NFL Game of the Week: Dallas Cowboys vs. Minnesota Vikings
The NFL season is heating up, and so is the race for the top seed in the NFC. With that, the Dallas Cowboys (6-3) travel north to Minneapolis to take on the Minnesota Vikings (8-1) in what should be a heavyweight NFC showdown.
Both teams enter Sunday’s matchup coming off crazy back-and-forth games in Week 10. The Vikings fought hard in Buffalo in the potential game of the year, upsetting the Bills on the road 33-30.
The biggest thing to note from that game was the sheer dominance of star wideout Justin Jefferson, who is solidifying his spot as the top receiver in football. He had the numbers to back it up too, catching 10 balls for 193 yards and a touchdown.
Jefferson also notched one of the greatest catches in NFL history, catching a 4th and 18 from quarterback Kirk Cousins late in the fourth to keep the Vikings hopes alive. Minnesota would later be stopped at the goal line, but an ensuing miracle would send the game to overtime.
Bills quarterback Josh Allen would fumble the ball into his own end zone with less than a minute left, and a late Tyler Bass field goal would tie the game 30-30 at the end of regulation. After taking a 33-30 lead, cornerback Patrick Peterson would shut the door with a red zone interception, sending the Vikings to their seventh straight win.
Minnesota is one of the hottest teams in football, while Dallas is looking to bounce back after an overtime game of their own. While the Vikings finished in the extra period, the Cowboys were on the other end of overtime despair.
Dallas traveled to Lambeau last Sunday, and after leading the Green Bay Packers 14-0 early, let Aaron Rodgers and company claw right back in it. The Packers tied it late, and then walked it off with a Mason Crosby field goal to win it 31-28.
Despite the loss, Cowboys faithful can take a lot of positives away from last weeks loss. Running back Tony Pollard filled in well following the Ezekiel Elliott injury, rushing 22 times for 115 yards and a score. Wide receiver Ceedee Lamb ran wild as well, catching 11 passes for 150 yards and two touchdowns.
With a loss there is a lot to fix, however. Quarterback Dak Prescott has looked shaky since returning from injury. Dak threw three touchdowns to two interceptions last week, something he’s hoping to fix next time out.
Dallas sports the best pass rush and second best scoring defense in football, but they will be tested this week against a dangerous Minnesota offense.
The key matchup to watch will be that of the aforementioned Justin Jefferson versus cornerback Trevon Diggs. Diggs led the league in interceptions last year and is known for his ball hawking skills, but has been susceptible to the big play. Jefferson feeds off his versatility down the field, so Diggs will have to be weary of allowing the Vikings wideout to break the game open.
Additionally, reigning defensive rookie of the year Micah Parsons and veteran edge rusher Demarcus Lawrence will have to be dominant in both the pass game but especially the running game. Vikings running back Dalvin Cook has rushed well in recent weeks, and has over 720 yards on the year so far.
We’ve got a great matchup in store between a top offense riding high versus a dominant front four. If Dallas can get to Kirk Cousins early and often, it will be tough for Minnesota to move the ball effectively. But if the protection holds up, the Vikings have the star power to get ahead early.
ESPN’s matchup predictor has Dallas a 1.5 point favorite on the road, with a 56.6% chance of victory. Tune in this Sunday at 4:25 p.m. on CBS to see it all unfold.
Parker Silverman is a freshman majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, please email pws5405@psu.edu.
