The Minnesota Vikings are 60 minutes away from 9-1 and they can achieve that with a win over the 6-3 Dallas Cowboys this Sunday afternoon on CBS.
The game itself is a fascinating one, as both the Vikings and Cowboys have similar strengths at edge rusher and wide receiver with quarterbacks who face some unfair scrutiny.
Going into the game, we teamed up with Cowboys Wire to give our score predictions for the game.
Tyler Forness-Vikings Wire Managing Editor
Record: 8-1
This Vikings team has been fascinating to cover so far this season. After two games to start the season that saw blowouts, the Vikings have won seven-consecutive games all by just one score. There will likely be more of the same against a really good Cowboys team that is built to play great defense. The key to this game is going to be how well the Vikings offensive line holds up against the dynamic pass rushing duo of Micah Parsons and DeMarcus Lawrence. With how well they handled Von Miller last week, the Vikings can do just that. They kick off their three-game homestand with a huge win over the Cowboys.
Prediction: Vikings 31, Cowboys 26
Judd Zulgad-Vikings Wire Columnist
Record: 7-1
Coming off an impressive win in Buffalo, the Vikings continue to ride the momentum by opening a three-game home stand with a victory over the Cowboys.
Prediction: Vikings 28, Cowboys 27
KD Drummond-Cowboys Wire managing editor
I’ve been one of the most vocal non-believers of Kirk Cousins since his days in Washington. While his primetime record gets all the attention, he’s also woefully under .500 for his career in the late-afternoon window, going 7-14. With Minnesota it’s a much more pedestrian 5-7 record. The Cowboys and Vikes have a long history of playing close contests, with the last six games all decided by four points or less, with Dallas holding a 4-2 advantage since Minny’s playoff blowout, 34-3 to end Dallas’ 2009 season with a whimper. Dak Prescott will need to target Chandon Sullivan in the slot early and often to get the passing offense going, and the defense will have to get a better performance opposite Trevon Diggs than they did that week if they have any hope of containing Justin Jefferson. Prediction: They will.
Prediction: Cowboys 31, Vikings 27
Todd Brock-Cowboys Wire Contributor
The Cowboys came away from Lambeau Field humbled… and angry. It showed all week as players talked openly and determinedly about personal accountability, sticking to fundamentals, and everyone needing to simply do their job. Staring down the barrel of Minnesota’s potent offense makes a rapid response critical. Just as Green Bay did to them, the Cowboys will come out on a mission against a team (and a quarterback) they’ve owned of late, who may be buying their own hype a little too deeply at the moment. They’ll do just enough to keep the sky from falling in Dallas… at least for another few days.
Prediction: Cowboys 27, Vikings 25
Mike Crum-Cowboys Wire Contributor
When two teams are as closely matched as the Cowboys and the Vikings seem to be, factors like motivation, momentum, and desperation all become bigger factors in the outcome. How are these things measured though?
Which team is more motivated: the one that just blew a 14-point fourth-quarter lead for the first time in their team history, or a team that has lost to their opponent the last two seasons even though they were playing the backup quarterback?
How important is the momentum from the Vikings’ miracle comeback against the Buffalo Bills if a single play in a game can flip momentum in a snap? Does the desperate team theory win out? With Green Bay losing Thursday night to the Tennessee Titans, is it possible Minnesota breathes a slight sigh of relief, and Dallas, who finds themselves third in their division currently just needs to win it more.
The Vikings will be ready, they have momentum and motivation, not wanting to lose a third straight to the Cowboys, but desperation prevails for Dallas.
Prediction: Cowboys 28, Vikings 27
