5 biggest reasons for the Packers' SNF rout vs. Cowboys in Week 6

The Green Bay Packers continue to rack up not-so-pretty wins, but wins nonetheless. On Sunday Night Football, the Packers took down the Dallas Cowboys in a 23-13 defeat that, for all intents and purposes, shouldn't have been as close as the scoreboard suggests.

For the second straight week, the Packers' passing offense looked like many had envisioned it to be, and franchise quarterback Jordan Love was excellent. The win pushed the team to 4-2 and marked their third straight victory.

Ahead of another big divisional matchup next week, let's look at some of the biggest reasons for the win.

Five reasons the Packers beat the Cowboys in Week 6

1. Jordan Love

For the second straight week, Love was yet again excellent for the Packers. The quarterback for the team continues his string of solid play, especially when it mattered most. Love finished the game with 276 yards, a touchdown, and an interception, but honestly, he should have had a lot more.

Much like the primetime game against the Atlanta Falcons, Love's teammates did not help him much. Matthew Golden, specifically, could've had an even better night than he did (more on that later) had it not been for two dropped touchdowns.

Despite the drops, Love did what he needed to do to keep the Packers' offense moving. The team converted nine of its first 10 third-down attempts, plus its lone fourth-down attempt. Love also faced a ton of pressure, something he hadn't in the last couple of weeks. The Cowboys pressured Love on nearly 50% of dropbacks, but unlike previous games, Love handled it, throwing 159 yards and a TD on 11 completions while under pressure.

2. Packers defense

The Packers' defense came into this game banged up and missing a ton of high-level players. Credit to defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon for calling yet another great game. For about 95 percent of the game, Green Bay kept one of the league's best offenses in check, holding Dak Prescott to just 258 passing yards and picking him off twice.

The star wide receiver duo of George Pickens and CeeDee Lamb combined for over 140 yards, but were largely held to very short routes that couldn't amount to much. The Cowboys offense was also held to just seven points for pretty much the entirety of the game and shut out as a whole in the first half. On the defensive front, the team also generated a ton of pressure, even if a lot of it was eventually called back due to some questionable flags.

All in all, it was a great night for Gannon and his defense, but it doesn't get any easier. The unit will have an even harder test next week, when the team travels to Ford Field to play the Lions, who boast the NFL's best offense overall.

3. Matthew Golden

Golden's development in the NFL has been a great litmus test for patience. Those who follow and watch the Packers know that historically, the team loves to "slow play" its younger players, especially when it comes to wide receivers. We've seen it with guys like Jordy Nelson, James Jones, Greg Jennings, Randall Cobb, and Davante Adams, to name a few. While it's not always a certainty that they will turn into high-level players, the Packers clearly have a method.

In the case of Golden, that method had never been clearer. Last year, Golden looked like one of the best receivers on the team, but simply didn't get the ball thrown his way much due to his status on the team. This year, that's changed, and Golden looks like one of the team's best receivers so far.

On Sunday, Golden finished with 104 yards on six receptions and a touchdown, and should have had even more. Golden had 13 targets overall, and dropped what likely would've been two touchdowns that would've also added another 60 or so yards to his tally. Despite this, Golden once again led the team in targets and had a great game. He's already eclipsed his total yardage on the year from his rookie season, as well.

4. Evan Williams & Javon Bullard

We already touched on the Packers' defense as a whole, but special praise is warranted for both Williams and Bullard. The two safeties continued their great play on Sunday, with Williams tallying sick tackles, a quarterback hit, and an interception in the red zone that helped keep the Cowboys scoreless in the first half.

For Bullard, his stat sheet didn't look as full, but he was every bit as impactful. He finished the game with six total tackles and three pass defenses, including a key one on a late-game fourth down. Bullard continues to shine as one of the team's best slot defenders, and he's also able to act as a quick blitzer option for Gannon when called upon.

5. Trey Smack

Last week, Trey Smack had his worst game of his young NFL career. We knew he might get a chance to bounce back, and while tonight's game didn't feature any heroic kicking moments, he was still solid when called upon.

Smack finished the night 3-for-3 on field goals, and 2-for-2 on extra-point attempts. That might not sound like much, but in a game where drops left eight points off the board, the 11 points Smack provided were much-needed, and kept the game from getting any wonkier than it was late.

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