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DAL 40, MIN 3: Cowboys throttle Vikings on both sides, improve to 7-3 - Rocky Garza Jr, Inside The Star
Well, that was fun.
Final Takeaways:
For the Cowboys to rebound like how they did Sunday against the Vikings after suffering a heartbreaking loss last week to the Green Bay Packers was very encouraging. Both sides of the ball looked dominant, and it’s safe to pencil this as a statement win for the Boys.
The one-two punch of Elliott and Pollard will be a problem for future defenses, and Prescott looked calm and collected on the field. If I had to nitpick anything on the offense, I would say it’s evident the team needs help in the WR Room, as Pollard led the team in receiving.
I understand it shouldn’t matter who leads the receiving aspect, and it was a blowout for most of the game — but it also wouldn’t be bad to add another wideout. (Odell Beckham Jr., anyone?)
For the defense, the biggest win has to be the amount of pressure they got on Cousins, as he couldn’t get any offense rolling. Plus, they finally showed improvement in the run game!
While the Vikings couldn’t run a lot since they were down early, they did show some improvement. However, running back Dalvin Cook averaged 6.5 yards a carry, and that’s something they need to work on.
With the loss, Cousins is now 2-9 all-time versus the Cowboys. His streak of passing for a touchdown in 39 consecutive games also ended. (You like that, Kirk?)
Cowboys roll up 458 yards, record seven sacks in dismantling Vikings 40-3 - Charean Williams, NBC Sports
It was a flawless performance in all three phases of the game.
Dallas had a season-high 458 yards on 70 plays and scored on eight of 10 possessions. The Cowboys opened the game with points on seven consecutive possessions.
The Cowboys improved to 7-3 and now are in second place in the division, holding the tiebreak over the Giants, who they play Thanksgiving Day. The Vikings fell to 8-2 after a disappointing result following the game-of-the-year victory over the Bills last week.
It ended a seven-game winning streak by the Vikings, who now will face questions about whether they are truly a contender. The Vikings were non-competitive with the Cowboys from the start as Micah Parsons had a strip-sack of Kirk Cousins on the third play from scrimmage.
The Cowboys finished with seven sacks of Cousins, including two by Parsons. The linebacker has 10 sacks this season after totaling 13 as a rookie.
Parsons injured his left knee in the third quarter with the Cowboys holding a 34-point lead. The team listed him as questionable to return, but he did for some reason.
The Vikings gained only 183 yards as Cousins completed 12 of 23 passes for 105 yards; Dalvin Cook ran for 72 yards on 11 carries; and Justin Jefferson caught only three passes for 33 yards.
Game Recap: Cowboys Dominate Vikings, 40-3 - Kurt Daniels, DallasCowboys.com
Re-live Dallas’ most impressive win on the season.
Second Quarter
The offensive onslaught continued for Dallas as the offense picked up points on all three of its second quarter possessions to make it five straight scoring drives in the half. First, the team worked the clock, eating up nearly eight minutes over 14 plays even though the Cowboys only traveled 48 yards. But that was enough for Maher, as he split the uprights on a 53-yarder to make it a two-score affair.
Dallas then came back with a quicker strike, covering 59 yards in eight plays and only 2:44 of time to again reach the end zone. The touchdown came when Pollard hauled in a short pass, got a great block from Schultz, and then turned on the afterburners down the right sideline 30 yards to the goal line.
Getting the ball one more time with only 31 seconds left and at their own 14-yard line, the Cowboys decided to be aggressive and not just run out the clock. Instead, Prescott completed four straight passes to reach the Vikings’ 42-yard line. The last of those was a perfectly placed strike to CeeDee Lamb on the right sideline, the wideout making a beautiful tiptoe catch to give Maher a shot at a 60-yard field goal with five seconds remaining.
And the kicker appeared to make the attempt just inside the right upright, only to receive word that the officials had called time to review Lamb’s previous catch. After the reception was indeed ruled complete, Maher had to stay out and give the 60-yard field goal another shot.
