Scoring updates

Final score: Packers 34, Cowboys 31

On third-and-20, Aaron Rodgers found Jared Cook, who hauled in an unbelievable catch as he *somehow* got both feet in:

That set the Packers up in field goal range, and Mason Crosby snuck in the game-winner — by INCHES — to send Green Bay to the NFC Championship:

Fourth quarter (0:44): Packers 31, Cowboys 31

And it’s a tie game again! Dan Bailey drilled a 52-yard field goal to make it 31 all.

Fourth quarter (1:38): Packers 31, Cowboys 28

The Packers moved the ball to midfield at the two-minute warning and then got a first down after Dallas was called for pass interference. DeMarcus Lawrence tackled Ty Montgomery for a 5-yard loss.

That forced Mason Crosby to attempt a 56-yard field goal. He nailed it:

And the Packers are on top again with just over a minute left to play.

Fourth quarter (4:08): Packers 28, Cowboys 28

Wow, we’ve got a fun game. The Cowboys’ offense suddenly looks unstoppable and the Green Bay defense looks a bit gassed. Ezekiel Elliott went over 100 yards on the ground and hit the B button with this nifty spin move.

Dez Bryant is at 132 yards receiving, plus he caught his second touchdown of the evening.

Oh, and Dak Prescott ran in the two-point conversion on a gutsy call to tie the game.

Fourth quarter (11:39): Packers 28, Cowboys 20

Dak Prescott was 6-for-6 on the Cowboys’ next drive, including a 6-yard touchdown pass to Jason Witten for the veteran tight end’s first postseason touchdown.

Third quarter: Packers 28, Cowboys 13

Aaron Rodgers bobbled a snap and still didn’t fumble, and just when you think nothing could go wrong for him, he threw an interception. Yeah, you read that right: Aaron Rodgers threw an interception.

Really:

Third quarter (7:19): Packers 28, Cowboys 13

The Cowboys remembered that Ezekiel Elliott was alive and started feeding him the ball. Dallas drove to Green Bay’s 19-yard line, but Micah Hyde read Dak Prescott all the way and picked him off.

Third quarter (11:29): Packers 28, Cowboys 13

The Packers’ first drive of the second half was basically impossible Aaron Rodgers throw after impossible throw. Jared Cook caught the 3-yard touchdown to put Green Bay up by double digits again:

Halftime: Packers 21, Cowboys 13

Dallas’ defense finally got a stop and the Cowboys started moving the ball again. Dak Prescott converted on a couple of key third downs, and Cole Beasley even got upended on one of them.

They settled for a field goal to make it a one-score game again with a minute left in the half. Then, they forced Green Bay into a quick three-and-out, but declined a fair catch kick and a chance for three points at the end of the half.

Second quarter (6:03): Packers 21, Cowboys 10

Now there’s the Cowboys’ offense. They answered Green Bay’s touchdown in quick fashion. Dez Bryant scored his first playoff touchdown with a perfect 40-yard strike from Dak Prescott.

Second quarter (8:14): Packers 21, Cowboys 3

Three drives, three touchdowns for Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay offense. Ty Montgomery ran in his second score of the day. This is Dallas’ biggest deficit of the entire season.

The Cowboys stopped them on a third down earlier in the drive, but just to show how this game is going, the Packers got a first down when Morris Claiborne was flagged for illegal use of the hands.

Second quarter (14:18): Packers 14, Cowboys 3

Ty Montgomery added to Green Bay’s lead with a 3-yard rushing touchdown, completing a 13-play, 90-yard drive.

First quarter: Packers 7, Cowboys 3

The Cowboys are killing themselves with dumb penalties. Brice Butler was called for an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for running out of the huddle and then running back in, without participating in the play. It cost the Cowboys 37 yards.

The Packers got the ball back soon after, and Aaron Rodgers has been surgical, converting three straight third downs to get them in the red zone.

First quarter (8:58): Packers 7, Cowboys 3

Aaron Rodgers is a master of the free play. First, he caught the Cowboys sleeping on third down and they got penalized for 12 men on the field, giving the Packers a first down. Then, he saw he had a free play after Dallas jumped offsides. He found Richard Rodgers for a 34-yard score, and the lead.

First quarter (11:28): Cowboys 3, Packers 0

The Cowboys got on the board first thanks to a 50-yard field goal from Dan Bailey. Dallas moved down the field pretty well, mixing in Ezekiel Elliott runs and short throws from Dak Prescott to Dez Bryant and Cole Beasley. However, the drive stalled and the Cowboys settled for three.

Before the game

The Cowboys beat the Packers back in Week 6, but that was before Aaron Rodgers put on his Superman pajamas. Can the two-time NFL MVP lead Green Bay back to the NFC Championship by upsetting Dallas in the Lone Star State?

The Packers dropped a 30-16 decision back in October after they fell behind at the half and never really had an opportunity to fight back. Rodgers was effective, throwing for 294 yards, but threw only a single touchdown pass and added an interception as Dak Prescott and Ezekiel Elliott stole the spotlight in Green Bay.

That kind of performance would prove to be a major disappointment given his recent resurgence. Rodgers has emerged as one of the leading MVP candidates after torching the rest of the league for 24 touchdowns without an interception and lifting the Packers from a 4-6 record to the NFC North title. He lit up the Giants for 362 yards and four touchdowns in the Wild Card round to keep Green Bay’s season alive.

He may be able to have similar success Sunday against a Dallas secondary that hasn’t been especially impressive. The Cowboys rank 31st in the league when it comes to opposing quarterback completion percentage and 24th in terms of opponent’s passer rating. With Randall Cobb and Davante Adams leveling up in the postseason, Green Bay is built to win a shootout.

But so is Dallas. The Cowboys boast one of the league’s most explosive offenses behind its two rookie sensations — Prescott and Elliott — and old standbys like Dez Bryant and Jason Witten. The team ranks fifth in the league in scoring offense (26.3 points per game), fourth in yards per play (6.0), and second in rushing yards per game (149.8).

Their mastery in that latter category is thanks to Elliott, who will come into Sunday’s game well-rested. The No. 4 overall pick sat out the team’s Week 17 loss to the Eagles and still managed to gain more than 1,600 yards this season. He’s had three weeks to prepare for the playoffs, and he’ll hit the Packer defense at full strength.

Pregame reading

Green Bay hasn’t beaten a team ranked in the league’s top half in scoring this fall. The Cowboys rank No. 5 (Blogging the Boys)

Does offense win championships, too? (Blogging the Boys)

Ezekiel Elliott’s minor car accident is a good omen for his game vs. Packers (SB Nation)

After Sunday’s win, the Packers are playing with house money (Acme Packing Co.)

Green Bay needs to get creative on defense to stop a dynamic Dallas attack (Acme Packing Co.)

Dak Prescott, Dez Bryant will determine who wins the Packers-Cowboys rematch (SB Nation)

The Packers aren’t the same team that lost to the Cowboys earlier this season (SB Nation)

Dez Bryant’s controversial no-catch still has us wondering what a catch is 2 years later (SB Nation)