Cowboys vs. Vikings live updates: Scores, highlights, and news from ‘Thursday Night Football’
The Cowboys won their 11th straight game
Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports
Fourth quarter: Cowboys 17, Vikings 15
The Vikings capitalized on the turnover with a field goal to take the lead, and then force a punt from Dallas. But a muffed punt gave the Cowboys a second life, and the ball in the red zone. From there, Dez Bryant caught an eight-yard touchdown pass to regain the lead for Dallas.
Minnesota pulled to within two, but the Cowboys — with some help -- were able to hold off the Vikings down the stretch.
Third quarter: Cowboys 7, Vikings 6
The Minnesota defense has done an admirable job all night to keep this game a low-scoring affair, and on the penultimate play of the third quarter finally got the break they needed, with Bran Robison forcing a fumble by Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott, giving the Vikings the ball in the red zone.
Adrian Peterson caught a pass just after halftime, only he was standing on the sideline when doing so, snagging an out-of-bounds throw by Prescott.
Second quarter: Cowboys 7, Vikings 3
This beautiful 56-yard pass from Prescott to Dez Bryant set up the Cowboys’ only score of the first half. One play later, Ezekiel Elliott punched the ball into the end zone to give Dallas their first lead.
Sam Bradford left the game with an apparent rib injury in the final minute of the first half, replaced at quarterback by Shaun Hill. But Bradford returned to the game after halftime, and needed no medical attention.
First quarter: Vikings 3, Cowboys 0
Bradford was 7-of-9 for 79 yards in the opening quarter, though there was only one scoring drive for both teams.
Pregame
This week on Thursday Night Football we get a pair of very well-rested teams with big playmakers on both sides.
Except that doesn’t mean we’re necessarily in for some tight competition between the Dallas Cowboys and Minnesota Vikings. The full week off may just make the 10-1 Cowboys more difficult to match up against.
Fresh off its season sweep of division rival Washington, Dallas travels to Minnesota, where the best thing it has going for it right now is the brand new U.S. Bank Stadium.
The game will air on NBC and NFL Network, and can be streamed live on Twitter and NBC Sports.
The Vikings (6-5) have dropped five of their last six games — with the victory coming against an Arizona team boasting the league’s worst defense — and two of their signature wins against Green Bay and Carolina don’t look so great in hindsight.
Yet because of a weak NFC North, Minnesota still has a path to win the division with games against the Jaguars, Colts, Packers, and Bears left to play. Having just been swept by the division-leading Lions, there isn’t much room for mistakes, which makes Thursday’s meeting with the Cowboys all the more important.
And all the more problematic.
Dallas is currently the second-best rushing team in the league, led by the NFL’s leading rusher, Ezekiel Elliott. Fellow rookie Dak Prescott has the fourth-best quarterback rating (108.6) and the defense is giving up the fifth-fewest points per game (19.4). The Cowboys are close to making the NFC East title race a runaway and are working on clinching the top seed in the conference.
A victory here would clearly mean more to Minnesota than Dallas, but it doesn’t seem likely. Crazier things have happened on Thursday nights, though.
Pregame reading
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