No problem. This time Maher’s boot went straight down the middle, Dallas going into the break with a commanding 23-3 advantage.
Pollard & Perfection: Cowboys Obliterate Vikings; 10 Whitty Observations - Richie Whitt, Sports Illustrated
What is your takeaway from the Cowboys’ impressive victory?
2. Greed Is ... Good? - Thanks to Maher - twice - making a 60-yard field goal, the strategy worked. This time. But the Cowboys got greedy at the end of the first half. Already up 20-3 and getting the second-half kickoff, the smart thing to do with only 31 seconds remaining and the ball at your own 14 would be taking a knee. But after a couple of short completions, Prescott rolled right and threw a perfect pass on the sideline to Lamb, who made the kind of toe-touch, leaning grab every kid has tried in their back yard. The drive was productive. The risk-reward was still out of whack.
1. Sterling Sunday - The list of Cowboys’ negatives wouldn’t fill grandma’s old sewing thimble. (Well, Jayron Kearse did mock the “Skol Vikings” arm-over-head gesture after a sack while leading 37-3, and that was kind of tacky.) Okay, maybe a smidge greedy (see above). But this was as close to perfection as they can play, especially considering it came against a team that was 4-0 at home. Dallas scored on its first seven possessions. The Vikings allowed seven sacks while scoring only three points. It was the first time in six seasons the Cowboys produced a first half in which they didn’t put, commit a turnover or allow a sack. It was 23-3 at halftime. It felt like 43-3.
Odell Beckham Jr. to Visit with Cowboys After Giants Game, Jerry Jones Says - Erin Walsh, Bleacher Report
The OBJ watch continues, with growing momentum now.
Odell Beckham Jr. reportedly intends to visit with both the Dallas Cowboys and the New York Giants before deciding which team to sign with, and Jerry Jones revealed Sunday when he intends to meet with the veteran wide receiver.
During an appearance on 105.3 The Fan in Dallas, Jones said Beckham will visit with the Cowboys after their matchup with the Giants on Nov. 24.
NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport reported Sunday that Beckham intended to meet with both teams after Thanksgiving. Those are the only known scheduled visits for the veteran, they added.
The Cowboys have been heavily recruiting Beckham and have been vocal in their interest in the former Los Angeles Rams receiver. Quarterback Dak Prescott and wide receiver CeeDee Lamb recently endorsed the idea of the team signing Beckham.
Updated NFC Playoff Picture, NFC Wild Card standings after Cowboys blowout Vikings - Josh Hill, FanSided
The NFC East title, the number one seed, and a first-round bye are still on the table as Dallas keeps pace with the rest of the NFC.
Here’s a look at what the NFC Playoff bracket would look like if the postseason started today:
Philadelphia Eagles (9-1)
Minnesota Vikings (8-2)
Seattle Seahawks (6-4)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (5-5)
Dallas Cowboys (7-3)
New York Giants (7-3)
San Francisco 49ers (5-4)
Based on those standings, here’s what the playoff matchups would look like for the first weekend of action:
(2) Minnesota Vikings vs. (7) San Francisco 49ers
(3) Seattle Seahawks vs. (6) New York Giants
(4) Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. (5) Dallas Cowboys
Each higher-seeded team would host its Wild Card Weekend matchup. The Philadelphia Eagles would have a first-round bye with the No. 1 seed and host any playoff game they play in.
NFC Wild Card standings after Week 11
Here’s what the Wild Card standings look like after Week 11:
Dallas Cowboys (7-3)
New York Giants (7-3)
Washington Commanders (6-5)
Atlanta Falcons (5-6)
Detroit Lions (4-6)
Arizona Cardinals (4-6)
Green Bay Packers (4-7)
New Orleans Saints (4-7)
Los Angeles Rams (3-7)
Carolina Panthers (3-8)
Chicago Bears (3-8)
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