ARLINGTON, Texas — Is there any doubt who’s America’s team in 2024?
That would be the Green Bay Packers after their improbable 48-32 win Sunday over the Dallas Cowboys in AT&T stadium.
In a game that featured the Packers’ most recent Super Bowl winning coach standing on the opposite sideline, the Packers showed the game was not too big for the young squad.
Jordan Love became the first quarterback in NFL history to have a perfect quarterback rating in his playoff debut.
He finished the game 16/21 for 272 yards and 3 TDs.
Aaron Jones, who has propelled the Packers push to the playoffs, had his fourth straight 100-plus yard game, finishing with 118.
Romeo Doubs had 151 yards and 1 TD.
The Packers entered the season with less than lofty expecations under the guidance of Head Coach Matt LaFleur, hired to replace Mike McCarthy who ended up as the Cowboys’ head man.
But this game had history, going back to the Packers historic Ice Bowl win over the Cowboys in the 1967 NFL Championship game under Head Coach Vince Lombardi.
Fast forward to this season. Green Bay had a first-year starting quarterback surrounded by the youngest team in the the league.
After missing the playoffs a year ago, even with multi-league MVP Aaron Rodgers who left in the off-season for the New York Jets, missing again this year could be chalked up to growing pains with an eye to next year.
But as the team sputtered to a 3-6 record, insiders saw glimmers of hope that came to life with mid-season wins over the Lions and the Chiefs.
The band wagon began to fill up following a 3-game winning streak to end the season, capped off with a win over the Chicago Bears to thrust the Packers into the last playoff spot in the NFC.
The Packers advance to face the winner of the Rams-Lions game, teams that both lost to Green Bay in the regular season.
