Packers vs. Cowboys 2013, Week 15: Green Bay’s unlikely hope

Fourth quarter Tony Romo interceptions bring out the best Twitter has to offer. The Atlanta Hawks -- of NBA fame! -- tried to link their social strat to that particular trending topic. (That’s just social media basics, you guys).

But it didn’t sit very well with Justin Durant, a linebacker with the Cowboys.

The fourth-year receiver had one of the best games of his career against the Packers, tallying 11 receptions for 153 yards and a fourth-quarter touchdown. On the season, he has accumulated 81 receptions for 1,061 yards and 11 touchdowns.

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Over at Blogging The Boys, KD Drummond sums up the potential future for Garrett and his staff:

Rookie running back Eddie Lacy continues to prove he was well worth his second round selection. The former Alabama Crimson Tide back gained 141 yards on 21 carries with a touchdown.

A fourth-quarter Tony Romo interception brings out the hoots and howls from all quarters of the internet. The “choker” narrative comes out, fans dig in their heels and the hot takes fly. Sorting out what actually happened is a little harder to do.

Green Bay pulled ahead after Sam Shields picked off Romo with 2:58 left in the game’s final frame. It was second-and-six. Dallas was sitting on a 36-31 lead. So what happened? Why was Romo passing the ball instead of handing it off to the running back?

It really is true. There’s something so beautiful about football fans setting aside their differences and rooting interests to come together and cheer for Tony Romo to do exactly what we all hope that he’ll do.

By all accounts he really seems like a nice guy, and he is a very talented quarterback despite his tendency to throw an interception when all eyes are on him. But let’s take a moment to enjoy in our collective Cowboys schadenfreude anyway. We’ll start out light.

Even if the Packers have to fight with Flynn again next week, it seems like they’ll be able to manage.

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It was this close from not being a touchdown:

Bryant’s score gave the Cowboys a 36-24 lead with less than eight minutes to go in the game. That was enough for Garrett to express just how happy he was with Dez:

It looked like Tony Romo had thrown a fourth-quarter interception. Sports writers had their hot takes all ready to go, but alas, it was not to be. The play was reviewed and reversed, maybe because of Romo’s deft lawyering skills.

Dallas currently leads, 29-10, in the third quarter.

Though Aaron Rodgers was forced to miss yet another game, he isn’t responsible for the defense. Nor is his replacement, Matt Flynn. Making his third start, Flynn is 11-of-19 for 130 yards, one touchdown and one interception.

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The Cowboys will be glad to have this important game at home, where they are 5-1 this season. In a match-up that’s as close as this one could be, home field advantage might prove to be the difference. The SB Nation experts seem to be thinking along those lines as Joel Thorman, Stephen White, David Fucillo, Matt Ufford all picked the Cowboys. Only Ryan Van Bibber and Jason Chilton think the Packers can get a win at AT&T Stadium.

Those predictions hold up when compared with the ESPN experts, who predominantly predicted a Cowboys victory.

The over/under for the game is 48.5 points. The Cowboys are averaging 27.46 points per game, while allowing 26.77 points. The Packers are averaging 24.31 points per contest and allowing 25.08 points per matchup. Green Bay is 5-7-1 against the spread this season, while Dallas is 8-5. The Cowboys are also 8-5 with the over/under, while the Packers are 6-7.

The Cowboys have a 3-2 record over the last five games, while the Packers 1-3-1 over that same span.