Cowboys Hold Off Packers

Maybe losing Troy Aikman, Emmitt Smith and Michael Irvin was the jolt the Dallas Cowboys needed.

Backup quarterback Jason Garrett showed the poise and accuracy of Aikman, and safety George Teague helped the defense withstand a typical late charge by Brett Favre as Dallas beat Green Bay, 27-13, Sunday.

Playing without their Big Three for the first time in a decade, the Cowboys (5-4) won for the first time in three games and leaped from third in the NFC East into a first-place tie with Washington and the New York Giants.

“It’s really a special day to win when three of the best players to ever play their positions in the NFL are standing on the sidelines in T-shirts and ballcaps,” Garrett said.

The Packers (4-5) dropped their third in a row and fourth in five games to fall below .500 in the second half of a season for the first time since 1994. This was their eighth consecutive loss at Texas Stadium.

Dallas, which blew leads of 17, 14 and 10 points in losing three of its last four games, almost blew another after going ahead 20-3 with 10:40 left.

Favre shook off three quarters of missed opportunities--both by him and his receivers--to throw a 26-yard touchdown pass to Antonio Freeman with 6:53 to go, then set up Ryan Longwell’s 31-yard field goal with 1:21 to play that got Green Bay within 20-13.

The Packers recovered the onside kick and moved to the Dallas 25 with 21 seconds left, then Teague intercepted a pass on the sideline and coasted 95 yards for a touchdown.

Teague raised the ball in celebration as he crossed the 50 while Favre walked slowly to the sideline with his helmet off and shoulders slumped.