Few matchups carry as much weight as Green Bay Packers vs Dallas Cowboys. This Sunday night, October 18, 2026, the two franchises meet again at Lambeau Field, with kickoff set for 8:20 p.m. ET (1:20 a.m. BST on Monday) on NBC and Peacock. It is the Week 6 Sunday Night Football showcase, and it arrives just over a year after the teams played one of the wildest games in league history, a 40-40 overtime tie at AT&T Stadium.
The Packers walk in at 3-2 and have won two straight, including a 31-7 rout of the Chicago Bears last Sunday. The Cowboys arrive at 2-3 after a stunning 24-16 home loss to a Tampa Bay Buccaneers team that had not won a game and was starting a rookie quarterback. Green Bay is a small home favorite, but anyone who has watched Green Bay Packers vs Dallas Cowboys matches over the past decade knows the point spread rarely captures what happens on the field. This series is full of comebacks, shootouts and strange finishes.
History leans toward Green Bay, too. The Packers lead the all-time series 22-17-1 and have gone 10-1-1 in the last 12 meetings, playoffs included. Dak Prescott was a rookie the last time Dallas beat Green Bay, back in 2016. So here is everything that matters before kickoff: where each team stands, the full head-to-head timeline, a breakdown of the last meeting, the key Green Bay Packers vs Dallas Cowboys match player stats, injury news, a prediction, where to watch, and quick FAQs. Whether you follow Green Bay Packers games every week or only tune in for the big primetime slots, this one deserves a spot on the calendar.
Green Bay Packers: A Slow Start, Then a Statement Win
The Packers spent the summer trying to forget how 2025 ended. They reached the playoffs for the 38th time in franchise history, the most of any team, but the season closed with a 31-27 wild-card loss to the Bears. The 2026 campaign opened just as painfully. Green Bay led the Minnesota Vikings entering the fourth quarter in Week 1, then watched 22 unanswered points turn the game into a 39-22 loss.
Week 2 brought relief, but not much comfort. Rookie kicker Trey Smack booted a 26-yard field goal in overtime to beat the New York Jets 20-17 and end a six-game losing streak. Then came a 35-14 Thursday-night loss to Atlanta, in which Bijan Robinson ran for 194 yards and the Lambeau crowd booed its own team. Since then the picture has brightened. Green Bay edged the Buccaneers 17-14 in Tampa, and then dismantled Chicago in Week 5.
Against the Bears, Jordan Love completed 25 of 31 passes for 367 yards and two touchdowns, the most ever thrown by a Packers quarterback against Chicago at Lambeau Field. Christian Watson caught two long scores, Matthew Golden posted a career-high 123 receiving yards, and the defense forced five turnovers. It was the first time all season that the Packers looked like the team many expected in August.
What Makes Green Bay’s Offense Tick
- Jordan Love sets the tone. Through five games he has completed 60.5 percent of his passes for 1,408 yards, 10 touchdowns and three interceptions. He has also been remarkably efficient against Dallas in his career: 47 of 64 for 609 yards, six touchdowns and no interceptions.
- Deep-ball receivers are thriving. Watson (six catches, 143 yards against Chicago) and Golden give Love two vertical threats. Jayden Reed is out for the season with a neck injury, and Skyy Moore has been ruled out with an ankle injury, so the depth chart is thin.
- A reshuffled backfield and line. MarShawn Lloyd scored twice against the Bears, Kaleb Johnson joined the group after Josh Jacobs landed on the Commissioner’s Exempt List, and Laken Tomlinson and Travis Glover have started at guard for the past two weeks.
- A defense that creates chaos. Safety Xavier McKinney intercepted two passes against Chicago, and Green Bay has seven interceptions against only six touchdown passes allowed.
Green Bay Packers Snapshot
| Detail | Green Bay Packers |
| Division | NFC North |
| Head coach | Matt LaFleur (8th season) |
| GM | Brian Gutekunst |
| Starting QB this week | Jordan Love |
| 2025 finish | Made playoffs, lost wild-card game to Chicago |
| Identity | Vertical passing attack, opportunistic secondary |
| Recent form | 3-2 overall, two straight wins |
| 2026 season start | Lost 39-22 at Minnesota (Wk 1), beat Jets 20-17 in OT (Wk 2), lost 35-14 to Atlanta (Wk 3), beat Tampa Bay 17-14 (Wk 4), beat Chicago 31-7 (Wk 5) |
Dallas Cowboys: Fireworks on Offense, Trouble on Defense
Dallas finished 2025 at 7-9-1 and missed the playoffs for a second straight year, so expectations entering 2026 were modest. Head coach Brian Schottenheimer, in his second season, has built an offense that can score on anybody. The Dallas Cowboys games this season have been high-scoring, back-and-forth affairs that rarely feel safe for either side.
