Dallas Cowboys: What if we could go back in time?
January 15, 2017 — NFC Divisional round vs. Green Bay, AT&T Stadium
This is the only Dallas Cowboys home game to make this list. Two years removed from the heartbreak of the #dezcaughtit debacle, the Cowboys had a chance at some redemption.
With quarterback Tony Romo out for a majority of the season, the season rested on the arm of rookie Dak Prescott. He didn’t disappoint, either.
After falling just short in week one, he reeled off a team record 11 straight wins. During that stretch, he took down the Green Bay Packers for win number five at Lambeau Field. But as the season continued, all signs began to point to a Dallas and Green Bay playoff rematch.
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After earning the top seed in the NFC with a 12-4 record, Cowboys fans watched the Packers take down the Giants in the Wild Card round to set up the rematch. The game delivered just as everyone expected, too.
But unlike the meeting two years prior, Green Bay dominated this one early. They shot out of the gate after halftime to extend their lead to 15 points. But the persistent rookie duo of Prescott and Ezekiel Elliott kept their cool and battled back. Prescott passed for 302 yards with three TD passes and Elliott ran for 125 yards.
Dez Bryant also added in 132 receiving yards of his own while catching two of those TD passes. The offense clicked late and set up a game-tying 52-yard field goal by Dan Bailey to tie the game with just 35 seconds to go.
Despite having trouble throughout the afternoon, the Dallas defense held strong for three plays. Safety Jeff Heath sacked Aaron Rodgers with 18 seconds to go in the game, forcing Green Bay to call their second timeout. An incompletion followed, setting up a third and 20 with 10 seconds on the clock from their own 32. But then the magic happened.
As if the stars had aligned just right once again for Rodgers and the Packers, the Cowboys pass rush flushed Rodgers out of the pocket. He tossed a desperate-looking heave towards the sideline where Jared Cook hauled in a 36-yard pass. That set up the go-ahead kick by Mason Crosby, who nailed a 51-yarder for the score.
Had Cook just barely stepped out while making the catch, or if maybe a pass rusher got his hands on Rodgers or the ball, it might have gone differently. Sure there would have still been overtime, but you’d have to like the Cowboys chances at that point. I mean, look at what happened with New England after making a similar comeback.
Next: How close are the Cowboys?
Yes, the Cowboys would have had to face a hot Atlanta team next and then the Patriots afterwards. But again, a playoff win at this point would have felt like a Super Bowl. At the very least, it would have felt good and made the season last just one week longer. And no matter how you slice it, more football is always good.