The Cowboys remain at the top of the NFC East, following a comeback victory over the lowly Minnesota Vikings. Dallas had an up-and-down performance, with their defense letting them down against Adrian Peterson and Christian Ponder. Special teams are factored into the Vikings ability to stick with the Cowboys on the scoreboard.
Vikings vs. Cowboys 2013: Dallas gets last-minute win, Minnesota loses again
SB Nation writers are discussing the Cowboys comeback win over the Vikings in Week 9.
When it mattered, Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo was perfect on the Cowboys' game-winning drive, while hitting several receivers on the way to a Dwayne Harris touchdown. The Vikings were unable to answer with mere seconds on the clock and Minnesota fell to 1-7 on the season. The Cowboys are now 5-4 and are in front of the Eagles for the first spot in the NFC East.
Tom Ryle of Blogging the Boys believes the Cowboys bring out the best in their opponents, no matter how bad they are:
I am mostly a rational man, but there are times I see things in this world and wonder if there are not some strange, unseen forces beyond our ken that influence things in mysterious ways. At times I believe in magic. In one particular kind, at least. There is a strange, supernatural force that causes NFL teams and players to have performances beyond their normal abilities when they face the Dallas Cowboys. If they are good, they become almost superhuman, as we have seen Philip Rivers, Peyton Manning, and Calvin Johnson do this season. And if they are bad, they suddenly find a way to play like legitimate contenders, as the entire Minnesota Vikings team did.
I don't know how else to explain it, but I swear it is true. The Vikings have been very bad, one of the worst in the league this year, and yet they played the Cowboys right to the end. Only a brilliant final drive, after a fourth quarter interception that could easily have led to a stunning defeat, managed to save the day and pull out a narrow four point win.
Eric Thompson of the Daily Norseman does not know how much more he can endure of this season’s Vikings:
When you think about it, Sunday’s game against the Cowboys was the best of both worlds for the two major camps of Vikings fans. On one hand, you have the #TankForTeddy, #MissionMariota, #SuckForTheDuck, and #JohhnyFootballGoesToMinnesota fans that know the season is already lost and don’t want any pesky wins screwing up our 2014 draft position. They were satisfied because the Vikings lost again. On the other hand you have the fans that can’t stand the team laying down and getting blown out every week. They were satisfied because the Vikings actually played pretty well against a division leader on the road.
I get that many Vikings fans that don’t mind the losses since it could eventually lead to a better future for the team: better draft picks, new coaches, an overhaul of a largely inept roster. But you guys realize that we’re only halfway through the season, right? Are you sure that you can endure eight more weeks of this crap? Because I certainly wouldn’t mind a win or two sprinkled in with all the misery.
More from SB Nation NFL
See More:
