The Minnesota Vikings and Dallas Cowboys will renew their rivalry on Sunday, with the Vikings winless at US Bank Stadium versus America's Team.
Both teams are fresh off thrilling overtime games a week ago, with the Cowboys falling 31-28 to the Green Bay Packers, while Minnesota came back to beat the Buffalo Bills in OT, 33-30.
Match preview
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Perhaps no one in the NFL knows more about miraculous comebacks than the Minnesota Vikings, who showed last week they do not need Stefon Diggs to pull off a massive comeback victory.
A last-play touchdown catch in the playoffs is something you rarely forget, but Kevin O'Connell experienced perhaps his most memorable game as a rookie head coach last weekend, as he saw his offence get stuffed on the one-yard line in the dying moments versus Buffalo before recovering a fumble in the end zone on the Bills ensuing drive.
The Bills went on to tie the game and force overtime, where Minnesota kicked a field goal and intercepted Josh Allen in the end zone to preserve the victory.
Minnesota have had a hard time containing the run, allowing an average of 4.5 yards per carry this year, but they have defended running backs well, conceding just 3.8 yards per carry to them in 2022.
So far this season, the Vikings have shown to be a formidable defensive line, producing 26 sacks with a pressure rating just shy of 30% (29.9).
Their pass rushers have had to do a lot of the work to contain opposing passing attacks, with the Vikings allowing 12 touchdowns through the air and a 90.6 rating.
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Against their bitter rivals, the Green Bay Packers, Dallas unexpectedly fell apart in the fourth quarter, giving up a 14-point lead at Lambeau, as their highly-rated defence allowed 415 yards, more than in any contest this year.
Mike McCarthy has rarely seen his defence break down like that in the final 15 minutes, allowing more fourth-quarter points last Sunday (14) than they had in their five previous games combined.
America's team, who lead the league regarding sacks (35), only tackled Aaron Rodgers behind the line of scrimmage twice last weekend.
Some failed connections on third down enabled Green Bay to get back in that game as Dallas went 5/15 on third down conversions, while they also accumulated 83 yards worth of penalties on nine flags.
Their running attack, ranked 10th in the league, is the main reason they have been able to move the ball on offence, as they rank 26th in the passing game, averaging under 200 yards per game this season through the air (198.6).
For the most part, they have been sharp not only at getting to the quarterback but in pass coverage, too, allowing a rating of 86.7 through the air, an average of 6.6 yards per attempt with seven interceptions.
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Team News
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Patrick Peterson made the biggest play for Minnesota in Buffalo, intercepting the Bills' pivot in overtime to give his team the victory, his second pick of that ball game, Za'Darius Smith had one sack, moving into a tie for second in the league alongside Nick Bosa.
Justin Jefferson continues to come up big in the passing game, with 10 catches for 193 yards and a touchdown last week, putting him in second in the league behind Tyreek Hill with 1,060, Kirk Cousins threw for 257 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions, while Dalvin Cook averaged 8.5 yards per carry with a touchdown.
Dalvin Tomlinson is questionable for this game with a calf strain, while Akayleb Evans and Christian Darrisaw did not practice all week due to concussion protocol.
Tony Pollard had an excellent game running the ball for Dallas last Sunday, with 22 carries for 115 yards and a touchdown, CeeDee Lamb had 11 grabs for 150 yards and two scores, while Dak Prescott tossed a pair of interceptions in the loss to Green Bay.
Trevon Diggs has quietly put together a fine season in the secondary, allowing a QB rating of 73.0 in 2022, Sam Williams and DeMarcus Lawrence each had a sack last week and Micah Parsons was held in check with just five tackles.
Quinton Bohanna did not practice this week because of an illness, Tyler Smith, Michael Gallup and Ezekiel Elliott are all dealing with knee injuries, Anthony Brown has a concussion and Anthony Barr has a hamstring strain.
Head To Head
In four of the last five matchups between these teams, the Cowboys have emerged victorious, most recently last year on Halloween when former receiver Amari Cooper caught a fourth-quarter touchdown throw from Cooper Rush.
These teams have faced off in many memorable outings through the years, including the Hail Mary game in 1975 when Roger Staubach hit Drew Pearson for a 50-yard TD pass to win 17-14.
Randy Moss had three touchdowns for the Vikings in a 46-36 thriller in 1998, while the Cowboys were none too pleased about their loss to Minnesota in the 2010 NFC Divisional Round, as Dallas coach Wade Phillips believed they were running up the score against his team when Dallas lost 34-3.
One of the most defining moments for the Cowboys as a franchise came in 1989 in the infamous Hershel Walker trade, when the running back out of Georgia was acquired by the Vikings from Dallas for eight draft picks, as Dallas went on to win three Super Bowl titles in the 1990s.
The Vikings' last victory versus Dallas occurred in 2019 when their former tight end Kyle Rudolph had a pair of first-quarter touchdowns, while Dalvin Cook ran for a two-yard score late in the third quarter as they ultimately defeated the Cowboys 28-24.
We say: Minnesota Vikings 21-24 Dallas Cowboys
Cousins threw two interceptions in their victory last week while he was hit 10 times, and that kind of weakness in the blocking game could cost them dearly against a Cowboys team as good as anyone in the league regarding pressure.
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Joel Lefevre