The year started with a 28-20 loss at the New York Giants on Sunday Night Football. Dallas bounced back with a 37-20 win over Washington as Prescott completed 26 of 31 passes for 279 yards and four scores. Week 3 brought a trip to Rio de Janeiro and a 34-31 loss to the Baltimore Ravens. Then came the best result of the season, a 34-30 comeback win at Houston in which CeeDee Lamb hauled in a career-high 17 passes for 189 yards and the winning touchdown with 40 seconds left. Javonte Williams ran for three second-half touchdowns that afternoon.
The Buccaneers game was a different story. Dallas was a 9.5-point favorite on Thursday night and lost at home, while Lamb exited with a bruised quad and finished with two catches for nine yards. The defense was the bigger problem. Schottenheimer responded by bringing longtime defensive coach Mike Pettine out of retirement to assist coordinator Christian Parker. Pettine happens to be a former Packers defensive coordinator.
What Makes Dallas’ Offense Tick
- Dak Prescott keeps the machine running. He holds the franchise record for touchdown passes and threw for 335 yards in Houston. The offense ranks in the top 10 in both EPA per play and yards per play, and it scores more than 27 points a game.
- CeeDee Lamb is the centerpiece. He has 39 catches for 507 yards and four touchdowns through five games, and he practiced fully all week.
- George Pickens is the deep threat. He caught nine of 13 targets for 130 yards and a score against Tampa Bay and has 1,784 receiving yards since the start of the 2025 season.
- An unusual defensive reunion. Edge rusher Rashan Gary (46.5 sacks in Green Bay from 2019 to 2025) and defensive tackle Kenny Clark both return to Lambeau Field as visitors for the first time.
Dallas Cowboys Snapshot
| Detail | Dallas Cowboys |
| Division | NFC East |
| Head coach | Brian Schottenheimer (2nd season) |
| Defensive coordinator | Christian Parker (Mike Pettine added as senior assistant) |
| Starting QB this week | Dak Prescott |
| 2025 record | 7-9-1 |
| Identity | High-powered passing offense, struggling defense |
| Recent form | 2-3 overall, lost 24-16 to Tampa Bay |
| 2026 season start | Lost 28-20 at Giants (Wk 1), beat Washington 37-20 (Wk 2), lost 34-31 to Baltimore (Wk 3), beat Houston 34-30 (Wk 4), lost 24-16 to Tampa Bay (Wk 5) |
NFL Schedule This Week
Sunday’s Packers vs Cowboys game kicks off at 8:20 p.m. ET at Lambeau Field and airs nationally on NBC and Peacock. It is the fourth Sunday Night Football meeting between the two clubs, including the second year in a row, and the third in Green Bay after 2008 and 2010.
The Green Bay Packers standings tell a story of a team still proving itself. At 3-2, Green Bay sits second in the NFC North behind the undefeated Vikings and level with the Bears. The Dallas Cowboys standings are less forgiving: at 2-3, Dallas is level with the Eagles behind the Giants in the NFC East.
| Team | Next Matchup | Date | Location |
| Green Bay Packers | at Detroit Lions (Wk 7) | Oct 25 | Away |
| Dallas Cowboys | at Philadelphia Eagles (Wk 7) | Oct 26 (Monday night) | Away |
The Dallas Cowboys schedule gets only more demanding from here. After the Monday-night visit to Philadelphia, Dallas hosts the Cardinals on November 1 and then travels to Indianapolis on November 8. The Green Bay Packers games ahead include Carolina on a Thursday-night turnaround, October 29, before a trip to New England.
