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NFL Playoffs - Dan Whelan’s Packers rout Cowboys; Lions send Rams and Stafford packing

Whelan becomes first Irishman to feature in the playoffs since Neil O’Donoghue in 1983

Aaron Jones of the Green Bay Packers is brought down by Markquese Bell of the Dallas Cowboys during the NFC Wild Card Playoff game. Photograph: Richard Rodriguez/Getty Images
Aaron Jones of the Green Bay Packers is brought down by Markquese Bell of the Dallas Cowboys during the NFC Wild Card Playoff game. Photograph: Richard Rodriguez/Getty Images
Mon Jan 15 2024 - 09:41
Wildcard round: Green Bay Packers 48 Dallas Cowboys 32

Aaron Jones rushed for 118 yards and three touchdowns as the Green Bay Packers stormed to a 48-32 win over the host Dallas Cowboys in the NFC wildcard playoff game Sunday afternoon.

Wicklow-born rookie punter Dan Whelan lined out for the Packers, becoming the first Irishman to feature in a playoff game since Neil O’Donoghue played for the St Louis Cardinals in 1983

Packers quarterback Jordan Love completed 16 of 21 passes for 272 yards and three touchdowns to win his first career playoff start for Green Bay. Romeo Doubs caught six passes for 151 yards and a touchdown and Darnell Savage had a 64-yard interception return for a touchdown.

Dak Prescott completed 41 of 60 passes for 403 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions for Dallas. Jake Ferguson caught all three touchdown passes for the Cowboys, who were bounced out of the wildcard round for the second time in the past three seasons.

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Green Bay tied a team record for most points scored in a playoff game. The Packers also scored 48 against the Atlanta Falcons in the NFC divisional round in the 2010 season.

[ ‘I’m surprised it has taken so long for another Irish player’: Former NFL star Neil O’Donoghue on Daniel Whelan ]

[ ‘Hot Shot’ - Daniel Whelan’s journey from Enniskerry to the NFL ]

The Packers jumped to a 27-0 lead to stun a Dallas crowd that included Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, who shook his head as he watched from his private suite.

Jones opened the scoring with a 3-yard touchdown midway through the first quarter.

In the first minute of the second quarter, Jones scored again, this time on a 1-yard run.

Love connected with Dontayvion Wicks for a 20-yard touchdown with 3:23 to go in the first half.

Jordan Love of the Green Bay Packers celebrates a touchdown against the Dallas Cowboys. Photograph: Ron Jenkins/Getty Images
Jordan Love of the Green Bay Packers celebrates a touchdown against the Dallas Cowboys. Photograph: Ron Jenkins/Getty Images

Down by 20, Prescott tried to force a pass to CeeDee Lamb to give the Cowboys a spark. Savage followed Prescott's eyes and stepped in front of Lamb for a pick-6 to make it 27-0.

Dallas got on the scoreboard on the final play of the first half. Prescott rolled right and hit Ferguson for a one-yard touchdown.

The Cowboys pulled within 27-10 on the opening drive of the second half when Brandon Aubrey made a 34-yard field goal.

The Packers quickly responded with Jones' third rushing touchdown of the game. His 9-yard run increased the Packers' lead to 34-10.

Tony Pollard pulled the Cowboys within 34-17 on a one-yard touchdown run with 3:03 left in the third quarter.

Green Bay needed only 96 seconds to answer. Love found a wide-open Luke Musgrave, who powered into the end zone for a 38-yard touchdown.

Doubs caught a three-yard touchdown pass - Love’s third - early in the fourth quarter.

Ferguson had a seven-yard touchdown reception with 5:54 remaining.

Prescott connected with Ferguson from 14 yards out for a third and final touchdown reception with 3:25 to go.

Los Angeles Rams 23 Detroit Lions 24

In Sunday’s other playoff action, Jared Goff passed for 277 yards and a touchdown as the host Detroit Lions won their first postseason game in over 30 yards by holding off the Los Angeles Rams, 24-23.

David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs rushed for touchdowns for the NFC North Division winners in their opening-round victory. Amon-Ra St. Brown caught seven passes for 110 yards for the Lions, whose last playoff win came on January 5, 1992, against Dallas.

The Lions (13-5) will host the winner of Monday’s Philadelphia-Tampa Bay game in the conference semifinals next weekend.

Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford, playing in Detroit for the first time since the Lions traded him in March 2021, passed for 367 yards and two touchdowns. Puka Nacua caught nine passes for 181 yards and a touchdown for the Rams (10-8). Kyren Williams added 61 yards on 13 carries.

Matthew Stafford and the Rams lost on the quarterback's first visit back to Detroit since departing his former team. Photograph: Rey Del Rio/Getty Images
Matthew Stafford and the Rams lost on the quarterback's first visit back to Detroit since departing his former team. Photograph: Rey Del Rio/Getty Images

The Lions scored on their first three possessions and led 21-17 at halftime.

Goff connected on all five of his pass attempts on the Lions’ first drive. Montgomery finished it off with a one-yard plunge.

Brett Maher kicked a 24-yard field goal on Los Angeles’ first possession.

Goff also completed all four of his throws on Detroit’s second drive. Gibbs scored the touchdown with a 10-yard run up the middle.

The Rams cut Detroit’s advantage to 14-10 on Stafford’s 50-yard, third-down touchdown pass to Nacua.

Detroit regained an 11-point lead midway through the second quarter. Goff hooked up with Sam LaPorta from two yards out on 4th-and-1 for the touchdown.

Stafford fired a 38-yard scoring pass to Tutu Atwell, who beat one-on-one coverage, with 4:02 remaining in the half.

Michael Badgley nailed a 54-yard field goal with 8:41 left in the third quarter to give the Lions a 24-17 lead.

Maher made a 27-yard field goal later in the quarter to pull the Rams within four points. He nailed a 29-yarder with 8:10 remaining to cut Detroit’s lead to 24-23.

Following a Lions three-and-out, the next Rams’ possession stalled in Detroit territory. After Los Angeles punted, the Lions then picked up two first downs to run out the clock.

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