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This game was supposed to be played out in the night sky between two of the NFL best young passers.

This game was supposed to be played out in the night sky between two of the NFL best young passers. A showcase of bombs and bullets. But like much of what happens in the NFL, it didn’t go quite according to plan.

Tony Romo and Aaron Rodgers were almost bit players in this production, which ended with the Cowboys prevailing 27-16. The stars of this game were Cowboys running backs Marion Barber and Felix Jones.

It was the Cowboys’ first victory at Lambeau Field in six tries. The Cowboys’ only previous road victories over the Packers were in Milwaukee.

It was a disappointing loss for the Packers, who had an opportunity to prove they could play with the big boys without Brett Favre. Then again, the Cowboys look like they are going to beat a lot of teams between now and February.

Packers coach Mike McCarthy told his team the game was a good measuring stick for the young Packers.

“The Dallas Cowboys are further ahead than we are right now,” McCarthy said. “That’s the facts and that’s Week 3. How far ahead, time will answer that question.”

In this young season, the Cowboys are the best the league has to offer.

The Packers can take solace knowing their pass defense stepped up.

“We felt we were applying pressure,” said Packers defensive end Cullen Jenkins, who had 1<SUP>1</SUP>/<SUB>2</SUB> sacks, two tackles for a loss, three quarterback hits and a forced fumble. “We weren’t letting them sit there and pick us apart. But at the same time we didn’t keep the running game under control.”

The Packers limited Romo to average production (260 passing yards and an 82.6 passer rating), but they couldn’t contain the Cowboys’ outstanding running tandem of Barber and Jones. Barber bulled his way to 142 yards and a touchdown while Jones provided the flash with another of his patented big plays.

In the second quarter he took a pitch left. He broke one tackle and eluded another defender, and outran the rest of the Packers for 60 yards and a touchdown.

He thus became the first Cowboys running back to score touchdowns in each of his first three games. On the sidelines after the play, if Jones’ smile were any wider, it would have extended beyond his ears. In the locker room afterward, the smile was just as wide.

“It’s exciting,” Jones said of his record. “That’s a big-time accomplishment. I take a lot of pride in that.”

Barber got his touchdown with 2:53 left in the third quarter on a 2-yard run up the middle, making it 20-9 Dallas. The touchdown was made possible by a 63-yard pass from Romo to wide receiver Miles Austin.

Romo and Austin hooked up again in the fourth quarter on a 52-yard pass down the right sideline. This one went for a touchdown and gave the Cowboys a 27-9 lead.

There were more highlights for Romo than Rodgers, who didn’t play poorly but did not attain the level of excellence he did in his previous two starts. Rodgers was sacked five times, failed to throw a touchdown pass and ended up with a passer rating of 80.1.

“You’d like to win them all, obviously, but Dallas is a good football team and we unfortunately didn’t play our best tonight,” Rodgers said.

“We’re going to have to watch the film and be very critical of ourselves and get better and move on and get ready for Tampa.”

It probably wasn’t quite the way Rodgers envisioned it.

And it probably wasn’t quite the way Romo envisioned his first start in his home state. But the native of Burlington, Wis., was undoubtedly happy with the scoreboard at game’s end.

Monday, September 22nd, 2008 at 10:00 pm and is filed under NFL football news. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.