Parsons Returns as Packers and Cowboys Share a 40-40 Tie

When Micah Parsons, linebacker of the Green Bay Packers, stepped onto the field at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, on September 28, 2025, no one expected the showdown to end in a 40-40 tie. The drama unfolded in Week 4 of the NFL season, pitting the Cowboys against a Packers squad that had just acquired Parsons a month earlier. Both teams left the stadium with a record that now reads 1‑2‑1 for Dallas and 2‑1‑1 for Green Bay, a split that could shape the next few weeks of the NFC North race.

Why the matchup mattered

The trade that sent Parsons to Green Bay on August 28 was one of the most talked‑about deals of the offseason. Dallas gave up a first‑round pick and a 2024 third‑rounder, betting that a revamped defensive front could accelerate a slow start. Green Bay, meanwhile, hoped that adding a Pro‑Bowl talent would shore up a defense that had struggled against the pass in 2023. The game in Arlington was the first real test of that gamble, and the stakes felt higher than a typical Week 4 contest because the two franchises are perennial rivals.

How the action unfolded

From the opening kickoff, the game resembled a roller coaster. Dallas struck first with a 22‑yard touchdown pass from Dak Prescott to CeeDee Lamb. Green Bay answered with a 12‑yard strike from Jordan Love to Christian Watson. What followed was a flurry of lead‑changing scores – seven straight touchdowns that kept the scoreboard ticking like a metronome. Each drive seemed to reset the momentum, and the fans were left gasping after every conversion.

The turning point arrived late in the fourth quarter when Parsons recorded a sack on Prescott, forcing a three‑and‑out. Green Bay’s ensuing field goal attempt by Brandon McManus fell short, but the Packers managed a 53‑yard field goal with just seconds left to tie it at 40‑40. The crowd erupted – not with celebration, but with disbelief.

Overtime was a study in nerves. Both kickers, McManus for Green Bay and Brandon Aubrey for Dallas, exchanged short attempts that missed the uprights. With the clock winding down, McManus slotted a 34‑yard field goal as the final second ticked away, sealing the tie. The final whistle came before Love could connect a last‑second pass, leaving a 1‑2‑1 record for the Cowboys and a slightly improved 2‑1‑1 slate for the Packers.

Key performances and stats

• Prescott and Love each threw three touchdown passes – a rare twin‑quarterback feat in a single game.
• Parsons logged one sack, a forced fumble (which was recovered by Green Bay), and three tackles, proving he can still make an impact against his former teammates.
• The combined yardage eclipsed 800 total offensive yards, with both teams averaging over 200 yards per quarter.
• Both kickers went 2‑for‑4 in overtime, underscoring the pressure on special teams.

Prescott, after the game, said, "It's hard to kind of wrap my head around it because I know I'd feel a hell of a lot worse if it was a loss, but I'm not satisfied. Not that I would be if we won." His mixed emotions reflected a franchise that still feels the sting of its 1‑2 start.

Injuries and roster implications

The Cowboys paid a price beyond the scoreboard. Safety Malik Hooker exited in the second quarter with a left toe injury that appeared to be a fracture, and running back Miles Sanders limped off with an ankle sprain just before halftime. Left tackle Tyler Guyton underwent a concussion evaluation after a head collision on a play-action run.

Dallas’ medical staff listed Hooker as day‑to‑day, Sanders as questionable for the next week, and Guyton as cleared to practice but not yet cleared to rejoin the offensive line. The injuries force head coach Mike McCarthy to lean on backups like C.J. Gardner‑Jansen and Dameon Pierce in the upcoming Week 5 clash against the New York Jets.

What’s next for both teams

The Packers head into their next game against a struggling Detroit Lions squad, hoping to capitalize on the momentum of a tie that felt almost like a win. Green Bay’s defensive coordinator, Joe Barry, highlighted Parsons’ impact in post‑game film, noting that “his presence alone forces offenses to look elsewhere, and that’s a priceless asset.” If the Packers can tighten up their special‑teams woes, they could swing a few more close games in their favor.

Dallas, meanwhile, will travel to MetLife Stadium on October 5. The Jets are sitting at 0‑3, so a win would bring the Cowboys back to .500. However, the depth‑chart concerns linger. If Hooker and Sanders remain sidelined, the Cowboys’ secondary and rushing attack could be underpowered, which would give the Jets a chance to exploit the gaps.

Historical context

A 40‑40 tie is a statistical oddity in modern NFL play. Since the league introduced overtime in 1974, ties have occurred in roughly 0.4% of games. The last time a regular‑season game finished with both teams scoring exactly 40 points was in 2018, when the Seattle Seahawks and San Francisco 49ers ended 40‑40. That game, like this one, featured a flurry of lead changes and left fans debating whether a tie is a victory, a loss, or something in between.

For the Packers, this tie marks the first non‑win, non‑loss result since the 2022 season finale against the Detroit Lions, a game that ended 17‑17. Green Bay’s last tie came back in 2008 against the New York Giants. As for the Cowboys, their most recent tie was in 2016 against the New York Giants, a 31‑31 stalemate that led to a late‑season coaching change.