Let's take a look at how each position unit fared and who left the game with injuries in Sunday's statement win in Arlington, Texas.
Quarterback
1 of 10
There's no stopping this man.
Aaron Rodgers had his sixth 300-yard passing game in the postseason, a Packers franchise record, as he sliced and diced the Cowboys defense for 356 yards and two touchdowns.
His postseason turn included plenty of highlight-reel clutch throws, including one that he sneaked into a tight window to Jared Cook, who went on tiptoe to stay in bounds, on the final drive to set up Crosby's walk-off field goal.
There's no question that Rodgers' interception toward the end of the third quarter hurt his team. The Cowboys would go on to score 15 unanswered points afterward, and Rodgers snapped what had become the second-longest streak in the NFL without a pick. However, Rodgers was, as usual, the make-or-break factor for the Packers in this game; there's no way they would have won it without him. With that being the case, he still comes away with a solid A on the day.
Grade: A
Ty Montgomery
2 of 10
The Packers didn't rely on their run game in their win over the Cowboys; Mike McCarthy called 43 passes to 17 rushing attempts.
With that being the case, Ty Montgomery didn't make much headway on the ground, collecting 47 yards on 11 attempts. However, even though Montgomery may not have moved the chains much, he certainly made an impact on the scoreboard. The Dallas native had two rushing touchdowns early on to build up the Packers' lead.
Aaron Ripkowski added another 24 yards on four carries; it's not usual for a fullback to average six yards per attempt, but Ripkowski isn't a typical fullback.
Grade: B
Wide Receiver and Tight End
3 of 10
No Jordy? No problem.
The Packers headed into the divisional round missing their top wideout, but Rodgers and his weapons still managed to rack up 356 yards and two touchdowns in his absence.
It was Cook's night, as the Packers' offseason free-agency signing went off for 104 yards and a touchdown, averaging a whopping 17.3 yards per reception. The veteran has been waiting eight seasons to make it to the playoffs, and he's making the most of his opportunity. His flashiest play of the night wasn't his touchdown, but his toe-tapping 36-yard completion down the sideline in the final seconds to set up the game-winning field goal.
Every single Packers receiver save Montgomery, in his limited dual use as a wideout, had a completion of more than 20 yards. Tight end Richard Rodgers only had one completion, but it was a big one, a 34-yard touchdown. Davante Adams added another 76 yards, and though he temporarily left the game with an ankle injury, he later returned.
Grade: A-
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Offensive Line
4 of 10
The Packers—and Aaron Rodgers—endured a tense few minutes after left tackle David Bakhtiari got his knee rolled up on and left the field under his own power.
It's no secret that the play of Green Bay's offensive line has been crucial to Rodgers' success this season, giving him the time he needs to scramble and extend plays. Bakhtiari, his blindside protector, has been instrumental there. The team and fans alike breathed a sigh of relief when the tackle returned to the field.
Rodgers took three sacks and five hits. The sack he took on 3rd-and-5 in the fourth quarter ended a drive on which the Packers desperately needed to score to stave off the Cowboys, who would go on to tie up the game on the following series.
Though the sacks came at less than ideal times, Rodgers still had all the time in the world to throw on most of his attempts, and the line was markedly improved in run blocking, especially with regard to Ripkowski.
Grade: A-
Defensive Line
5 of 10
Heading into Sunday's matchup, one thing was abundantly clear: Green Bay's defensive line needed to both contain Ezekiel Elliott and put pressure on Dak Prescott up front.
The big men up front may not have done those things particularly well, but they did enough to eke out the win. Though Elliott would eventually rack up 125 yards, the line was able to come up with some key stops.
Rookie Kenny Clark looked seasoned as he diagnosed a screen play and worked to get to Elliott, stopping him for a loss of two yards. Mike Daniels consistently won his matchups against Zack Martin.
The defensive line didn't do a lot in the end that showed up on the stat sheet, but the unit didn't negatively impact the game, either.