Head-to-Head History: The Full Timeline
The series dates back to November 13, 1960, when Green Bay won 41-7. Sunday will be the 41st meeting between the franchises and the 32nd in the regular season. The Packers lead 22-17-1 overall, including a 5-4 edge in the playoffs, and Green Bay Packers vs Dallas Cowboys matches have tilted sharply toward the Packers in recent years.
| Date | Winner | Location | Score | Notes |
| 09/28/2025 | Tie | Arlington, TX | 40-40 (OT) | Prescott and Love throw three TDs apiece in regulation; Micah Parsons returns to Dallas |
| 01/14/2024 | Packers | Arlington, TX | 48-32 | NFC Wild Card; Love’s first playoff start |
| 11/13/2022 | Packers | Green Bay | 31-28 | Last time Dallas visited Lambeau Field |
| 10/06/2019 | Packers | Arlington, TX | 34-24 | Another Green Bay road win at AT&T Stadium |
| 10/08/2017 | Packers | Arlington, TX | 35-31 | A high-scoring Sunday finish |
| 01/15/2017 | Packers | Arlington, TX | 34-31 | Mason Crosby kicks a 51-yard field goal as time expires |
| 10/16/2016 | Cowboys | Green Bay | 30-16 | Dallas’ most recent win in the series |
Green Bay has won seven of the last nine regular-season meetings, and the Packers are 10-5 against Dallas in regular-season games in Green Bay, including 8-2 at Lambeau Field.
A Few Things Worth Pointing Out
- Prescott was a rookie the last time Dallas beat the Packers. Since then, the Cowboys have lost three regular-season games and two playoff games to Green Bay and played to one tie.
- Love has played Dallas twice without throwing an interception. His 134.2 passer rating is the best among quarterbacks with at least 50 attempts against the Cowboys.
- Matt LaFleur is 3-0-1 against Dallas, including a playoff win. Schottenheimer is 0-0-1 against the Packers.
- Before last year’s tie, the Packers had scored at least 34 points in each of their five games at AT&T Stadium.
Cowboys vs Packers Mythology: Ice, Lombardi and Late Heartbreak
Part of what makes this series special has nothing to do with the standings. The Cowboys vs Packers mythology begins with Vince Lombardi and Tom Landry, two former assistants on the same New York Giants staff who turned their rivalry into one of the league’s most storied. The Cowboys never beat a Lombardi-coached Packers team. Their meeting in the 1967 NFL Championship, the famous Ice Bowl, was played in minus-13 degree weather with a wind chill of minus-46, and Bart Starr’s quarterback sneak with 13 seconds left won it for Green Bay.
The Cowboys vs Packers mythology kept growing in the 1990s, when Dallas won eight straight from 1991 to 1996 and beat Green Bay in the postseason three years in a row, all in Dallas. Then the pendulum swung. Aaron Rodgers went 8-2 against the Cowboys as the Packers’ starter, including 3-0 in Dallas.
Three Eras of the Rivalry
Era 1: Lombardi vs. Landry (1960-1968). Green Bay won six straight between 1960 and 1968, including the Ice Bowl.
Era 2: The Dallas years (1991-1996). The Cowboys flipped the script with an eight-game winning streak and three straight playoff victories at home.
Era 3: The Rodgers and Love years (2008-Present). The Packers are 10-1-1 in the last 12 meetings, and Love is 1-0-1 against Dallas with a perfect touchdown-to-interception ratio.
The Last Time These Two Teams Met: Packers 40, Cowboys 40 (Sept. 28, 2025)
Nothing in recent memory matches the last Packers vs Cowboys meeting, and few Green Bay Packers vs Dallas Cowboys matches have ever been wilder. It was Parsons’ highly anticipated return to Dallas, and the game delivered chaos early. Green Bay jumped to a 13-0 lead after Love’s second touchdown pass to Romeo Doubs and a blocked extra point that Markquese Bell returned for a two-point conversion, the first such play in Dallas franchise history.
From there, it turned into a shootout. Prescott and Love each threw three touchdown passes in regulation, and the teams traded seven consecutive lead-changing touchdowns. Brandon McManus tied the game with a 53-yard field goal as time expired. In overtime, Brandon Aubrey and McManus traded short field goals, and the game ended in a tie. It was the second-highest-scoring tie in NFL history, behind only a 43-43 game between the Raiders and Patriots in 1964, and it closed with nine straight scoring drives, the most to end any NFL game since 1933.
Key Performers
- Passing: Jordan Love (GB) and Dak Prescott (DAL) each threw three touchdown passes in regulation.
- Receiving: Romeo Doubs (GB) caught all three of Love’s touchdowns, finishing with six catches for 58 yards.
- Kicking: McManus (GB) hit the 53-yarder at the end of regulation; Aubrey (DAL) answered in overtime.
A year later, Parsons is on the sideline with a torn ACL, and the matchup has plenty of new characters, from Gary and Clark in Dallas colors to Watson and Golden catching Love’s deep shots.
