3 players that led Packers to stunning playoff victory over Cowboys

The Green Bay Packers were seven-point underdogs entering their wild-card game against the Dallas Cowboys. Green Bay dominated Dallas in embarrassing fashion while becoming the first seven-seeded team to win a playoff game since the 2020 postseason expansion.

It wasn't just one side of the ball, as the offense and defense were firing on all cylinders. At one point, Green Bay led the game 48-16, which led to backup quarterback Sean Clifford leading a drive to drain some clock.

The Cowboys had the best scoring offense and fifth-best scoring defense in the regular season. Although this was a team effort, some players' performances cannot be ignored.

Darnell Savage

On a contract year and what could potentially have been his last game in the green and gold, Savage was outstanding. According to Pro Football Focus, Savage allowed just two receptions for seven yards on 56 coverage snaps.

His best play of the night was a 64-yard pick-six that brought the Packers to a 27-0 lead when it looked like the Cowboys were driving down the field and close to field-goal range.

This easily becomes his best performance this season and couldn't have come at a better time. If Savage continues to play with this much intensity, Green Bay will have a hard time not offering him a contract extension.

Jordan Love

Packers fans shouldn't be too surprised by Love's performance, considering he's been doing it throughout the second half of the season. Still, he had a historic night at AT&T Stadium.

He finished with a 157.2 passer rating, which would have been a perfect 158.3 if not for a dropped pass by Tucker Kraft. In terms of passer rating, it's the fifth-best single-game in playoff history, tied with C.J. Stroud, who, just like Love, also made his first postseason start.

Love proved in this game that he could handle the bright lights, making every pass he wanted. His best was a 20-yard back-foot touchdown throw to Dontayvion Wicks, placed only where the receiver could catch it.

Love also led the Packers to scoring 40+ points in a playoff game for the first time since Aaron Rogers did it in the 2010 divisional round against the Atlanta Falcons.

Aaron Jones

There are a number of different players who could have made this last spot, but it goes to the Cowboys killer, Aaron Jones. After a shaky regular season while dealing with injuries, Packers fans can agree it's been worth the wait to get Jones on the field.

He just recorded his fourth straight game with at least 100 rushing yards with 118 against Dallas. He did that on only 21 attempts, averaging 5.6 yards per carry. He kept the defense honest all game long, knowing he could bust out a huge run at any moment.

Another aspect that can't go unnoticed was his ability to pass block. In the second quarter, on what became a 39-yard pass to Romeo Doubs, Jones had an amazing block on Micah Parsons after beating Zach Tom on a pass rush. If not for Jones, that play would have resulted in a 10-yard sack. Later that drive, the Packers would capture a 20-0 lead.

More Packers news and analysis