Top 10 Clashes in Packers-Cowboys Rivalry

From the Ice Bowl to the Dez Bryant game, the Green Bay Packers and Dallas Cowboys have engaged in some memorable games. Here are the top 10.

Author:
Bill Huber
Updated:
Nov 12, 2022 12:05 AM EST
Original:
Nov 12, 2022

In this story:

Green Bay Packers

GREEN BAY, Wis. – The Green Bay Packers and Dallas Cowboys will renew their storied rivalry on Sunday at Lambeau Field.

These two perennial powerhouses have played in a lot of huge games over the years, including memorable playoff victories by the Packers in 2014 and 2016.

At this point, only the Cowboys seem destined to reach the playoffs. They are entering Sunday’s game with a 6-2 record while the Packers are 3-6. Dallas is coming off a bye; Green Bay is coming off a fifth consecutive loss.

From a Green Bay perspective, this is our pick for the top 10 games in Packers-Cowboys history.

No. 10 – Oct. 19, 1975: Packers 19, Cowboys 17

Showing anything is possible, the Packers (0-4 at the time) beat the Cowboys (4-0 at the time) 19-17 at Texas Stadium. John Hadl’s 26-yard touchdown pass to Rich McGeorge provided the winning points as the Packers pulled off a big upset and gave Bart Starr his first coaching win. Green Bay finished the season 4-10 while the Cowboys went 10-4 and reached the Super Bowl.

No. 9 – Nov. 23, 1997: Packers 45, Cowboys 17

During the first seven years of the 1990s, the Cowboys and Packers played eight times. The Cowboys won them all, including in the 1993, 1994 and 1995 playoffs. The Packers got rid of years of pent-up frustration with a blowout win at Lambeau Field. Brett Favre threw four touchdown passes, including back-to-back scores to Mark Chmura that snapped a 10-all tie.

No. 8 – Nov. 29, 2007: Cowboys 37, Packers 27

The Packers didn’t win but this was Aaron Rodgers’ national introduction. The Packers thought they had a starting-caliber quarterback on their hands. This game proved it. Playing in relief of Brett Favre, Rodgers completed 18-of-26 passes for 201 yards and one touchdown. Ultimately, it was too much Tony Romo, who threw for 309 yards and four scores.

No. 7 – Oct. 8, 2017: Packers 35, Cowboys 31

What a crazy game. The Cowboys led 21-6. Then came a back-and-forth fourth quarter. Jordy Nelson’s 10-yard touchdown catch put the Packers in front 22-21. The Cowboys answered with a field goal. Moments later, Damarious Randall’s pick-six put the Packers back on top 28-24. Dallas answered on Dak Prescott’s 11-yard touchdown run with 1:13 to play. That was too much time for Aaron Rodgers. His 12-yard touchdown pass to Davante Adams with 11 seconds to play won the game.

No. 6 – Oct. 6, 2019: Packers 34, Cowboys 24

Aaron Jones scored four touchdowns, coming on runs of 18, 3, 5 and 1 yards, to give the Packers a 31-3 lead in the third quarter. Then the Cowboys posted an epic comeback. Dak Prescott threw for 463 yards and rushed for 27 more, an astounding 490 yards of total offense. Amari Cooper caught 11 passes for 226 yards. His 53-yard touchdown made it 34-24 midway through the fourth quarter. Brett Maher missed a chip-shot field goal with about 2 minutes to go, and Green Bay ran out the clock.

No. 5 – Dec. 15, 2013: Packers 37, Cowboys 36

Speaking of epic comebacks. The Cowboys led 26-3 at halftime. With Matt Flynn in at quarterback, there was nothing for coach Mike McCarthy to do other than to act as if the game was 0-0. On the first play of the third quarter, Eddie Lacy rumbled for 60 yards. The comeback was on.

Flynn threw touchdown passes of 13 yards to Jordy Nelson, 3 yards to Andrew Quarless, 11 yards to James Starks and 3 yards to James Jones to pull within 37-31 with 4:17 to play. Moments later, Sam Shields picked off Tony Romo to set up Lacy’s go-ahead touchdown. Three plays later, Tramon Williams intercepted Romo to cap the biggest comeback in franchise history. Flynn’s six-touchdown game vs. Detroit was legendary but this really was his crowning achievement. He went 26-of-39 for 299 yards and the four scores.