Where Both Teams Stand Entering Sunday Night’s Game
On paper, the two clubs look like mirror images. Green Bay has had the better defense and Dallas the better offense, and neither side has found consistency. Here is a quick snapshot of the Green Bay Packers vs Dallas Cowboys match player stats and team trends heading into kickoff.
| Stat | Green Bay Packers | Dallas Cowboys |
| Record | 3-2 | 2-3 |
| Points Per Game | 20.8 | 27.6 |
| Points Allowed Per Game | 22.4 | 27.2 |
| Offense (EPA/play) | 20th in NFL | Top 10 in NFL |
| Defense (EPA/play) | 8th in NFL | Last in NFL |
| Pass defense | 7 INT, 6 TD passes allowed | Last in EPA per pass |
| Against the spread | 2-3 | 3-2 |
| Current betting line | Packers -1.5 | Cowboys +1.5 |
Points per game calculated from scoring totals through five weeks.
The Green Bay Packers vs Dallas Cowboys stats show how different these teams are. Dallas can score but cannot stop anyone: it ranks last in the league in EPA per play, success rate and yards per play allowed, and it has the worst rushing differential in the NFL, giving up roughly 87 more yards per game than it gains. Green Bay can defend the pass, but its offense ranks 20th in EPA per play even after the Chicago game, and Love is 29th in success rate among quarterbacks with at least 50 snaps. The Green Bay Packers vs Dallas Cowboys stats also hint at a shootout. Dallas has gone over the total in four of five games, while the Packers have stayed under in three of five.
Both the Green Bay Packers standings and the Dallas Cowboys standings could look very different by Monday morning. The pass rush is the other number to watch. Green Bay is without Parsons, who is still recovering and could return in November, according to recent reports. That detail turns the Green Bay Packers vs Dallas Cowboys match player stats from a simple table into a real storyline.
Top Players to Watch in Packers vs Cowboys
The Green Bay Packers vs Dallas Cowboys stats for each of these players help explain why Sunday night should be entertaining.
Green Bay Packers
- Jordan Love, QB: After his best game of the year, he faces the league’s worst defense by several measures. He is 6-of-8 on throws of 20-plus yards in the last outing.
- Christian Watson, WR: Two touchdowns and 143 yards against the Bears. His speed can punish a Dallas secondary dealing with injuries.
- Matthew Golden, WR: Career-high 123 yards last week and a 100-yard game against Atlanta.
- Xavier McKinney, S: Two interceptions against Chicago. If Prescott forces throws, McKinney will be ready.
- Lukas Van Ness, EDGE: Nine tackles, 1.5 sacks and four quarterback hits against the Jets. With Parsons out, he leads the pass rush.
Dallas Cowboys
- Dak Prescott, QB: 335 yards in Houston and four touchdowns against Washington. He has thrown more touchdown passes than any quarterback in franchise history.
- CeeDee Lamb, WR: The leader of the passing game, fresh off a bruised quad but a full participant in practice.
- George Pickens, WR: Nine catches for 130 yards on Thursday. He can flip field position in one play.
- Javonte Williams, RB: Three rushing touchdowns in Houston and a score against Tampa Bay.
- Rashan Gary and Kenny Clark, DL: Two former Packers returning to Lambeau Field who know the home team well.
Coaching Matchup: LaFleur vs. Schottenheimer
Neither coach has an easy week. LaFleur’s team opened 1-2 and has leaned on a few big plays to climb back above .500. Schottenheimer has watched his defense struggle and just reached outside the building for help.
| Factor | Green Bay (LaFleur) | Dallas (Schottenheimer) |
| Experience level | 8th season with Green Bay | 2nd season with Dallas |
| Career record | 79-42-1 | 9-12-1 |
| Record vs. opponent | 3-0-1 | 0-0-1 |
| Offensive coordinator | Adam Stenavich | Klayton Adams |
| Defensive coordinator | Jonathan Gannon | Christian Parker (with Pettine) |
| 2025 result | Lost wild-card game | 7-9-1, missed playoffs |
Injury Report: Who Is In and Who Is Out
Green Bay Packers: Defensive tackles Javon Hargrave (Achilles, season-ending) and Jonathan Ford (calf), receiver Skyy Moore (ankle) and cornerback Benjamin St-Juste (hamstring) are out. Defensive tackle Jordon Riley is doubtful. Guards Aaron Banks and Jacob Monk, defensive tackle Anthony Campbell, cornerback Brandon Cisse and receiver Savion Williams are questionable. The defensive line is the main concern. Edgerrin Cooper and Jayden Reed are on injured reserve, and Josh Jacobs remains on the Commissioner’s Exempt List. Cornerback Keisean Nixon will play.
