Published: Dec. 14, 2015
Packers run past Cowboys
By Nicholas Dettmann
Conley News Service
GREEN BAY — Rain, sleet or snow, the best way to win
football games in December, especially at Lambeau Field is to run the ball
effectively.
The Green Bay Packers did that Sunday in their 28-7 victory
over the Dallas Cowboys.
“An excellent team victory today, this afternoon,” Packers
coach Mike McCarthy said. “Very proud of our football team. We beat a very good
football team in the Dallas Cowboys. They are very well coached. I thought the
schematic challenges throughout the week and what went on out here today is
what you live for and what you love about the competition in this league.”
Through a steady rain, which at times was close to a down
pour, rather than the below-freezing temperatures and snow football fans in
this state are accustomed to at this time of the year, the Packers gashed the
Cowboys’ defense for a seasonhigh 230 yards on 44 carries, the highest output
in the running game by Green Bay since rushing for 231 yards in 2004 against
the St. Louis Rams.
“The line blocked great,” Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers
said. “They’re battling through injuries, all those guys, everybody who played
tonight. I’m proud of those guys.”
Corey Linsley, the usual starting center for the Packers,
didn’t play because of an injury. JC Tretter played in his place.
“It was a good job by them tonight,” Rodgers said.
The play up front was so good, Rodgers teased his offensive
linemen late in the game leading by two touchdowns.
“I kind of teased them in the huddle there on the last drive
and said we’re throwing it,” Rodgers said. “(I) got a couple funny looks in
there from TJ (Lang) and Josh (Sitton), and I said, ‘I’m just kidding, we’re
giving it to Eddie to finish this thing off.’” For Lacy, it was his third
100-yard game in his last four games, giving him 433 yards rushing (108.3 per
game) in that span.
“Eddie’s extremely well liked,” Tretter said. “He’s a great
guy. He’s a great teammate. So when he does something like this, you’re excited
for him.”
He wasn’t alone. James Starks had arguably his best game of
the season.
Starks had 71 yards rushing on 11 carries, including a
30-yard touchdown late in the fourth quarter to give Green Bay a 21-7 lead. He
also caught four passes for 32 yards and a touchdown.
“He’s a weapon for us,” Rodgers said.
Lacy and Starks combined for 195 yards rushing and two
touchdowns.
“The adjustments that our run-blocking unit was able to make
throughout the football game and handle the number of things they threw at us
was impressive,” McCarthy said.
The Packers improved to 94 with the victory and have a
one-game lead in the NFC North over the Minnesota Vikings (8-5) with three
weeks remaining in the regular season. The Packers have road games at Oakland
and at Arizona before the regular-season finale at home against the Vikings.
The victory also puts the Packers on the doorstep of a seventh-straight
trip to the playoffs and a fifth straight division title.
The No. 2 seed in the playoffs, which guarantees a
first-round bye, is still mathematically possible for Green Bay. The Packers
will likely have to win out, while Arizona will have to lose one of the games
it doesn’t play the Packers — Week 15 at Philadelphia or Week 17 at home
against Seattle.
If another playoff push is in the works for the Packers,
Rodgers re-emphasized what needs to happen: run the ball effectively.
“We’ve got to run the ball in the winter time,” Rodgers
said.
Rodgers finished 22 of 35 passing for 205 yards and
touchdowns. In the second half, he was only 7 of 11 for 34 yards passing, but
he didn’t need to pass the ball. That’s how good the offensive line played.
“I feel like they just played a better game than us,” Dallas
defensive tackle Nick Hayden said. “We weren’t physical enough as a whole
defense. It’s on us. We’ve just got to play better.”
“The physical part was the biggest thing,” he added.
“Tackling, doing our assignments. Those were the main keys for them gashing us
and they did a great job against us.”
For Hayden, it was a homecoming.
The former Arrowhead star had four solo tackles and two
assists, including one tackle-for-loss, in his second career game at Lambeau
Field. For his career, Hayden is 0-3 against the team he adored growing up in
Hartland, including 0-2 at Lambeau.
Hayden said he had about 50 friends and family at the game.
“Every time I come back I enjoy it,” Hayden said, adding he
wished the results were different. “Any time you come here to play it’s great.”
As for the Cowboys, they dropped to 4-9, but are still in
the hunt to make the playoffs. They trail Washington and Philadelphia by two
games in the dreadful NFC East with three weeks remaining.
Dallas isn’t going to give up, especially knowing they host
NFC East-leading Washington in Week 17. Dallas beat Washington, 19-16, on Dec.
7. Washington beat Chicago on Sunday to improve to 6-7 and are tied with
Philadelphia, which beat Buffalo, 23-20, on Sunday.
“This team hasn’t lost fight yet,” Hayden said. “It’s been a
rough season for us obviously, but as long as these guys believe and keep
going, fighting, we’ve still got a chance.”
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