The Green Bay Packers had a total possession of 34:14 during the week 3 match against the Cleveland Browns. Leading the game up through to the 3rd quarter, it looked definite that they would snatch the win. Just until, Cleveland erased a 10-0 deficit to beat Green Bay 13-10 during the 4th quarter. During the podcast Bussin’ with the boys, Clay Matthews, the former linebacker for the Packers, expressed his opinion on the match that slipped away. 

“You just wish that the Packers could have won that, maybe 10-3 or 10-10. But they kicked that final field goal,” Matthews said.  At 3:42 in the 4th quarter, rookie kicker Andre Szmyt hit a 35-yard field goal and opened the scoring account for the Browns. Jordan Love, the quarterback, opened strongly for the Packers, completing 18 of 25 passes for 183 yards and one touchdown through three quarters.

His fourth-quarter interception to Browns safety Grant Delpit changed the narrative of a possible win. The mistake by Love at 3rd and 3 at 3:16 anchored the Browns. With an interception, picked up by Delpit as he took off, leading to the first turnover against the Green Bay Packers. “I didn’t see it,” Love said of Delpit’s coverage, terming it a triple slant concept to the left side. According to the Packers’ recap web release, “That’s a bad play call. I shouldn’t have called that play. That’s on me.” Head Coach Matt LaFleur said.

“And they were like, ‘Alright, let’s quit reading the press clippings.’ I didn’t put much into it. I thought it was going to be closer, yet they didn’t have much to play for, as silly as that sounds.” Matthews added.  

Rookie back Quinshon Judkins converted the takeaway into a one-yard touchdown run, tying the game 10-10.  “But how about the Browns’ defense? If I were Garrett, I would’ve considered the early contention for defensive player of the year,” Matthew pointed out.

Green Bay Packers’ next drive reached field-goal range, but Anders Carlson’s 43-yard attempt at the 26th second in the 4th quarter was blocked by defensive lineman Shelby Harris. Joe Flacco, the quarterback for the Browns, then moved the Browns into position with short completions and Judkins’ ground gains. Cleveland’s defense produced five sacks and held Green Bay to 230 total yards and 81 rushing yards on 31 attempts.

Andre Szmyt hit a 55-yard field goal as the clock struck 0. “The kick is good,” the commentator said, leading the Browns to victory. Flacco finished 21 of 36 for 142 yards with no turnovers; Judkins rushed for 94 yards on 21 carries. The Browns improved to 1-2, while the Packers fell to 2-1, suffering their first loss of the season. Up next is the Micah Parsons derby, as the Green Bay face off against the Cowboys.

Green Bay heads into a Week 4 showdown at Dallas

The Packers arrive at AT&T Stadium with a 2-1 record, while the Dallas Cowboys are 1-2. Green Bay has dominated this matchup in recent years; they’ve won 10 of their last 11 meetings, including the last five in Dallas and the postseason games.  The former Packers LB Matthews said, “I think it will be a 7-7 match. I think Jordan Love goes off this game and Micah coming back, I think it’s the Packers getting a big one in Dallas.” 

Injuries and roster changes will play a big role. The Cowboys will be without CeeDee Lamb, sidelined for 3-4 weeks with a high ankle sprain. Meanwhile, the Packers’ newly acquired Micah Parsons returns to Dallas for the first time in green, a personal subplot many eyes will watch. The Packers signed Parsons to a four-year, $186 million contract that includes $120 million in guaranteed money. According to Next Gen Stats, with five tackles, 1.5 sacks, and six quarterback hits, Parsons ranks second in the NFL with 19 quarterback pressures.

Parsons told Rob Maaddi of Associated Press on the prospects of sacking Dak Prescott, “It’s going to be painful. That’s my guy. He was always like a good mentor for me. But you know how it is, he always told me if I ever faced him, that it’ll be a great matchup.” 

This season, the Cowboys have improved, finishing fourth with 393.7 yards per game and tenth with 24.7 points per game. The fact that they defeated the Giants in overtime with 478 yards and 40 points in Week 2 skews those statistics. They only managed just over 350 yards and 17 points on average in their Week 1 and Week 3 losses to the Philadelphia Eagles and Chicago Bears, dropping them to 10th in overall offense and 28th in scoring.

The Cowboys’ defense is among the weakest in the league. With 30.7 points and 397.7 yards allowed per game, they rank 27th and 30th, respectively. They have given up 288.0 yards per game through the air. In terms of sacks, they rank close to the bottom in the NFL.

Statistically, the matchup favors Green Bay’s passing attack. Dallas ranks 31st in defensive EPA and allows 3.07 points per drive, the worst in the league. The Packers, meanwhile, have allowed just 1.47 points per drive and sit among the best in defensive efficiency.