In their most dominant performance of the season, the Dallas Cowboys throttled one of the league’s best teams, the Minnesota Vikings, 37-3 on the road.
Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins was sacked a season-high seven times, while Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott had a day that would’ve been impressive against the air, completing 22-of-25 passes. The game started promising enough, with both teams trading field goals before an Ezekiel Elliott touchdown kickstarted the Dallas onslaught. Below are the four biggest takeaways from tonight’s win.
Defense Makes a Statement
Cousins came in one of the hottest quarterbacks in the league and left battered and bruised. In what might’ve been the best pass rush of the season, the Cowboys lived in the backfield and took advantage of an overmatched Vikings offensive line. Linebacker Micah Parsons and end Dorrance Armstrong led the charge with two sacks apiece while fellow ends Demarcus Lawrence and Dontae Fowler Jr. each had one. If the Cowboys can keep this up they will be hard to beat moving forward.
Pollard Shines
Cowboys running back Tony Pollard continues to increase his free agency value weekly and this week was no exception. Not only did he lead the Cowboys in rushing with 80 yards on 15 carries but also led in receiving with 109 yards and two touchdowns on six catches. A true weapon in every sense of the word Cowboy fans better enjoy him while they can.
Maher’s Mega Leg
Cowboys kicker Brett Maher had a busy but career day connecting on all four of his field goals and extra points. Most impressively however was the fact that he drilled two 60-yard field goals back to back after the first one didn’t count thanks to official review. In what could best be described as a flex, after barely sneaking the first kick through the uprights, he drilled the second one right down the middle with a few yards to spare. It’s a good sign that he can consistently hit the long kicks as that skill will come in handy come playoff time.
Handling Business
With a big Thanksgiving Day game matchup against the New York Giants looming Dallas was able to rest several key players for over a quarter ensuring they go into that game as healthy as possible. That fact should not be lost as on a short week recovery is slim. Heading into that game not only with momentum but healthy is a huge bonus