No. 4 – Jan. 11, 2015 (2014 playoffs): Packers 26, Cowboys 21

Did Dez catch it? Who cares? Let’s say Tony Romo’s deep shot to Dez Bryant on fourth-and-2 didn’t touch the ground and was ruled complete. And let’s say the Cowboys would have pounded the ball into the end zone for the go-ahead score. There still were about 4 minutes to go and the Cowboys had no answers for Green Bay’s offense.

On its previous three possessions, the Packers marched to a chip-shot field goal and Rodgers threw touchdown passes of 46 yards to Davante Adams and 13 yards to Richard Rodgers. With the game on the line, the Packers drove inside the Cowboys’ 30 to run out the final 4 minutes and advance to the NFC Championship Game at Seattle.

No. 3 – Jan. 1, 1967 (1966 playoffs): Packers 34, Cowboys 27

A year before the Ice Bowl, the Packers beat the Cowboys at the Cotton Bowl to win the NFL championship and advance to the first NFL-AFL championship game. Perhaps because of the Ice Bowl, this is one of the most underrated championship games in NFL history.

Bart Starr, arguably the best big-game quarterback of all-time – sorry, Tom Brady – was absolutely magnificent. He threw touchdown passes of 17 yards to Elijah Pitts, 51 yards to Carroll Dale, 16 yards to Boyd Dowler and 28 yards to Max McGee. The grab by McGee made it 34-20 with 5:20 to play.

A 68-yard touchdown from Don Meredith to Frank Clarke got the Cowboys back in the game, and they had a last-gasp drive with about 2 minutes to go. Dallas drove to the 2 for a do-or-die fourth-down play. Dave Robinson pressured Meredith and Tom Brown intercepted the pass in the end zone. Starr was 19-of-28 for 304 yards and the four scores. Two weeks later, the Packers trounced the Chiefs in Super Bowl I.

No. 2 – Jan. 15, 2017 (2016 playoffs): Packers 34, Cowboys 31

The Packers raced to a 21-3 lead on the strength of a pair of touchdown runs by Ty Montgomery, then survived the greatest series of kicks in NFL history. With 1:33 remaining, Mason Crosby kicked a 56-yard field goal to give Green Bay a 31-28 lead. Dallas’ Dan Bailey responded with a 52-yard field goal with 35 seconds to tie the game.

Overtime? That’s what it looked like when safety Jeff Heath sacked Aaron Rodgers. On third-and-20, Rodgers and Jared Cook combined for one of the greatest plays in NFL playoffs history, a remarkable 36-yarder at the sideline with 3 seconds remaining. On the next play, Crosby blasted a 51-yarder to send the Packers to the NFC Championship Game at Atlanta.

“That was pretty amazing,” Rodgers said. “As I threw the ball on the third down, I wasn’t exactly sure where he was at but I had a good feeling we were going to at least have an opportunity. And then I realized we were inside the 35, so I knew that was well within Mason’s range. Incredible kick.”

No. 1 – Dec. 31, 1967 (1967 playoffs): Packers 21, Cowboys 17

Nobody knows who played in the 35th NFL Championship Game. Everybody knows who played in the Ice Bowl. With a kickoff temperature of minus-13, and end-of-game temperature of about minus-20 and wind chills hovering around minus-50, it was perhaps the most epic sporting event ever played in the United States.

Bart Starr threw touchdown passes of 8 and 46 yards to Bowd Dowler as Green Bay stormed to a 14-0 lead. The Cowboys, however, rallied to lead 17-14 on Dan Reeves’ 50-yard touchdown pass to Lance Rentzel. With the cliché ice water in his veins – or maybe it was just ice – Starr led the Packers down the field on a do-or-die final drive. Several checkdowns in which Starr took advantage of the icy conditions to beat the Cowboys’ linebackers, set the stage for the most famous play in NFL history.

On third-and-goal from the 1 with 16 seconds remaining, Starr suggested to coach Vince Lombardi a quarterback sneak. “Run it, and let’s get the hell out of here!” Had he been stopped short on the slick surface, time probably would have expired. With blocks by Jerry Kramer and Ken Bowman, Starr scored the winning touchdown. Two weeks later, Green Bay beat the Raiders in Super Bowl II.