Intriguing Game– NFL, Week EightÂ
Dallas Cowboys at Minnesota Vikings
Cowboys: Right now, the NFC East is theirs to lose at this point. They’ve been leaps and bounds better than every other team in their division. When they have everything going for them, they’re a difficult out for anyone trying to compete with them. Before I get into anything regarding why they’ve been so successful this year, how could you not be happy for Dak Prescott? I still remember when he suffered that gruesome ankle injury last season and his reaction after it happened. It doesn’t matter who you’re a fan of, you never want to see that happen to anybody. I’m so happy for him and glad to see him back on the field. So you ask what’s gone right for the Cowboys this season? They finally attack defenses with a balanced offensive attack. I understand it’s a quarterback driven league and what not, but balance still works in today’s game. Whenever Dak has thrown the football over 45 times, that’s not their formula to win. They have returned to running the football. In the beginning episodes of Monday Evening Quarterback, I called everybody out who claimed that Ezekiel Elliott is washed up. He’s far from it and when you don’t feed him the football as regularly as you should, how is he able to make an impact? Answer that for me. Dak is spreading the ball around and the offense fluidly moves the ball down the field. Now, the defense is improved. Each week, Trevon Diggs is making plays, but I’m still not completely sold on the Dallas defense. The bye week is over and they’re on the road this Sunday night.
Vikings: If we’re being honest, they could easily be 4-2. Since dropping their first two games on the year, they’ve won three of the last four games. I know Kirk Cousins gets a lot of heat, but he’s off to the best start in his career if we’re being honest. 13 touchdown passes and two interceptions is a nice statline at this point of the season. The one thing that concerns me with the Minnesota Vikings is the inconsistency they show offensively. Twice this season, they’ve been held under 20 points and if you remember when they played the Cleveland Browns, they were held to a season low of seven points. Then in three other games, they put up 30 or more, so it’s tough to say or know which version of the Vikings offense are we going to get. Something else I can say about them is they’re better when the cook is in the kitchen! Dalvin Cook that is. When he’s healthy and on the field, he’s such a difference maker because he takes a considerate amount of pressure off the quarterback. Dalvin is a top five running back when he’s used correctly and he can help open up that passing game. I’m still trying to figure their defense out and honestly, you would think they’d be a stronger unit considering Mike Zimmer is a defensive minded guy. They return home on Sunday for a battle with a streaking Cowboys team.
Cowboys X-Factor: Randy Gregory– He’s finally putting it altogether after the Cowboys took a chance on him a few years ago in the 2015 NFL Draft. With DeMarcus Lawrence sidelined due to injury, Randy has stepped up and become the Cowboys best pass rusher. He actually leads the team with four sacks. I look for him to be active Sunday night in trying to bring down Kirk Cousins and help slow down that Vikings offense.
Vikings X-Factor: Dalvin Cook– What’s the key to keeping a prolific offense off the field? Run the football. This is a different football team when he’s making an impact. I’m with everyone when they say they don’t want Kirk Cousins throwing the ball a certain amount of times. This is where Dalvin comes into the picture. The cook must be ready to serve on Sunday night!
Final Thoughts: They’ve played each other the last two seasons with each team winning on the road. This is a big game in the NFC. The Cowboys are fighting for homefield advantage in the NFC while the Vikings are looking to make a statement and win against one of the best in the conference. Dallas will have to be aware of Dalvin Cook at all times but don’t put too much attention on him because you also have to worry about Justin Jefferson and Adam Thielen. If they commit to stopping the running game too much, Kirk has those perimeter weapons to do damange. Dallas will need to handle the running game without loading too many people in the box. Minnesota needs to test Dak early. He’s been dealing with a calf injury. This is when you amp up that pass rush and make him move. Outside of Diggs, I’m not sure if the Cowboys have enough to limit that Minnesota passing attack.
Prediction: Vikings 27, Cowboys 24
