The Dallas Cowboys entered Sunday night's matchup against the Green Bay Packers hoping to move past their defensive struggles.
Instead ... Dak Prescott threw two interceptions, the defense repeatedly faltered on third down, and Dallas fell 23-13 at Lambeau Field.
The loss dropped the Cowboys to 2-4, while Green Bay improved to 4-2.
Prescott completed 34 of 54 passes for 258 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. Jordan Love threw for 276 yards, with Matthew Golden catching six passes for 104 yards and a touchdown.
Dallas trailed 17-0 at halftime, and a late touchdown from Ryan Flournoy did little to disguise another frustrating performance.
FIRST QUARTER:
Ryan Flournoy. Hunter Luepke. Javonte Williams.
Those were Prescott's first three passing targets. No CeeDee Lamb. No George Pickens.
Dallas managed one first down before punting.
Then, something unexpected.
The Cowboys sent a blitz!
Pressure! Aggression! An actual attempt to make Love uncomfortable!
Unfortunately, third down remained a different story.
Green Bay converted third-and-5, then third-and-13 on a 27-yard completion to Christian Watson. Golden beat Shavon Revel Jr. for another 37 yards.
Quinnen Williams eventually sacked Love, forcing another third-and-13.
Another conversion.
Love found Pierre Strong Jr. for 14 yards before connecting with Golden for a nine-yard touchdown.
7-0 Packers.
Four third-down conversions on a 14-play, 90-yard drive.
Dee Winters later intercepted Love, apparently returning it for a touchdown.
Well ... never mind.
Replay ruled him down at the Green Bay 42.
FIRST QUARTER TAKEAWAYS:
1. Four for four. Seriously? - Green Bay entered converting just 28% of its third downs, the league's worst mark. Dallas surrendered four conversions on the opening drive.
2. Aggression is nice. Results are better - Mike Pettine's arrival brought hopes of defensive adjustments. Dallas generated pressure but continued allowing explosive plays.
3. Dee Winters, finally! - The linebacker delivered Dallas' first interception of the season. The overturned touchdown hurt, but the takeaway provided excellent field position.
SECOND QUARTER:
Remember that excellent field position?
Gone.
Prescott threw an interception to Evan Williams at the Packers' 3, wasting Winters' takeaway.
Six plays. Twenty-five yards. Zero points.
Green Bay responded with a 15-play, 73-yard possession before Malik Hooker stopped Tucker Kraft on third-and-goal.
A 25-yard field goal made it 10-0.
Dallas finally moved into scoring position behind completions to Brevyn Spann-Ford and Pickens.
Then came another interception.
Lamb slipped on a slant, and Prescott's pass landed in Boubacar Cisse's hands.
Green Bay needed just 97 seconds to capitalize.
Joey Porter Jr. committed a 37-yard pass interference penalty. DaRon Bland added another near the goal line.
Love scored from one yard out.
17-0 at halftime.
SECOND QUARTER TAKEAWAYS:
1. Two interceptions. Zero points - Prescott wasted two scoring opportunities. Lamb's slip contributed to the second interception, but the damage was done.
2. Golden is having his way with Dallas - The rookie consistently created separation, even dropping potential touchdowns. Love kept testing Dallas' defensive backs.
3. Seventeen points, and it could've been worse - Hooker's goal-line stop saved four points. Golden missed additional opportunities. Dallas was fortunate the deficit wasn't larger.
READ MORE: Cowboys Reveal Truths In Players-Only Meeting As Defense In Crisis Mode
THIRD QUARTER:
Three-and-out.
Wait ... Dallas can do that?
The defense forced an immediate punt, and Jonathan Mingo returned it 16 yards to Green Bay's 46.
Prescott scrambled seven yards on fourth-and-2, keeping the drive alive.
A 17-yard completion to Lamb and an impressive catch by Spann-Ford helped set up Williams' one-yard touchdown.
17-7 Packers.
Finally, some life.
Love converted two more third downs before Porter broke up a deep attempt to Golden.
That's why you go get him.
Except Green Bay converted fourth down anyway, finding a wide-open Kraft for 14 yards.
Of course.
Then came Malachi Lawrence.
The rookie defensive lineman broke up a potential touchdown pass intended for Watson.
Malachi Lawrence? In coverage? Making plays in the end zone?
To hell with it ... put him at cornerback.
Green Bay settled for a 44-yard field goal.
20-7.
Dallas punted again, but Kenny Clark sacked Love for a 10-yard loss against his former team, forcing another Green Bay punt.
THIRD QUARTER TAKEAWAYS:
1. That's why you go get Joey Porter Jr. - His breakup against Golden was one of Dallas' best defensive plays. Unfortunately, the ensuing fourth-down conversion erased much of its value.
2. Malachi Lawrence ... defensive back? - The rookie's end-zone breakup was a rare bright spot. Maybe the Cowboys should give him more opportunities.
3. A pulse! Just not enough - Prescott's scramble, Williams' touchdown and Clark's sack showed fight. Dallas still needed two touchdowns entering the fourth.
READ MORE: Cowboys at Packers: Can Mike Pettine Offer 'Magic' To Christian Parker's Defense?
FOURTH QUARTER:
Down 13, Dallas needed something.
Instead, another turnover on downs.
Two incompletions intended for Lamb ended the Cowboys' first possession at midfield.
Green Bay added a 29-yard field goal.
23-7.
Prescott found Pickens and Spann-Ford for consecutive 11-yard completions, giving Dallas another opportunity.
Unfortunately, the penalties followed.
Tyler Booker's unnecessary roughness penalty wiped out valuable field position following an 11-yard completion to Flournoy.
Eleven penalties for 108 yards.
Good grief.
Dallas eventually reached Green Bay's 13 before Lukas Van Ness sacked Prescott.
A two-yard completion to Luepke set up fourth-and-11.
Prescott dropped back, faced pressure and fired incomplete toward Lamb.
Turnover on downs.
Was that a business decision?
Prescott had already absorbed several hits. Another defender was closing in, and he released the ball before taking another shot.
But it was fourth down. The Cowboys needed a play.
Dallas forced another punt, and Prescott finally put together a touchdown drive.
He found Pickens for 21 yards before connecting with Flournoy for a six-yard score with 44 seconds remaining.
The two-point attempt toward Lamb fell incomplete.
23-13 Packers.
Too little, too late.
FOURTH QUARTER TAKEAWAYS:
1. A football field of mistakes - Eleven penalties for 108 yards, with Booker's unnecessary roughness penalty particularly damaging. Dallas couldn't stop sabotaging its own possessions.
2. A business decision? - Prescott avoided another potential hit on fourth-and-11, but the incompletion ended a scoring opportunity. With the game slipping away, Dallas needed something more.
3. Where was that urgency earlier? - Prescott's 78-yard touchdown drive showed Dallas could move the football. Unfortunately, the Cowboys waited until the final minutes to make it happen.
Dallas held Green Bay to 57 rushing yards on 26 carries, recorded three sacks and surrendered just six second-half points.
There were signs of improvement.
But those numbers only make the result more frustrating.
The Cowboys forced a turnover, generated pressure and gave their offense opportunities to respond. Prescott threw two interceptions, and Dallas couldn't overcome its penalties or third-down problems.
Different opponent. Different adjustments. Same mistakes.
The Cowboys spent the week talking about accountability.
Sunday night gave them plenty more to talk about.
The Cobwoys travel to Philadelphia for a divisional bout with the banged-up Eagles next Monday looking to end a two-game skid ... and gain any sort of confidence.