The Dallas Cowboys will travel to Minnesota for a week 11 tilt with the Vikings. The game is scheduled for a 4:25 PM EST kickoff from the U.S. Bank Stadium. The Cowboys are a (-1) road favorite, while the total is set at 47.5 points.
Dallas is fresh off of a loss to the once-struggling Green Bay Packers and surrendered arguably the best game of the season to Packers QB Aaron Rodgers. While Rodgers did lose a fumble on the day, he did not throw any interceptions and tossed three touchdowns to rookie speedster Christan Watson.
Minnesota, on the other hand, is coming off as the best candidate for the game of the year. The Vikings saw wide receiver Justin Jefferson make one of the most amazing catches in NFL history on fourth down, only to go four and out on the goal line.
The Bills then fumbled the snap on the goal line, which the Vikings recovered for a touchdown and sent the game to overtime, where they eventually won on a Josh Allen interception on the goal line.
Why are the Cowboys favored in this matchup?
Unlike in seasons past, Dallas appears to boast a viable defensive unit. However, whether it’s his fault or not, Dak Prescott just can’t seem to get it done. The 29-year-old Mississippi State product is just 2-2 this season and has a lower QBR, more interceptions, a higher interception rate, and has taken as many sacks as Cooper Rush did in five games.
Now, that certainly doesn’t mean that Cooper Rush should be starting over Dak Prescott. However, it may mean that Prescott is one of those quarterbacks that puts up tremendous numbers but never actually wins anything. A Phillip Rivers type, if you will.
The positive here is that the Dallas coaching staff seems to have finally figured out that Tony Pollard is a better running back than Ezekial Elliot. That decision may have been forced upon them, but the result is the same, and the journey doesn’t matter as much as the conclusion.
The defense is really good, and the offense has weapons, but at the end of the day, Dallas just needs to remain focused both on the field and on the sidelines. If the team plays smart, and Mike McCarthy can avoid being the worst clock manager in the NFL, they have a chance at winning this game.
Are the Vikings a team of destiny?
At this point, the question needs to be asked. There seems to be some kind of weekly divine intervention on their behalf as if it’s some kind of penance for the world bagging on Kirk Cousins for so long.
The Vikings may be 8-1 on the season, but it hasn’t been all that pretty. Kirk Cousins has thrown eight interceptions on the season and fumbled the ball four other times, but he has developed a gift for rising to certain occasions.
Of course, it never hurts to have weapons all over in the field, from Dalvin Cook to Justin Jefferson and now TJ Hockenson. The Vikings’ backups are better than some team’s starters, with Irv Smith and Alexander Mattison providing tremendous talent on the depth chart.
Cowboys vs. Vikings Prediction
The fact that this game avoided a primetime slot is one reason to lean towards the Vikings. At this point, it is very difficult to believe in Dak Prescott at this point.
While some drop-off is expected on the road in the NFL, Prescott has thrown 25 fewer career touchdowns on the road than at home in only three fewer road games. This season, he is 0-1 on the road with a completion percentage of under 59%. Coincidentally, that game was last week against Green Bay.
This is a total gut feeling, but it is difficult to bet against this Vikings team at home right now. They rank in the top half of the league on both sides of the ball and have avoided any type of huge injuries thus far. Ride the way, Vikings straight up.
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