Was that real? Did the Green Bay Packers actually go into AT&T Stadium and hand the Dallas Cowboys an embarrassing playoff exit in Jordan Love's first postseason start?
The Packers-Cowboys rivalry rarely disappoints, and this was another classic. Well, from a Packers' perspective, at least.
Green Bay shocked the world by defeating Dallas 48-32, a win that ended the Cowboys' impressive undefeated run at home this season. With this victory, the Packers advance to take on the San Francisco 49ers in next week's divisional round, another monumental test for this young team.
There were far more winners than losers for the Packers this week, so let's celebrate.
Winner: Jordan Love
We weren't lying when we said Jordan Love had played at an MVP level in the final eight games of the regular season. He put together an all-time NFL playoff performance against the Cowboys, throwing for 272 yards, three touchdowns, and a 157.2 passer rating. According to ESPN, Love's QB rating of 99.3 is the best of all time in a playoff game.
Dallas had the league's fifth-ranked scoring defense in the regular season, allowing only 18.5 points per game. Green Bay's offense scored 41, with the defense adding another touchdown.
Love was in complete command. It's hard to put into words how impressive this performance was. Despite being on the road in his first-ever playoff start against a top-five defense, Love remained cool, calmly tearing apart the Cowboys' secondary.
Love is red-hot. Playing like this, the Packers can beat anybody.
Winner: Aaron Jones
It's Aaron Jones against the Dallas Cowboys. What else was going to happen? Green Bay had to remain committed to the ground game to cool an outstanding Dallas pass rush, and Jones made it happen. He rushed 21 times for 118 yards and three touchdowns, his fourth consecutive 100-yard performance.
In only four career games against Dallas, Jones has 603 total yards and nine touchdowns, with the Packers winning every game. Unbelievable.
Winner: Matt LaFleur
Hopefully, Matt LaFleur will finally get the national credit he deserves after this game. He inherited a playoff-less Packers team in 2019 and put together three straight 13-win seasons, with Aaron Rodgers winning two NFL MVP awards.
He now takes the youngest team in the league into the divisional round, having completed a masterclass against the Cowboys. The Packers picked apart the Cowboys' defense. LaFleur called a great game. Receivers were running wide open, which is something we just haven't seen often against this Cowboys defense this season.
LaFleur has proven himself as an offensive mind and a leader this year. Not that he needed to. Winning with Rodgers is one thing. He's now doing it with Jordan Love and the most inexperienced receiving corps in the league.
Winner: Romeo Doubs
Romeo Doubs has been a reliable target for Jordan Love all year. He tied Jayden Reed for the team-led for receiving touchdowns in the regular season with eight. Doubs put in the best performance of his career against the Cowboys, making six receptions for 151 yards and a touchdown. He caught all of his targets. It was an all-time great playoff performance for a Packers receiver.
Jayden Reed, Christian Watson, Dontayvion Wicks, and even Bo Melton have understandably grabbed the headlines throughout the season, but Doubs has quietly become a go-to target. He stepped up in a big way for the Packers in this game.
Winner: Darnell Savage
This was a big game for Darnell Savage. Of course, it's the playoffs, but Savage is also playing for a new contract, either in Green Bay or elsewhere. Savage has battled injuries this season, and he entered the playoffs with only one pass defense and zero interceptions.
His first pick of the season came at an ideal moment. Savage made one of the most important plays of the game, intercepting a pass from Dak Prescott and returning it for a touchdown. Dallas had the ball in Green Bay's territory, down 20-0. Savage effectively put the game out of sight, putting a fourth Packers touchdown on the board.
Winner: Joe Barry
Ignore the Cowboys' 32 points. Yes, the Packers probably got too conservative in the fourth quarter as they protected a considerable lead, but Matt LaFleur also benched his starters a little too early. Joe Barry's future in Green Bay is uncertain, but his defense stepped up to the challenge, something we've now seen for multiple weeks.
Barry is often criticized for his soft zone coverages, making it too easy for talented receivers to pick apart. But we saw a lot of press-man in this game. Barry played more aggressively, and it paid off. The Cowboys' first four drives: Punt, interception, punt, pick-six. That allowed Jordan Love and the offense to take the game away.
Will Barry remain in Green Bay next season? Who knows? But his defense has shown significant improvements over the past three weeks.
Loser: Rich Bisaccia
Rich Bisaccia doesn't have to worry about his job security, but the special teams haven't been consistent enough. The Packers finished the regular season 29th in Rick Gosselin's annual special teams rankings.
There were some positives. Daniel Whelan pinned the Cowboys inside the 20-yard line on all three of his punts. However, rookie kicker Anders Carlson missed his sixth extra-point of the season, and Green Bay allowed a 47-yard kick return that set up the Cowboys' opening touchdown.
The Packers hired Bisaccia after a disastrous special teams performance in the divisional round against the San Francisco 49ers. They must avoid a repeat of that next week.