Ranking Packers-Cowboys playoff games: From Dez Bryant non-catch to Ice Bowl
When the Dallas Cowboys host the Green Bay Packers on Sunday in a Super Wild Card Weekend game, it will mark the ninth time that the two teams have met in the NFL playoffs.
That will tie the series for the most playoff matchups in league history. It should come as little surprise that both of these two franchises that own a combined total of 18 NFL titles are involved in those other most frequent playoff encounters – Cowboys vs. San Francisco 49ers, Cowboys vs. Los Angeles Rams and Packers vs. 49ers.
It's been seven years since the last time the Cowboys and Packers squared off in the playoffs, and that game featured a dramatic finish. That showdown came just two years after the infamous Dez Bryant non-catch divisional playoff game.
Where do those two epic showdowns rank among the greatest Cowboys-Packers playoff games? It should come as no surprise to aficionados of NFL lore that those two thrilling games don't even come close to being the greatest playoff game between the teams.
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8. 1994 NFC divisional playoff
During the NFL's 75th anniversary season, the two-time defending Super Bowl champion Cowboys and the absolutely loaded 49ers were on a collision course for what Sports Illustrated dubbed "The Real Super Bowl." In the divisional playoff round, the upstart Packers were just road kill for the Cowboys en route to the NFC championship game. The Cowboys rolled to a dominant 35-9 victory. Troy Aikman threw for 337 yards, and Michael Irvin, Alvin Harper and Jay Novacek each went over 100 yards receiving in the blowout win.
7. 1982 NFC divisional playoff
A midseason strike resulted in a nine-game regular season and prompted an expanded, 16-team playoff field, the "Super Bowl Tournament." The Cowboys and Packers – the latter coming off their first playoff win since Super Bowl II – met in the second round of the tournament, with the Cowboys in the midst of a nine-season run of qualifying for the playoffs and a third consecutive year of reaching the NFC championship game. The Cowboys prevailed, 37-26, as Dallas' defense intercepted Packers quarterback Lynn Dickey three times.
6. 1993 NFC divisional playoff
Fresh off a spectacular wild-card win over the Detroit Lions (in the Lions' last home playoff game before Sunday's wild-card matchup against the Los Angeles Rams), the Packers — making their first playoff appearance since the aforementioned "Super Bowl Tournament" — faced off against the defending Super Bowl champion Cowboys. The Cowboys built a 24-3 lead in the third quarter before the Packers made a game of it late in a 27-17 win for "America's Team."
5. 2016 NFC divisional playoff
This scintillating encounter came down to the final frantic seconds, as quarterback Aaron Rodgers and tight end Jared Cook pulled off a spectacular play to get the Packers in range for Mason Crosby's game-winning 51-yard field goal. Green Bay had built a 28-13 lead heading into the fourth quarter, but Dallas rallied to tie it 28-28 with four minutes remaining. The two teams exchanged field goals over the course of the game's final minute and a half, with the Packers not settling for overtime on their final possession, winning 34-31. The next week, the Packers lost to the Atlanta Falcons in the NFC championship game, and we all know how that turned out for the Falcons.
4. 2014 NFC divisional playoff: The Dez Bryant non-catch game
The 2014 divisional playoff between the Packers and Cowboys at Lambeau Field is known for just one play. Did Dez Bryant catch the ball?
Well, per the rules of the time, Bryant clearly did not complete the process of the catch. The NFL has since revised its rule on catches, requiring a receiver to establish himself as a runner rather than make a "football act." That adjustment to further confuse fans over "what is a catch?" came too late for Bryant and the Cowboys. Not that the Packers couldn't have gone on to win that game anyway even if the Cowboys scored. Bryant's non-catch was a glimmer of hope for the Cowboys, who had allowed the Packers to score on three consecutive drives prior to the controversial Bryant play. The Bryant non-catch happened on a fourth-and-2 play with 4:42 left in the game. The Packers offense proceeded to march down the field and kill that remaining time off the clock to secure a 26-21 win.
3. 1995 NFC championship game
The Cowboys were en route to solidifying their 1990s dynasty status. The Packers were an up-and-comer about to be one of the NFL's perennial powers. The Cowboys prevailed, 38-27, behind a strong game-sealing performance by Hall of Fame running back Emmitt Smith, who rushed for 150 yards and three touchdowns. The Cowboys went on to win Super Bowl 30 against the Pittsburgh Steelers for the team's third title in four seasons. This game, however, marks the last time the Cowboys played in the NFC championship game. The Packers, meanwhile, have played in eight NFC title games since this game. The next season, the Packers won their first Super Bowl since the famed Lombardi era.
2. 1966 NFL championship game
The first playoff matchup between the Cowboys and Packers might have produced the most exciting overall game. Vince Lombardi's Packers and Tom Landry's Cowboys were playing at the Cotton Bowl for a spot in the first Super Bowl (then referred to as the decidedly less marketable "first AFL–NFL World Championship Game"). The Packers were an established powerhouse, defending NFL champions and winners of three of the league's last five titles. The Cowboys were playing in their first playoff game and just beginning a two-decade reign as one of the NFL's premier teams.
The game itself was high-scoring and came down to the final moments. The Cowboys were threatening to force overtime, facing a fourth-and-goal situation from the Packers' 2-yard line with under a minute to go. Packers linebacker Dave Robinson chased Don Meredith, who tossed a desperation pass into the end zone as Robinson grabbed the Cowboys quarterback. The Packers' Tom Brown intercepted the pass and sealed the 34-27 win. The Packers went on to win Super Bowl I over the Kansas City Chiefs.
1. 1967 NFL championship game: The Ice Bowl
The 1967 NFL championship game isn't just the greatest Packers-Cowboys playoff game. It's one of the seminal moments in NFL history.
The Packers were attempting to become the first NFL team ever to win three consecutive championships. The Cowboys wanted vengeance for the last-minute defeat in the 1966 NFL championship game.
Green Bay prevailed, 21-17, in frigid conditions on a frozen Lambeau Field, but needed a final drive for victory when hopes of winning seemed so dim. The Packers jumped out to a 14-0 lead in the first half, but were absolutely dominated by the Cowboys in the second half as Dallas took a 17-14 lead. With 4:50 left in the game, the Packers started a methodical 68-yard drive that would forever be canonized in NFL lore. A quarterback sneak by the Packers' Bart Starr provided the winning score as guard Jerry Kramer provided the key block.
The Packers went on to win Super Bowl II over the Oakland Raiders. It was Lombardi's last game as Packers head coach.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Cowboys vs Packers playoff games ranked: Dez Bryant to Ice Bowl
