By STEVE MEGARGEE AP Sports Writer
GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love didn’t bother wondering what might have been.
The reality of a three-game winning streak is appealing enough.
Love threw a touchdown pass and scored on a 1-yard keeper and the Packers held Dallas’ high-powered offense in check and beat the Cowboys 23-13 in a penalty-filled game Sunday night. Love went 23 of 41 for 276 yards with one interception.
His numbers would have looked even better if three more potential touchdown passes hadn’t been dropped.
“I want to make every throw,” Love said. “I want these guys to make every catch. That’s the expectation. Stuff happens. Drops happen. Obviously, I want those guys to make those plays, and we’re capable of making those plays. But for me, it’s got to be the next play mindset. You’ve got to move on.”
Love’s 9-yard touchdown pass to Matthew Golden capped Green Bay’s first series and put the Packers ahead for good. The Packers are 11-1-1 in their last 13 meetings with the Cowboys, including a tie last season at Arlington, Texas.
The Packers (4-2) have won three straight as they await the return of three-time Pro Bowl running back Josh Jacobs, who comes off the commissioner’s exempt list Monday. Jacobs hasn’t played all season and pleaded no contest last month to two misdemeanor charges stemming from an altercation with his then-girlfriend in May.
In each of those three wins, the Packers have allowed 14 points or fewer. The last time Green Bay allowed no more than 14 points to three straight opponents was in 2016.
“If we continue to work, continue to come in with the right mindset, continue to trust in each other, continue to trust in the coaches, continue to trust in this game plan, I think the sky’s the limit for us,” Packers safety Javon Bullard said. “And if we continue to just attack each of our opponents, take it one game at a time, one snap at a time, I think we can be the best defense in the league.”
Green Bay intercepted Dak Prescott’s passes twice to thwart second-quarter scoring opportunities. Prescott went 34 of 54 for 258 yards. He threw a 6-yard touchdown pass to Ryan Flournoy with 44 seconds left, but couldn’t connect with CeeDee Lamb on a 2-point conversion attempt.
Dallas (2-4) trailed 17-0 at halftime. That’s the first time the Cowboys went scoreless in a first half since Nov. 7, 2021, when they were down 16-0 in a 30-16 loss to Denver.
“We’re in a hole,” Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer said. “(We) put ourselves there. There’s one way out of it. That’s what I told the guys, I said, ‘You know, got to work. Got to find solutions. Can’t repeat mistakes.’ They understand that.”
This game featured 22 penalties — 11 by each team. Dallas had 108 penalty yards, while Green Bay had 96.
Green Bay could have won by substantially more.
Golden dropped what would have been a 43-yard touchdown and couldn’t complete the catch on a potential 23-yard score in the second quarter. A potential 26-yard touchdown pass went in and out of Christian Watson’s hands in the third quarter, though that pass was deflected in the end zone by Dallas’ Malachi Lawrence.
The Lambeau Field fireworks started prematurely after Golden couldn’t hang on to the 23-yarder even as the officials were signaling the incompletion. Green Bay still scored a touchdown after one of those drops and settled for Trey Smack field goals after the other two.
“Those are plays that you want back, especially just knowing the type of game – Sunday night, how important it was for us to come out with this win,” said Golden, who caught six passes for 104 yards. “For me, I’m not going to be too down about it because I know 10 times out of 10 I’m going to make those plays.”
Prescott’s two turnovers proved costly. Dallas was inside Green Bay’s 30 on consecutive possessions when Evan Williams and Brandon Cisse intercepted passes.
“We need some good momentum,” Prescott said. “And the only way to do it is to get a win.”
One positive development for Dallas was an improved performance from its defense, which entered the night allowing a league-high 6.4 yards per play.
Dee Winters made a diving catch late in the first quarter for Dallas’ first interception of the season. Winters then got up and weaved between multiple defenders to run over 40 yards for an apparent touchdown, but a replay review determined he was touched by Golden while still on the ground.
Injuries
Cowboys: WR KaVontae Turpin left with a rib injury in the first quarter. Winters strained his Achilles in the second quarter.
Packers: CB Brandon Cisse left with a stinger in the second half.
Up next
Cowboys: At Philadelphia on Oct. 26.
Packers: At Detroit next Sunday.
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