Cowboys Collapse Hard, Fall to Packers 37-36

Dallas had a 23-point lead at halftime

In one of the worst losses in the history of the franchise, the Dallas Cowboys collapsed in the second half of Sunday’s match-up with the Packers at AT&T Stadium, squandering a 23-point halftime lead and losing to the visiting team by a final of 37-36.

After looking so terrible a week ago in the loss to the Bears, the Dallas defense actually looked stout against back-up quarterback Matt Flynn and co. through the first half. The unit allowed a lone field goal, a 57-yarder by Mason Crosby in the first quarter, they sacked Flynn twice and CB Sterling Moore recorded his first NFL interception.

At the time, Crosby’s field goal tied things up at three, but the rest of the half was all Cowboys.

Dan Bailey, who gave Dallas a 3-0 lead to open the scoring in the first quarter, added a 23-yarder to retake the lead at 6-3 midway through the first. Jason Witten then caught a 25-yard touchdown pass, Bailey added another pair of field goals (43 and 50 yards) and DeMarco Murray took in a one-yard touchdown run.

After the onslaught, Dallas’s lead was 26-3. Then the second half happened.

Murray finished the first half with 93 yards and the touchdown on just 11 carries which made it downright unthinkable when, in the second half, the Cowboys completely abandoned the run. Dallas, up 23 going into the third quarter, gave it to Murray just seven times over the final 30 minutes--despite the fact that Murray ended his day averaging over seven yards a carry. It’s worth noting too that, by comparison, Dallas passed for just 6.9 yards/play.

Anyway, the defense that had been almost impressive in the first half looked like their old, awful selves in the second. The Packers needed less than two minutes to march down the field and score on Dallas after the second half kickoff. The four-play, 80-yard drive was capped with a four-yard pass from Flynn to Jordy Nelson.

After a 50-yard field goal by Bailey, the Pack went back to work, going 80 yards yet again, scoring this time on a three-yard pass to Andrew Quarless. RB James Starks would add an 11-yard touchdown catch to open up the fourth and close the gap to five at 29-24.

Dez Bryant made an incredible touchdown catch in response  to once again extend the lead to 36-24.

But in the lest five minutes, the Packers found the end zone twice--first, James Jones caught a three-yard pass and, with a minute and a half left, running back Eddie Lacy took in a one-yard score. The two-point attempt failed, but the Packers had the lead at 37-36.

On the second play of the ensuing drive, Tony Romo was intercepted by Tramon Williams.

The Cowboys are now 7-7 with two weeks remaining in the season, and someone should probably be fired tonight.

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