DALLAS — The Dallas Cowboys tend to do many things well, but it wasn't one trait that saved them amid their 20-16 victory over the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday night at U.S. Bank Stadium.
Quarterback Dak Prescott was out with a calf strain; backup Cooper Rush replaced him, and went 24-of-40 for 325 yards, two touchdowns, an interception, and a 92.2 rating. It wasn't the 100.0-plus passer rating material like Prescott had churned out on Dallas' five-game winning streak coming in, but it was good enough to get the win.
Similarly, the Dallas defense failed to procure a takeaway while Minnesota picked up a fumble and picked off Rush. The run game barely crested three yards per carry with 24 rushes for 78 yards as a team. Neither of the Cowboys' dynamic duo in Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard got over 4.0 yards a carry.
Cornerback Trevon Diggs' interception streak petered out. Defensive end Randy Gregory had a strip-sack of quarterback Kirk Cousins, who quickly recovered the loose ball. Kicker Greg Zuerlein missed a 43-yard field goal wide left on Dallas' opening drive.
However, the greatest attribute of the 2021 Cowboys remained unbreakable against the Vikings, and that is their bond with each other.
"The things we stand for, the way the 2021 Dallas Cowboys are coming, and everybody, we’re so tight in this group, whether it’s on the offense or the defense," safety Jayron Kearse said. "I haven’t been around a group that’s been this tight, that’s on opposite sides of the ball that trust in each other. I believe everybody trusts in each other. Things weren’t always going our way [on Sunday night], and guys never batted an eye. Guys were ready and stood up for the task at hand, and we were able to come out with the W."
The Cowboys realistically needed to hold it together for the right moments.
On the Cowboys' game-winning drive, Rush drove Dallas 75 yards in seven plays. Running back Ezekiel Elliott picked up a third-and-11 with extra effort on a 15-yard reception to set up first-and-goal at Minnesota's 5-yard line. Rush delivered a perfect back-shoulder throw to receiver Amari Cooper to put Dallas ahead for good with 51 seconds left.
On Dallas' final defensive stand, the pass rush harried Cousins. Even though they didn't generate a sack, they forced him to throw to targets in the interior of the field, not near the boundary to help stop the clock. Minnesota's last play was from their own 42-yard line with Cousins throwing the ball out of bounds.
The defense protected the lead that the offense generated.
"We’re playing complementary football," right guard Zack Martin said. "We’re feeding off each other. We’re having fun. We’re finding ways to win on the road. It’s a fun group to be a part of."
The Cowboys proved against the Vikings that they can absorb the attrition that the regular season throws at every team, no matter the number of games on the schedule. At 6-1, Dallas has found a variety of ways to win, and the foundation for their success has been their indissoluble bond in the locker room.
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