Written by SCHUYLER DIXON, AP Professional Football Writer.

Aaron Jones was raised admiring Emmitt Smith and the Dallas Cowboys.

The running back for Green Bay discovered a new, and extremely agonizing, method to torture the former team of the all-time leader in rushing.

In a surprising wild-card game on Sunday, Jones scored three touchdowns while Jordan Love made his postseason debut by throwing for three more. Darnell Savage also contributed to the Packers’ victory with a 64-yard interception return for a score. This was the first time the Cowboys lost at home since their 2022 opener, with the final score being 48-32.

Jones, who had a brief exchange with Smith prior to the game and has accumulated 488 yards in four previous games against the Cowboys, reflected on his father’s passing and the impact it had on his connection to the team. He expressed that he aspired to emulate his father, leading him to adopt the team as his own. Returning to Dallas holds significance for Jones, as it brings about a sense of nostalgia and familiarity.

Despite facing a team with a record of winning 16 consecutive home games.

Green Bay, with a record of 10 wins and 8 losses, will travel to face top-ranked San Francisco in the next round of playoffs.

Dak Prescott had two interceptions followed by three touchdown passes, but it was not enough for the Cowboys (12-6) as they fell short in the playoffs once again.

The Cowboys suffered their first home defeat since Tom Brady, who is now retired, and the Tampa Bay team beat them 16 months ago. This game also marked the most points ever allowed by the franchise in a postseason match. The previous record was 38 points.

The Cowboys have not made it to the NFC championship game since winning their fifth Super Bowl 28 years ago. They have not been behind by more than eight points at AT&T Stadium this season, but they fell behind 27-0 in the first half.

The defeat will prompt speculation about the fate of Dallas’ head coach, Mike McCarthy, as the Cowboys suffered a loss in their first playoff game at home for the second time in three post-seasons since McCarthy’s tenure with the Green Bay Packers.

The Dallas team has achieved the feat of winning 12 or more games for three consecutive playoff seasons without advancing to a conference title game.

The Cowboys made a strong comeback in the last two weeks and secured the NFC East championship. They had the opportunity to play at home at least twice during the playoffs. However, they are now facing an uncertain offseason.

Prescott expressed his surprise and disappointment, stating that they were beaten from the start of the game with no way to sugarcoat it. He used the word “shock” to sum up his feelings.

After being hospitalized for a chest injury, Romeo Doubs achieved a career-best of 151 receiving yards in a game. This helped the Packers secure the NFC’s last playoff spot after ending the regular season with a 6-2 record.

Love stated that their mentality upon entering was to dominate, disregarding the doubts of others.

Green Bay has a perfect record of six wins at AT&T Stadium, including a Super Bowl victory against Pittsburgh in 2010. They have also defeated the Cowboys twice in the playoffs, most recently in 2016 when quarterback Aaron Rodgers secured a 34-31 victory over the top-seeded Dallas team during quarterback Dak Prescott’s rookie season.

The Packers squandered a 21-3 advantage. However, the current Packers, led by the successor of their four-time MVP, secured a convincing 48-16 lead in the fourth quarter before allowing two late touchdowns by Dallas.

“We knew it would take time,” said Jones, who was a high school and college standout in the far West Texas city of El Paso. “You would hear me during the season and other players (say), we were right there, we’re right there, we’re right there. We’ve been able to get over that hump.”

Green Bay equaled their 2010 Super Bowl-winning team’s record for the most points scored in a playoff game against the NFL’s fifth-ranked defense. This impressive feat was achieved on the road, replicating their 48-21 triumph over top-seeded Atlanta in the divisional round.

Doubs came back to the Green Bay team after his hospital visit during the last week’s game against Chicago, which they won 17-9 and secured a spot in the playoffs. He had 102 yards in the first half, which was seven more than his previous record.

Love got off to a strong start with catches of 22, 26, and 39 yards in the first half. The fourth-year quarterback completed 16 of 21 passes for 272 yards, leading the Packers to score touchdowns on six out of their first seven offensive possessions. This was their highest-scoring game since 2014.

One of them was set up by Prescott’s first interception at the Dallas 19-yard line, from Jaire Alexander after he was questionable coming in when he sprained an ankle during the week.

Doubs made a 46-yard catch in the beginning of the second half, solidifying the win for the Cowboys who had previously scored 10 points before and after halftime. Doubs, along with Luke Musgrave and Dontayvion Wicks, all had touchdown catches.

Jones ran for 118 yards, which brings his total to over 100 yards in all four games he has played against the Cowboys, scoring nine touchdowns.

“I had a great time,” expressed Green Bay coach Matt LaFleur, who assumed the role in 2019 following McCarthy’s dismissal in 2018. “It was a fantastic display. I am extremely pleased for them.”

On a cold day in the Dallas region, the audience under the retractable roof had already fallen silent when Prescott attempted to throw a slant pass to his top receiver, CeeDee Lamb.

Savage, who had not thrown an interception during the regular season for the first time in his five-year career, intercepted the ball and ran effortlessly for a 27-0 lead with 1:50 remaining in the first half.

Savage expressed that they were upset with him for not celebrating after the event. He stated, “I believed we needed to continue playing.” However, he acknowledged that it did have an impact on the game’s momentum.

Prescott completed 41 out of 60 passes for a total of 403 yards, and all three of his scoring plays were to tight end Jake Ferguson.
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Source: wralsportsfan.com