Packers ground game pounds Cowboys for 230 yards in runaway win

Ron Clements

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Packers ground game pounds Cowboys for 230 yards in runaway win image

Aaron Rodgers is the reigning NFL MVP, but the Packers quarterback took a back seat to what was a powerful ground game Sunday in Green Bay's 28-7 win over the Cowboys at rain-soaked Lambeau Field.

The Packers ran for 230 yards while dominating time of possession to easily outmatch the inconsistent Cowboys offense. The Packers ran for more than 200 yards for the first time since rushing for 202 yards against the Browns in 2009. The 230 rushing yards are the most for the Packers since 2004. 

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Green Bay wasn't able to put the game out of reach until James Starks' 30-yard run with 4:44 remaining. 

The 12-play, 84-yard scoring drive was kept alive thanks to an 11-yard scramble by Rodgers, who ran for 27 yards while throwing for 218 and two scores.

Eddie Lacy added another Packers touchdown one play after a powerful 24-yard run to the Cowboys 1-yard line.

Starks and Lacy, who ran for 124 yards, provided a solid 1-2 punch for the Packers, who moved to 9-4, one game ahead of the Vikings in the NFC North. The loss by Dallas likely eliminated the Cowboys (4-9) from playoff contention. The Cowboys are two games back of the Eagles and Redskins in the NFC East with three games remaining against the Jets, Bills and Redskins.

The Cowboys squandered an early scoring opportunity following a 50-yard run by Darren McFadden. But Matt Cassel's intended pass for Dez Bryant was picked off by Packers cornerback Sam Shields.

The Packers took the ensuing possession and went 79 yards on 15 plays, but Rodgers was stopped for no gain on fourth-and-goal from the 1. The goal-line stand was after James Starks had an apparent touchdown overturned when a replay review determined Starks was down shy of the end zone. 

Starks, who ran for 71 yards and caught four passes for 32 yards, did find the end zone later on a 13-yard pass to give the Packers a 7-0 lead with 9:49 remaining in the first quarter.

Rodgers moved the Packers down the field with ease to go up 14-0 on a 3-yard pass from Rodgers to tight end Richard Rodgers to cap an 11-play, 81-yard drive. 

Like his long first-quarter run, McFadden ripped off a 45-yard run to help set up Robert Turbin's 7-yard touchdown through a huge hole up the middle. It was the first rushing touchdown for Turbin and came on the 268th carry of his four-year NFL career. It is the longest such streak in NFL history. 

McFadden finished with nine carries for 111 yards while Turbin had seven carries for 51 yards. 

But, big plays for the Cowboys were few and far between as quarterback Matt Cassel continued to struggle. Cassel completed only 13 of 29 pass attempts for 114 yards as Bryant was held to only one catch for 9 yards. 

Ron Clements