ARLINGTON, Texas _ In a game against the NFL's fifth-ranked defense, the Vikings resolved to gash the Cowboys on the ground, making up for the loss of Adam Thielen and easing the burden on Kirk Cousins with a muscular run game that produced 134 yards in the first three quarters.
The Vikings' go-ahead touchdown drive at the end of the third quarter _ leading to their 28-24 victory _ took 6:59 and covered 75 yards in 13 plays (11 of them runs). After Cousins rolled right and connected with Bisi Johnson for a 15-yard pickup on third down, the Vikings ran the ball on 10 consecutive plays that netted 61 yards; Dalvin Cook's 2-yard touchdown run on fourth-and-goal gave the Vikings the lead, a short time after the Cowboys led for the first time.
Playing without nose tackle Linval Joseph, whom multiple sources said had an operation on his meniscus this week after being ruled out because of a knee injury, the Vikings stood up to the Cowboys' run game in the first half, holding Ezekiel Elliott to 37 yards on 12 carries. It was Dak Prescott's ability to attack the Vikings' secondary, though, that accounted for most of the Cowboys' offense.
Dallas took its first lead at 21-20 with seven minutes left in the third quarter when Prescott hit Amari Cooper with a 12-yard touchdown pass, with Cooper tiptoeing on the right sideline of the end zone after pushing off Vikings defensive back Mike Hughes.
The Vikings answered with a 75-yard drive that featured the running of Cook and Alexander Mattison. After Cook's scoring run, the Vikings tried a two-point conversion and Cousins hit tight end Kyle Rudolph for a 28-21 edge.
Brett Maher's 23-yard field goal cut the lead to 28-24 with 10 minutes left. The Cowboys then drove into the red zone with less than five minutes to play, but linebacker Eric Kendricks deflected a pass intended for Elliott on fourth-and-5 at the Vikings 14-yard line.
Cousins and Prescott both threw two touchdown passes in the first half, which ended with the Vikings ahead 17-14.
Maher missed a 57-yard field goal on the Cowboy's opening drive, giving the Vikings the ball on their own 40. They quickly drove for a touchdown thanks to Cook, who turned two short passes into 39 yards of offense. Cousins threw a jump pass, while rolling left, that found Rudolph, who made a one-handed catch at the back of the end zone for a 1-yard score and a 7-0 lead.
On their next possession, the Vikings drove 76 yards and again got a 1-yard touchdown pass from Cousins to Rudolph. The big play of the drive was a 30-yard catch and run by Cook, with a 14-yard roughing the passer penalty on Robert Quinn tacked on, which put the ball at the Dallas 14. Six plays later, Cousins threw the scoring pass on third-and-1.
The Cowboys cut the deficit in half midway through the second quarter on a 23-yard scoring pass from Dak Prescott to Michael Gallup when Dallas caught the Vikings in an ill-timed blitz. A 20-yard pass from Prescott to Amari Cooper on third-and-10 was the key play on the drive.
A 22-yard touchdown pass from Prescott to Randall Cobb, who beat Mackensie Alexander one-on-one, tied the score two minutes before halftime.
Dan Bailey kicked a 26-yard field goal as the half expired to put the Vikings ahead 17-14.
On the first drive of the second half, the Vikings drove to the Cowboys' 17 before stalling. Bailey booted a 27-yard field goal to make it 20-14.
