Dallas drops Green Bay, 37-27
NFL's Cowboys Decisively Defeat NFC Rival Packers, Favre Hurt
The Dallas Cowboys beat the Green Bay Packers Thursday night, 37-27, as Packers' quarterback Brett Favre is felled by an injury to his right elbow.
The Dallas Cowboys soundly defeated the Green Bay Packers 37-27 Thursday night in a battle of 10-1 NFL clubs.
The game was virtually decided with 10 minutes left in the first half when Dallas cornerback Nate Jones hit Green Bay quarterback Brett Favre, knocking the 17-year veteran from the crucial contest. By winning the game, Dallas – almost certain to face the Packers again in the post-season – secured home-field advantage, no small matter in considering having to play in Wisconsin in January.
Cowboys’ quarterback Tony Romo did a stellar job at the helm for Dallas, completing 19 of 30 passes for 309 yards and four touchdowns. He threw but one interception. His primary receiver? Terrell Owens, of course, who caught seven passes for a whopping 156 yards and one touchdown. Owens, who had been averaging more than 17 yards-per-catch, registered an average of more than 22 yards-per-catch.
Receivers Patrick Crayton and Jason Witten were also favorite targets of Romo, who grew up in Wisconsin emulating Favre. Crayton (two touchdowns) grabbed three passes, while Witten pulled down six throws for 67 yards. Marion Barber racked up 81 yards on the ground for Dallas, and Julius Jones accounted for another 26.
Of the three Green Bay touchdowns, feature back Ryan Grant tallied two, the first on a 62-yard jaunt with one second left in the first frame, the second a one-yard run at 5:15 in the third quarter. All told, Grant churned out 94 yards on 14 carries. Ultimately however, the Pack simply didn’t have the horses to outrun the Cowboys once Favre was sidelined.
When he left the game Favre had completed but five passes in 14 attempts for 56 yards. He was intercepted on the play in which he was injured. He suffered an injury to his right elbow, and eventually returned to the sidelines with his arm in what appeared to be a cast.
"I had a similar injury last year," Favre told The Associated Press after the game. "I lost feeling in my fingers and I still have some tingling. But I think I'll be fine." His replacement, Aaron Rodgers, who had completed only two passes all season, did a credible job, hitting on 18 of 26 attempts for 201 yards and a single touchdown.
With the victory Dallas hikes its seasonal record to 11-1, while Green Bay registers a 10-2 mark. A number of football prognosticators said that, with the win, the Cowboys have solidified their supremacy in the National Football Conference.
