A tie? A tie.
The NFL's first tie in nearly three years belongs to the Dallas Cowboys and Green Bay Packers, and the result might feel a bit empty for those who watched what was an exhilarating game.
Sunday night's contest began with all eyes on Micah Parsons exactly one month after he was traded from Dallas to Green Bay, but Parsons just wasn't much of a factor in regulation. A relentless player, Parsons' breakthrough seemed inevitable -- and it came in overtime, where he changed the game with one play.
Here's what you need to know about the "Sunday Night Football" 40-40 tie and how Parsons shifted the game.
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Cowboys-Packers tie, explained
As strange as it might seem, ties are possible in the NFL. Every so often, fans and even players themselves are abruptly reminded that not every game has a winner. No one leaves feeling particularly satisfied, but no one leaves totally empty, either.
That can be said for both the Cowboys and Packers, who had chances to win but also had moments in which they seemed destined to lose. Dallas trailed 13-0 early on and saw its defense get gashed by Josh Jacobs and Romeo Doubs nearly every time it reclaimed the lead.
The Packers, meanwhile, faced the possibility of a loss when the Cowboys forced a long field goal attempt at the end of regulation. Green Bay was also one fourth down play away from coming up short in overtime and never getting the chance to run Brandon McManus out for a game-tying field goal. McManus ultimately got that chance and forced a tie, but only after the Packers nearly ran out of time on the previous play.
A tie is better than a loss, but it wasn't what the Cowboys or the favored Packers showed up to AT&T Stadium looking for.
While ties aren't common in the NFL -- the most recent before Sunday night was a 20-20 draw between the Giants and Commanders on Dec. 4, 2022 -- it might only be a matter of time until they start to happen more regularly again. There were seven ties between 2018-2022 after the NFL shortened overtime periods to 10 minutes, and under new rules for 2025, each team now has a chance to possess the ball.
That means the Packers still would have gotten a chance to match the Cowboys even if Dallas scored a touchdown on its initial drive, though one would have to think the Packers would have attempted a two-point conversion and played for the win rather than settling for the tie in that scenario.
That scenario never played out because of a play made by Parsons. Here's a look at his sack of Dak Prescott and how it changed the game.
MORE: Inside Micah Parsons' night against former team
How Micah Parsons' OT sack prevented a Cowboys win
Parsons was held in check in regulation, as the Cowboys limited him to two assisted tackles and no sacks, but he started to make his presence felt in overtime. After getting in Prescott's face on what turned out to be a beautiful completion to Jalen Tolbert a few plays earlier, Parsons chased down his former teammate in the red zone and potentially prevented a touchdown.
Micah Parsons might have saved a TD on this play 😤 pic.twitter.com/WGGFdSTOFo
— NFL (@NFL) September 29, 2025
Edgerrin Cooper could have had a shot at Prescott if the Cowboys quarterback continued on toward the end zone, but Parsons didn't let it get that far. Because Parsons took Prescott down for no gain, the play was recorded as a sack.
The Cowboys settled for a field goal, giving the Packers a chance to tie or win the game, and Green Bay ultimately had to settle for a field goal of its own with one second on the clock to force a 40-40 tie.
Had the Cowboys scored a touchdown, perhaps the Packers would have approached their drive more aggressively and found the end zone anyway. As it stood, though, Parsons' sack limited Dallas to three points, and a matching three points was all Green Bay could muster.
Look at the positive side of a tie: the math on potential playoff scenarios for the Packers and Cowboys later in the season just became much simpler.