LOGAN, Utah, Jan. 14, 2024 (Gephardt Daily) — Jordan Love was nearly perfect in his NFL playoff debut and so were the Green Bay Packers.
The former Utah State quarterback completed 16 of 20 passes for 272 yards and three touchdowns for a near-perfect passer rating of 157.2 as the Packers jumped out to a 27-0 lead and held on for a 48-32 victory over the Cowboys at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
“He’s a dude,” Green Bay coach Matt LaFleur said of Love after the game. “He’s a real dude.”
The Packers started the season 3-6 but since have won seven of nine, in large part due to Love. The third-year pro and first-year starter has thrown for 21 touchdowns and just one interception during that stretch.
“We believed in him from the beginning,” said Packers running back Aaron Jones, who rushed for 118 yards and three TDs vs. Dallas. “We know it’s a process. It wasn’t all on him when we couldn’t pick up a first down. All 11 across the board have to be on the same page.
“We knew it would take time. You heard it from me and other players, ‘We were right there, right there, right there,’ and we’ve been able to get over that hump.”
Green Bay was dominant early and led 27-0 when safety Darnell Savage picked off Cowboys QB Dak Prescott and returned it 64 yards for a touchdown with less than two minutes to play in first half.
The Packers pushed that advantage to 48-16 in the fourth quarter on their way to becoming the first No. 7 seed to knock off a No. 2 seed since the NFL began the current playoff format in 2020.
Green Bay will visit top-seeded San Francisco in the divisional round next weekend.
“It feels great,” Love said after the game. “I’m trying to hide some smiles. It’s a party in the locker room right now. It feels great, that’s all I can really say.”
One other player with Utah ties saw action in the Super Wild Card game Sunday in Arlington, Texas:
BYU
Zayne Anderson, CB, Green Bay Packers
The former BYU and Stansbury High School star made two solo tackles vs. the Cowboys.
