So, I guess we can go ahead and dub this week's game against the Minnesota Vikings as the Desperation Bowl. And we all know that desperation makes a stinky cologne. Here we have two teams that were part of the consensus favorites to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl. So much for preseason predictions.
While the Dallas Cowboys will try to right the ship by improving their mental discipline on the field, the Vikings took the bold route and went out and grabbed Randy Moss from the Patriots. Moss' addition couldn't help the Vikings overcome the Jets on Monday night, but we now get Favre, Moss and Co. with a game under their belt and little more practice time. This should worry a Dallas secondary that has been shredded on two different occasions this year, including Vince Young and the Titans last week. Moss loved to beat up on the Cowboys way back when he was a Viking, a little payback for them famously passing on him in the draft for character issues way back in the day. Maybe he's not still mad.
Both teams will be scrapping for their playoff lives in this game, both want to save a season that is on the rocks at the moment. One team will walk out at 2-3 with a little momentum going, the other will be dreaming of all the impossible scenarios where a 1-4 team can roar back and make the playoffs. Maybe the Cowboys will have a little extra motivation after getting hammered by the Vikings in the playoffs last year, 34-3. Then again, maybe that win will just give the Vikings more confidence that they can take these Cowboys.
Desperation is a stinky cologne. Get your gas maks out, because the stink will be flying on Sunday.
Some notes on the game after the jump...
DALLAS COWBOYS (1-3) AT MINNESOTA VIKINGS (1-3)
SERIES
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COWBOYS |
VIKINGS |
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SERIES LEADER |
Series tied, 10-10 |
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STREAKS |
4 of past 5 |
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COACHES VS. OPP. |
Phillips: 1-3 |
Childress: 1-1 |
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LAST WEEK |
L 34-27 vs. Titans |
L 29-20 at Jets |
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LAST GAME |
10/21/07: Vikings 14 at Cowboys 24. Dallas S Pat Watkins returns blocked FG 68 yards for TD in 3rd quarter, breaking 14-14 tie, as Cowboys score final 17 points en route to victory. |
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LAST GAME AT SITE |
9/12/04: Vikings 35, Cowboys 17. Minnesota QB Daunte Culpepper completes 17 of 23 attempts (73.9 pct.) for 242 yards & 5 TDs as Vikings cruise to season-opening win. |
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BROADCAST |
FOX (3:15 PM CT): Thom Brennaman, Troy Aikman, Pam Oliver (Field reporter). Westwood One Radio: Kevin Kugler, Mark Malone. SIRIUS: 123 (Dal.), 126 (Min.). XM: 103 (Min.). |
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STATS
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PASSING |
Romo: 119-174-1,346 (2C)-7-5-92.7 |
Favre: 74-131-861-5-7-67.0 |
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RUSHING |
Jones: 37-197-5.3-0 |
Peterson: 88-480 (1C)-5.5-3 (T3C) |
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RECEIVING |
Austin: 31-474 (1C)-15.3-2 |
Harvin: 17-203-11.9-3 |
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OFFENSE |
421.5 (1C) |
330.3 |
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TAKE/GIVE |
-4 |
-6 |
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DEFENSE |
304.8 |
289.3 (2C) |
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SACKS |
Ware: 6 (T2L) |
Edwards: 1.5 |
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INTs |
Jenkins, McCray: 1 |
Leber, Winfield: 1 |
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PUNTING |
McBriar: 42.3 |
Kluwe: 43.4 |
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KICKING |
Buehler: 27 (9/9 PAT; 6/9 FG) |
Longwell: 15 (6/7 PAT; 3/3 FG) |
NOTES
REMATCH of last year's Divisional Playoff won by Min. 34-3.