Dallas Cowboys: Cornerback Cobie Durant and tackle Drew Shelton are out. Linebacker DeMarvion Overshown, defensive tackle L.T. Overton and cornerbacks Joey Porter Jr. and Ameer Speed are questionable. Lamb, left tackle Tyler Guyton and guard Tyler Smith practiced fully all week and carry no game status.
Betting Angle: What the Odds Say
The line has stayed tight all week. DraftKings listed the Packers at minus-1.5 and the Cowboys at plus-1.5, with a total of 52.5. Other books have posted Green Bay at minus-3 or minus-3.5 with totals near 51.5. Dallas is 3-2 against the spread and 4-1 to the over, while Green Bay is 2-3 against the spread and 3-2 to the under.
The market sees a close game with plenty of points. Green Bay’s defense ranks eighth in EPA per play but has not faced a quarterback like Prescott, and Dallas’ defense has been the worst in the league by several measures. Anyone leaning on the Green Bay Packers vs Dallas Cowboys match player stats should weigh Dallas’ defense against Love, and the Packers’ thin defensive line against Prescott and Lamb.
Prediction: Packers 31, Cowboys 28
This is a hard game to call, and both teams have real flaws. Still, the home team has the edge. Green Bay Packers vs Dallas Cowboys matches at Lambeau Field have favored the hosts, with Green Bay 8-2 in the regular season, Love is playing his best football, and Dallas has the league’s worst defense by EPA per play, success rate and yards per play allowed. Pettine only joined the staff this week, and the Cowboys are thin in the secondary.
The Green Bay Packers vs Dallas Cowboys stats point toward a high-scoring night. That said, the Packers’ defensive line is dangerously thin, and Prescott, Lamb and Pickens are capable of lighting it up. Expect a back-and-forth shootout in which Love’s deep shots to Watson and Golden make the difference late. My projection: Packers 31, Cowboys 28, with the total clearing 52.5. This is analysis, not betting advice, so check the final inactives list about 90 minutes before kickoff.
Where to Watch Green Bay Packers vs Dallas Cowboys
If you are wondering where to watch Green Bay Packers vs Dallas Cowboys, here is the full breakdown.
- Date: Sunday, October 18, 2026
- Kickoff: 8:20 p.m. ET / 7:20 p.m. CT / 5:20 p.m. PT / 1:20 a.m. BST (Monday) / 5:50 a.m. IST (Monday)
- Location: Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wisconsin
- TV (U.S.): NBC, with Mike Tirico, Cris Collinsworth, Melissa Stark and Terry McAulay on the call
- Streaming (U.S.): Peacock
- Outside the U.S.: DAZN for NFL Game Pass subscribers, where available
- Radio: The Packers Radio Network (95.7 BIG FM WRIT flagship) and Westwood One nationally
- Highlights: NFL.com, Packers.com and the league’s social channels usually post recaps within minutes of the final whistle
Fans who miss the live broadcast should find Packers vs Cowboys highlights online almost immediately, and the best Packers vs Cowboys highlights are likely to include Love’s deep passes and any late Prescott drives.
What’s Next for Both Teams
Green Bay’s focus after this game is simple: keep the momentum going. The Packers visit Detroit on October 25, host Carolina on October 29, and then head to New England on November 8. A win on Sunday would give them three straight victories for the first time this season, and Parsons could be back by the New England trip at the earliest.
Dallas needs this one more, and the Dallas Cowboys schedule offers little relief. The Dallas Cowboys games ahead start with a trip to Philadelphia on October 26, then a home date with Arizona on November 1 and a visit to the Colts on November 8. A loss would drop them to 2-4, but a win in Green Bay would show the offense can carry them through a defensive rebuild.
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Quick FAQs
Green Bay, 22-17-1 across 40 meetings. The Packers also lead 17-13-1 in the regular season and 5-4 in the playoffs.
September 28, 2025, when the game ended in a 40-40 overtime tie at AT&T Stadium.
October 16, 2016, a 30-16 win at Lambeau Field.
Kickoff is 8:20 p.m. ET (7:20 p.m. CT) at Lambeau Field.
The game airs on NBC and streams on Peacock in the United States, and DAZN carries it for NFL Game Pass subscribers in most international markets.
The full box score will be posted on NFL.com and ESPN right after the game.
Yes, he is expected to play. He was a full participant in practice all week and carries no game designation.
No. Parsons is still recovering from a torn ACL.
