Cowboys Remain Resilient, Hold Off Vikings For a Week 11 Win
The Dallas Cowboys just put the brakes on the Minnesota Vikings’ three-game win streak. It came on the back of a valiant effort from the defense in big moments and a very solid outing from Andy Dalton and his receivers. Tony Pollard and Ezekiel Elliott came to play behind a reconstructed offensive line, too. The […]
The Dallas Cowboys just put the brakes on the Minnesota Vikings’ three-game win streak. It came on the back of a valiant effort from the defense in big moments and a very solid outing from Andy Dalton and his receivers. Tony Pollard and Ezekiel Elliott came to play behind a reconstructed offensive line, too.
The game mimicked their Week 9 matchup with the Steelers in the first half. The Cowboys controlled the ground game and the clock while also playing very stout defense. The second half, once again, proved to be the difference. This time though, Dallas made the game-winning plays.
Inside the division, the Philadelphia Eagles lost and the Washington Football Team won, so the division truly cannot get much muddier. All four teams currently have three wins, so there is little wiggle room for anyone.
According to ESPN’s Win Probability metric, the Cowboys were not favored to win until 4:51 remaining in the second quarter. Of course, that percentage fluctuated even more in the second half. Minnesota held a 74.1% chance to win with only 2:33 remaining in the ballgame.
On defense, Dallas had some standouts. Linebacker Leighton Vander Esch tallied twelve tackles while fellow LB Jaylon Smith had seven tackles and a sack. It was Smith’s most active game in recent memory. Chidobe Awuzie’s return from injury came up big for the Cowboys as well. Awuzie had nine tackles and made some key plays in the passing game during the fourth quarter for the Dallas defense. Jourdan Lewis had a nice game in the secondary, too.
Offensively, it was a game plan that set Andy Dalton up for success. Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard got a bulk of the touches and set the tone through the game. Elliott finished with 103 yards and a receiving TD, and Pollard had 60 yards and a TD on just five carries. Amari Cooper went for 81 yards on six catches, including a 4th down catch that kept Dallas’ final drive alive. In the first half, CeeDee Lamb had one of the prettiest catches you’ll ever see to put the Cowboys up 13-7.
A touchdown pass to Dalton Schultz with just over a minute remaining in the game sealed it for America’s Team.
As crazy as it is, the Cowboys still have hope in the division. In the same breath, they also have hope for a top-five selection in the NFL Draft. Dallas will host the (also) 3-7 Washington Football Team in Week 12.
Buckle up, folks.
Image via USA TODAY-Sports
