The Dallas Cowboys are looking to redeem themselves after last year’s postseason miss, but Week 4 produced a bittersweet milestone.
Their 40-40 shootout with the Green Bay Packers ended in a tie, marking the first time in NFL history that a team scored at least 40 points with no turnovers and still failed to win.
Dallas had its chances. Dak Prescott threw three touchdowns and finished with 319 passing yards, orchestrating a late scoring drive that gave the Cowboys a 37-34 lead with under a minute remaining.
But the Packers responded, tying the game at the buzzer before both sides traded field goals in overtime. Despite the stalemate, the Cowboys’ offense looked sharp, something they’ll need to maintain heading into their Week 5 matchup with the Jets.
Packers star Micah Parsons, once the Cowboys’ defensive cornerstone, was a central storyline. In his return to AT&T Stadium, Parsons notched a critical overtime sack on Prescott to keep Green Bay alive.
Dallas had to throw everything at him, from tight end Jake Ferguson’s chip blocks to max protections, to keep its quarterback upright.
“What a great player, man,” Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer told ESPN. “We’ve got other Micahs [as the year goes on], and I hope to see Micah again. I hope we see him down the line here again in January.”
That sentiment captures both respect for Parsons’ game-changing ability and optimism that these two teams might meet again in the postseason.
The matchup also highlighted the lingering fallout from Parsons’ summer trade. After refusing to give him the massive contract extension he wanted, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones dealt him to the Packers.
Following the game, Jones contrasted that decision with the organization’s willingness to extend Dak Prescott in 2024.
“Dak was indispensable in my mind. Micah wasn’t. It’s just numbers. It’s that easy. That’s not personal at all,” Jones said, per Cowboys reporter Bobby Belt.
Prescott walked away with a record $240 million deal, while Parsons secured a similar extension in Green Bay after the trade.
Both showed their worth Sunday night: Prescott by keeping Dallas in a shootout without CeeDee Lamb, and Parsons by delivering the overtime sack that preserved the tie.
The Cowboys may not have gotten the win, but their offensive rhythm offers a silver lining, and Schottenheimer’s hope of a January rematch suggests this won’t be the last time Prescott and Parsons cross paths.
