The Dallas Cowboys would certainly like to forget what happened last week against the Green Bay Packers. After building a 14-point lead going into the fourth quarter, the Cowboys allowed 17 unanswered points and lost in overtime, leaving many scratching their heads.

Dallas has a tough test to pass in Week 11 against the 8-1 Minnesota Vikings, who are riding high off of an overtime win against the Buffalo Bills. Quarterback Dak Prescott realizes the importance of this particular contest, essentially calling it a postseason game in November.

"This is a playoff game…We know what this means in the division. We know what this means in the NFC," said Prescott. "It’s about going up there, putting our best foot forward and making sure we put our best performance out there to show the team we are in all aspects."

This is the type of mentality that Prescott should have going into this game when looking at the landscape in the NFC when it comes to the playoffs. The Cowboys are currently in third place in the NFC East, with the New York Giants waiting in Week 12, who are a game ahead. The last thing they want to do is fall another game back of the Giants and possibly end up tied in the win column with the Washington Commanders who are 5-5 and are facing the putrid 1-7-1 Houston Texans on Sunday.

Dallas needs to beat the Vikings for another reason. All three of the Cowboys' losses this season are in the NFC, so another conference loss could hurt them when it comes to tie-breaker situations that will determine playoff positioning.

Prescott threw three touchdown passes versus the Packers including two to wide receiver CeeDee Lamb. However, due to some communication issues, he also tossed two interceptions which led to 14 points for Green Bay.

The chemistry and timing between Prescott and his pass catchers will have an opportunity to bounce back on Sunday going up against the Vikings' 29th-ranked pass defense. Prescott mentioned his confidence in righting the ship going forward when it comes to the Cowboys' passing attack.

"I believe in my arm and I believe in those guys to go make those plays," Prescott said. "It's just about being on the same page. … If those looks come up again, I'm going to throw the ball again and I guarantee there's a different result."

The Cowboys' defense needs to correct some things as well before taking on the Vikings, in particular, their poorest play against the run. However, the Cowboys have yet to find a consistent rhythm offensively this season through the air, and it needs to change, expeditiously.

Feature image via Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

[totalpoll id="161917"]