It's easy to write a story about a football game after it's been played. But writing a story before the game, now that's hard.

Two nights from now, the Packers will play their biggest game in, well, a long, long time. So let's do it justice with a pre-game wish or prediction or something. Now, THIS is tough to do.

Here is how the game story the day after the game will look:

DALLAS -- The Green Bay Packers, picked as doormats by almost everyone before the season, continued their improbable run Thursday night with a thrilling 41-38 victory over the Dallas Cowboys.

"I've said all along that this football team has a chance to be very good," said Packers coach Mike McCarthy, who now has to be the favorite for NFL Coach of the Year honors. "With that old man at quarterback, we never feel like we are out of the game."

With 9 minutes 47 seconds left in the game, the young man in the matchup, Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo, threw his third touchdown pass of the night to Terrell Owens and the Packers were on the short end of a 38-24 score. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones left his private box and went down to the field, his trademark move when victory seems assured.

Koren Robinson gave the Packers some life when he returned the kickoff to the Dallas 36, but two running plays and an incomplete pass from the old man, Brett Favre, later, the Packers settled for Mason Crosby's 53-yard field goal.

Dallas started on the 20 and Charles Woodson and Al Harris put the clamps on Owens and Patrick Crayton. On third and nine from the Dallas 35, both cornerbacks knocked their receivers flat on the ground, eliminating two possible receivers for Romo and forcing a punt.

The Packers, who had struggled against the speedy Dallas defense, struck quickly, when tight end Donald Lee snuck behind linebacker Justin Rogers for 42 yards and moved the ball to the 19.

McCarthy pulled one out of his hat on the next play, calling a draw to Ryan Grant, who found a seam on the right side, blasted through it and scored a touchdown to close the gap to 38-34 with just more than 4 minutes left.

The Cowboys started on their own 20 and moved the ball steadily to midfield as the seconds slid off the clock. Romo completed a pass for six to Jason Witten on first down. On second down, Romo hit Owens in the flat but Harris and A. J. Hawk slammed him to the ground for no gain. On third and four, the Cowboys tried a draw with Marion Barber. But Justin Harrell, seeing his first extended action, read the play, met Barber head on, and dropped him for no gain.

"When you're a number one (draft choice) they expect you to make big plays," Harrell said. "I'm happy to have the chance."

The Cowboys punted and the Packers took over on their own 13, with 2:14 on the clock and two timeouts left.

McCarthy crossed up everyone by running Grant to the right, behind Mark Tauscher and Jason Spitz. Grant found a seam and gained 39 yards to cross midfield.

"I knew we had the 2-minute warning and told Brett that if he saw the Cowboys in Cover-2 to go with Ryan," McCarthy said. "He recognized it and changed the play and both Spitz and Mark got great blocks."

Nobody in the stadium or the television audience had any doubt that Favre was about to pick the Cowboys apart with the kind of surgical short passing game that has been a hallmark of the Packers' offense this season.

But on the first play after the 2-minute warning, the Packers lined up in their five wide receiver set. Favre found Robinson with linebacker Greg Ellis trying to guard him and laid the ball right into Robinson's hands at the 5 for the go-ahead touchdown.

"I've been saying all along that when we've got five out there is no defense can match up with us," said Donald Driver, the dean of this pass catching corps.

Favre, who is making a strong case for MVP, even over Tom Brady, is becoming a convert.

"I know that all season long I've been saying we are just one slipup away from being average," he said. "Well, after today, I've got to admit, we might be pretty good."

There you have it. The game story of the Packers' victory, two nights from now. As a wise man once said. "That's my story, and I'm sticking to it."