Grade: B-
Linebacker
6 of 10
Nick Perry has all but locked in his contract extension as he continues his pattern of stellar play into the postseason.
Perry finished his night with two hits, a batted pass and an additional stop. (And how about his Dr. Evil impression celebration, stroking his club like a cat?)
However, for as well as No. 53 played, No. 52, Clay Matthews, had a game he may sooner rather forget. The memory of Elliott tossing him aside on a spin move is a regrettable one, and Matthews didn't touch Prescott. Julius Peppers didn't have a splashy night, either.
In the middle, Jake Ryan didn't excel in coverage as much this week as he did against the New York Giants. His biggest gaffe was allowing Dez Bryant a 19-yard completion on 2nd-and-21.
In the championship against the Atlanta Falcons, the Packers front seven will need to generate much more pressure on Matt Ryan in order to advance to the Super Bowl.
Grade: B-
Secondary
7 of 10
The Packers secondary was the scapegoat heading into Divisional Round Weekend, but it kept true to its bend-don't-break reputation.
Green Bay gave up 302 passing yards to Prescott and his weapons as well as three receiving touchdowns. Bryant had a demoralizing 40-yard score, not to mention 132 total yards on nine receptions.
Somehow the unit managed to survive the loss of strong safety Morgan Burnett, who left the game with a quad injury. Josh Hawkins was forced to come in at cornerback, and he gave up a 24-yard gain to Terrance Williams as the Cowboys drove late in the fourth quarter.
However, Micah Hyde continued to be one of the unsung heroes of the "Run the Table" span of games. This time, he had the first sack of the game on Prescott and then had two passes defensed on top of it. Kentrell Brice, who delivered a huge hit on Cole Beasley, also had a batted pass, as did LaDarius Gunter. Gunter struggled to contain Bryant all day Sunday and has another tall order ahead of him against Julio Jones in Atlanta.
Grade: C+
Special Teams
8 of 10
Just go ahead and hand that game ball to Crosby.
The Packers kicker was the epitome of clutch on Sunday, hitting two field goals of more than 50 yards, including a walk-off 51-yarder for the win.
In fact, Crosby made history on Sunday. As ESPN Stats & Info shared: "The Elias Sports Bureau notes that Crosby was the first kicker to make a pair of field goals of 50 yards or longer in the final two minutes of a postseason game."
Crosby extended his streak to an NFL-record 23 consecutive field goals in the postseason.
Punter Jacob Schum also had an excellent night, averaging 54.7 yards on three punts, with a long of 66.
Christine Michael had a notable flub, when he muffed a catch in the end zone and tried to take it out, giving the Packers the ball at their own 6-yard line. Still, his mistake doesn't even come close to tarnishing the rest of the unit's performance.
Grade: A+
Coaching
9 of 10
It's hard to fathom there was a time in the not-so-distant past that there were calls for McCarthy to be fired.
Good thing the Packers didn't listen.
While his play-calling hasn't been perfect, McCarthy has consistently led a team dogged by injuries past opponents who appeared to have the advantage on paper.
Of course, the tricky thing with evaluating McCarthy's play-calling is you can never be sure the play that unfolds on the field is what the head coach himself drew up. Case in point: Randall Cobb told Robert Klemko of The MMQB that the final play of the game was not called; rather, Rodgers told each receiver what to do.
As for defensive coordinator Dom Capers, you have to appreciate how hard his job has been with defensive starters everywhere on the field missing time with injuries. Still, the Packers have been burned by going into prevent defense too early in the game and playing at least five yards off their opponents. It would be nice to see the Packers have more success on the blitz, too.
Grade: A-
Final Grades
10 of 10
| Quarterback | A |
| Running Back | B |
| Wide Receiver/Tight End | A- |
| Offensive Line | A- |
| Defensive Line | B- |
| Linebacker | B- |
| Secondary | C+ |
| Special Teams | A+ |
| Coaching | A- |
| Final Grade | A- |
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