The Packers, owners of the youngest roster in the National Football League, had the look of a promising playoff-bound team on Sunday night.

The Cowboys looked like a Super Bowl contender.

With a regular-season record crowd of 71,113 crammed into Lambeau Field for the highly anticipated match-up, Dallas dispatched Green Bay, 27-16, before a national TV audience on "Sunday Night Football."

Here -- in no particular order -- are some riffs, rants and other reactions from the game:

Not mincing words: Packers coach Mike McCarthy summed up the evening succinctly when he said: "The Dallas Cowboys are farther ahead than we are right now, and that's the facts."

Missing in action: The Packers secondary was depleted before the game started because of Atari Bigby's injury and things got progressively worse. Cornerback Al Harris was sidelined early due to an undisclosed injury (cramping?), and Nick Collins was forced out with a back injury. Tramon Williams, Aaron Rouse and Charlie Peprah had some decent sequences, but they looked like backups.

Quiet night: Cowboys wide receiver Terrell Owens, often the center of attention, was almost invisible in the game. Harassed by veteran cornerback Charles Woodson for much of the night, Owens dropped the first pass thrown his way and ended up with two catches for 17 yards. Last year, Owens caught passes for 156 yards.

Miles of smiles: Owens didn't have a great impact on the game, but backup Miles Austin did. He caught only two passes, but they went for 115 yards. Backup tight end Martellus Bennett announced his presence with a 37-yard reception.

Subdued celebration: Packers wide receiver Greg Jennings, who made some big plays in the first half, ended up with eight receptions for 115 yards on his 25th birthday.

Dynamic duo: Green Bay's inability to control the Cowboys' running game was the key to the game. With a massive offensive line leading the way, Marion Barber and Felix Jones pounded away at the Packers. Barger had 80 yards by halftime. Jones, the backup, sprinted for a 60-yard touchdown. The Cowboys finished with 218 rushing yards.

Oops: Packers running back Ryan Grant, who missed much of training camp and subsequent practice time with a strained hamstring, fumbled on his team's first possession and Adam Jones recovered. The injury can't excuse that. Fumbles are unacceptable for big-time running back. Then again, so is gaining 54 yards in 13 carries.

Thanks, no thanks: The Cowboys won the coin toss and deferred, giving the Packers the opening kickoff. You see college teams do that occasionally in order to pick which goal they want to attack in the second half (in order to avoid a raucous student section, for example) but you don't see it often in the NFL).

Sloppy: For the third week in a row, Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers and center Jason Spitz fumble an exchange. The Packers are hoping the trend ends when / if starting center Scott Wells returns. Wells was active for the game, but did not start.

Tricks are for kids: Dallas tried a little razzle-dazzle in the first half, when wide receiver Patrick Crayton attempted to pass the ball to Owens. Woodson and Collins had tight coverage on the play.

Stepping up? Collins, who intercepted just four passes in his first three seasons, has two already this season. His pick in the end zone and 61-yard return set up a Green Bay field goal.

Glory days: The Packers welcomed back a bunch of former players for alumni weekend. Bart Starr, Jerry Kramer, Marco Rivera and Mark Chmura were among the returnees.

Off the Schneid: The Cowboys had never won a game in five visits to Green Bay. They did, however, win at Milwaukee County Stadium.

Seeing red: The Packers' offense was abysmal inside the Dallas 20. Three trips to the "red zone" stalled and led to field goals. The only touchdown came just before the 2-minute warning, when the verdict had already been sealed.

In control: The Packers, 2-1, still hold a one-game lead over Minnesota and Chicago in the NFC North Division. The Cowboys and Giants are the only unbeaten teams in the conference at 3-0.

A different view: Rodgers faced significant pressure from a tough defense. He was sacked five times and hurried a handful of incompletions. Rodgers ended up with a passer rating of 78.2.

Happy homecoming: Romo, who grew up in Burlington, was erratic at times but ended up a respectable 17 for 30 for 260 yards. His 52-yard touchdown strike to Austin in the fourth quarter sealed the deal.

Familiar face: Former University of Wisconsin star Brooks Bollinger was the Cowboys' third quarterback. Bollinger was cut by Minnesota at the end of training camp and signed with the Cowboys two weeks ago.

Control your temper: Packers rookie tight end Jermichael Finley made his pro debut on special teams and drew a penalty for unnecessary roughness. Finley was activated because fullback Korey Hall had a knee injury.

More tests upcoming: Sunday marked the start of a stretch when the Packers will play four playoff teams in five games.