3 Takeaways from Packers' Week 10 Win vs. Cowboys
Don't look now, but the Green Bay Packers may storm back to make a postseason push after all. After losing five straight, Green Bay got a massive win over the Dallas Cowboys in Week 10 that could potentially save their season.
Green Bay stormed back in Sunday's game, erasing a 14-point fourth-quarter deficit to force overtime. From there, a big defensive stand and a clutch kick from Mason Crosby lifted the Packers to victory.
This is just one win in the last six games, and the 4-6 Packers have a long way to go to secure a playoff spot. However, Dallas has long performed like one of the top teams in the NFC. Green Bay outlasted the Cowboys with arguably its most complete game of the season, and that should at least provide momentum heading into Thursday's matchup with the Tennessee Titans.
The Packers showed that they still have a shot at making a run in 2022. Here's what else we learned during Green Bay's 31-28 win over Dallas in Week 10.
Aaron Rodgers Can Still Provide a Little Magic
The Packers have had two big offensive problems this season. For one, they have struggled to identify consistent targets in the passing game. Secondly, quarterback Aaron Rodgers simply hasn't performed as well as one would expect the reigning MVP to perform.
In last week's close loss to the Detroit Lions, for example, Rodgers tossed a trio of interceptions.
Naturally, the two issues have gone hand-in-hand, and we finally saw a receiver step up in Week 10—more on that shortly. However, it was still up to Rodgers to take advantage. Needing a pair of touchdowns in the fourth quarter to deliver overtime, the 38-year-old did exactly that.
Rodgers tossed two touchdown passes in the fourth quarter and added a clutch 36-yard strike to Allen Lazard in the extra period to set up Crosby's game-winner. The Packers leaned heavily on the run (39 attempts for 207 yards), but Rodgers was an efficient 14-of-20 for 224 yards and three touchdowns.
This was easily Rodgers' best performance of the season, and while it doesn't guarantee that he's back to Pro Bowl form, it could be a sign of things to come. If that's the case, Green Bay will remain a tough out for the rest of the season.
Christian Watson May Have Finally Found His Groove
All year, Rodgers has needed someone to emerge as a reliable go-to target. Rookie second-round pick Christian Watson did just that against Dallas, finishing with four receptions, 107 yards and three touchdown catches.
Watson also led the team with eight targets, and Rodgers locked onto him when the game was on the line, as he had so often done with former No. 1 receiver Davante Adams.
It has been a trying inaugural campaign for the North Dakota State product. Watson missed time in the offseason following knee surgery, missed a trio of games with a hamstring injury and then suffered a concussion in Week 8. Before Sunday, he hadn't produced more than 34 receiving yards in a game.
However, Watson's Week 10 performance may have been the breakthrough for which the Packers have been waiting.
"I think that [first touchdown] probably on the atomic level shifted a lot of different things for him, exorcising some energetic demons," Rodgers said, per Jason Wilde of the Wisconsin State Journal. "I'm proud of him. He made some play."
Has Watson established himself as the No. 1 receiver that Green Bay has been missing? We'll need to see how things play out in the coming weeks for an answer. For now, the Packers should feel good about Watson finally playing like the receiver they thought they were getting with the 34th overall selection.
This Win Brings Relief, May Add Energy for the Final Seven Games
Late in Sunday's win, the Packers exuded a confidence that has escaped them in recent weeks. The defense's fourth-down stop in overtime sparked a chain of big plays that made victory seem inevitable.
There was Rodgers' strike to Lazard in the extra period, followed by a five-yard Aaron Jones run during which the quarterback was out throwing blocks. A facemask penalty set up a chip shot for Crosby, which he didn't miss.
After the game, the Packers were noticeably relieved.
"Man, it’s been a long time to stand up here and have a smile,” head coach Matt LaFleur said, per Doug Russell of Fox 1070 The Game.
Losing can take a toll on a team, and Green Bay was under a heavy weight during its five-game losing streak. Sunday's victory has lifted some of that weight, and it could be a 2022 turning point.
Green Bay is still a flawed team. It ranks 24th in scoring and has been terrible against the run (4.8 yards per carry allowed). However, it does have talent, and it now has the confidence that comes with beating a legitimate title contender.
That makes the Packers dangerous. If they can play with the same energy and determination we saw late against the Cowboys, they can beat anyone. The Titans will provide a stiff test, as will the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 12, but neither team should be quick to dismiss this 4-6 squad.