The Green Bay Packers avenged a string of losses to Dallas by trouncing the Cowboys to set up a potential showdown with the San Francisco 49ers in the play-offs.

Dorsey Levens wore down the Cowboys with a 190-yard club rushing record, while the quarterback Brett Favre dissected Dallas with four touchdown passes as Green Bay crushed the Cowboys 45-17, ending an eight-game losing streak to America's Team.

The Packers are now 9-3 and look destined to meet the 49ers for the National Conference title. The 49ers improved their record to 11-1 at the weekend with a 1710 win over the San Diego Chargers.

The struggling Cowboys stayed with the Packers in the first half thanks to Deion Sanders, who strutted into the end zone after a 50-yard interception return that gave Dallas a 10-7 lead. But the Pack tied the game with a 32-yard field goal from Ryan Longwell just before the end of the half.

The Cowboys were still in it early in the fourth quarter after Emmitt Smith burst through a gaggle of green jerseys for a 21yard TD to make it 24-17. But in the final period, Green Bay ground down the Cowboys behind Levens's powerful running on the way to three TDs. First, Favre found Antonio Freeman, one of the league's best receivers, for a 23-yard TD. Levens followed up with a five-yard TD run, his second score of the day, and the final TD came from a 34-yard fumble return.

The once-mighty Cowboys are now 6-6 and are third in the NFC East behind the New York Giants and the Washington Redskins. The Cowboys conceivably could still make it to the play-offs if they win their last four games and the Redskins self-destruct. Washington lost a chance to put some distance between themselves and Dallas in a comedy of errors with the New York Giants.

The 7-7 game went into overtime with both teams squandering chances to win. Brad Deluiso missed two 54-yard field goal attempts in overtime and Scott Blanton missed his own 54-yard try as well.

Blanton would have been kicking from 15 yards closer if Michael Westbrook, the Redskins receiver, had not committed a stupid penalty by yanking off his helmet.

The Giants lead the NFC East with a 7-4 record in the renaissance of New York's two teams. The New York Jets also occupy the top perch in their division, the AFC East, with eight wins. On Sunday, the Jets held off the Minnesota Vikings 23-21 and are heading to the play-offs.