COWBOYS: QB TONY ROMO passed for 406 yards last week, becoming 3rd Cowboy with 400+ pass yards in game. Had 104.8 rating in only reg. season start vs. Min. Incl. playoffs, Cowboys are 28-5 (.848) when he starts & has 100+ rating...RB MARION BARBER rushed for 96 yards & TD in only reg. season meeting. Incl. playoffs, RB FELIX JONES has 8 career TDs (7 rush, 1 KR) & averages 47.1 yards per TD (377 yards). Rushed for career-high 109 yards last week...WR MILES AUSTIN had 9 catches for 166 yards & TD (69 yards). Has 3 100-yard games this year. TE JASON WITTEN aims for 3rd in row vs. Min. with 10+ catches & 85+ yards. Had 10 catches for 98 yards in Div. WR ROY WILLIAMS has 11 catches for 204 yards (102 per game) & 3 TDs in past 2...LB DE MARCUS WARE has 62.5 sacks since 2006, most in NFL. In Div., Ware, DT JAY RATLIFF & LB ANTHONY SPENCER each had sack. LB BRADIE JAMES had sack & FR in last reg. season game vs. Min.
VIKINGS: QB BRETT FAVRE became 1st player in NFL history with 500 TD passes (502) & 70,000 pass yards (70,190). In Div., completed 15 of 24 (62.5 pct.) for 234 yards with 4 TDs vs. 0 INTs for 134.4 rating. Is 10-1 at home (incl. playoffs) since 2009, with 26 TDs vs. 7 INTs & 108.2 rating...RB ADRIAN PETERSON needs 36 yards to reach 5,000 in 51 games to tie for 5th fastest in NFL history (JAMAL LEWIS)...WR RANDY MOSS has 35 catches for 734 yards (104.9 per game) & 11 TDs in 7 games vs. Dal. (incl. playoffs). His teams are 7-0 vs. Cowboys. Has TD catch in 6 of those 7 meetings, incl. 4 games with 2+ TDs. In career (incl. playoffs), Moss has 52 TD catches in 59 games at Metrodome. WR-KR PERCY HARVIN had 5 catches for 97 yards & 2 TDs & 175 KR yards last week. Has 3 rec. TDs in past 2 games. TE VISANTHE SHIANCOE had TD catch in Div...Incl. playoffs, DE JARED ALLEN has 3 sacks & 2 FFs in 2 meetings. DT KEVIN WILLIAMS has 2 sacks & 2 FRs in 3 games vs. Dal. (incl. Div.). DE RAY EDWARDS had 1.5 sacks last week.
NFL stats involving Tony Romo:
This season, there have already been seven individual 400-yard passing games, including two by San Diego's PHILIP RIVERS. Rivers' two 400-yard performances are tied for the third-most in an entire season, trailing only Pro Football Hall of Famer DAN MARINO (four in 1984 and three in 1986).
The seven individual 400-yard passing games are the most in NFL history through the first five weeks of a season. Not only is 2010 on pace for the most such performances in a single season, but with one more 400-yard passing game, it will already tie for the third-most in a season.
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2010 400-YARD PASSING GAMES |
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PLAYER |
TEAM |
DATE |
PASS YARDS |
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Matt Schaub |
Houston |
9/19/10 |
497 |
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Kyle Orton |
Denver |
9/26/10 |
476 |
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Philip Rivers |
San Diego |
9/26/10 |
455 |
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Peyton Manning |
Indianapolis |
9/12/10 |
433 |
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Philip Rivers |
San Diego |
10/10/10 |
431 |
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Donovan McNabb |
Washington |
9/19/10 |
426 |
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Tony Romo |
Dallas |
10/10/10 |
406 |
For the first time in league history, there are three quarterbacks – San Diego’s Rivers (1,759), Denver’s KYLE ORTON (1,733) and Indianapolis’ PEYTON MANNING (1,609) – with at least 1,600 passing yards through their teams’ first five games. A fourth – Dallas’ TONY ROMO (1,346 through four games) – can increase the record total this Sunday when the Cowboys visit the Minnesota Vikings. Romo needs 254 yards this week to become fourth QB with 1,600 yards in first five team games.