‘We’re right there.’ Dallas Cowboys (3-7) on cusp of first place after stunning Vikings
It’s been 42 days and four games since the Dallas Cowboys have been able to drink from the cup of victory.
Credit the return of quarterback Andy Dalton and a rejuvenated spirit following last week’s bye toward Sunday’s 31-28 comeback victory against the Minnesota Vikings in Minneapolis on Sunday.
Dalton, who tossed three touchdown passes in the game, rallied the Cowboys from a 28-24 deficit with a 2-yard touchdown pass to tight end Dalton Schultz with 1:37 remaining in the fourth quarter, capping an 11-play, 61-yard drive.
The Cowboys defense made it stand as the Vikings gained only four yards before three consecutive incompletions ended their comeback chance.
“This was definitely a win we needed,” said running back Ezekiel Elliott, who had his first 100-yard rushing game of the season. “I can’t even remember how long it’s been since our last win.”
It not only snapped a four-game losing streak, but it was their first road win of the season.
The victory has given the 3-7 Cowboys a new lease on life this season as they moved into a three-way tie for second place in the NFC East with Washington Football Team and the New York Giants, just behind the division-leading Philadelphia Eagles at 3-6-1.
“That was an excellent team win for us,” coach Mike McCarthy said. “So happy for our players. A lot of ups and downs this year. Gratifying to see them get this win. Feel good about what we accomplished. We took a big step in the right direction.”
Another big step comes on Thursday afternoon when Washington visits AT&T Stadium for the Cowboys’ annual Thanksgiving Day contest. McCarthy has already glanced at the division standings and says the Cowboys can’t be satisfied with what they accomplished in Minnesota.
“A lot of football left to be played,” McCarthy said. “You have to play your best football in November and December. It’s our first opportunity to stack success. We need to do something with this win. We need to build off this win Thursday.”
The Cowboys last win came on Oct. 11 against the Giants when Dalton came off the bench for an injured Dak Prescott in a 37-34 victory.
They had lost four games since and started three different quarterbacks since as Dalton missed the two games before last week’s bye with a concussion and COVID-19 on back-to-back weeks, forcing rookie seventh-round pick Ben DiNucci and veteran backup Garrett Gilbert into the lineup.
Dalton’s return made a huge difference for a Cowboys offense, as he passed for 203 yards and three touchdowns. And the aerial attack and was balanced by 180 yards on the ground, including 103 from Elliott.
“It feels good,” Dalton said. “I missed the game of football a lot while I was out for the three weeks. To have to sit at home and watch our guys play, that was tough. But I’m very thankful to be back out here, thankful to be healthy and help this team win.”
Dalton got the Cowboys going in the first quarter when tossed a six-yard touchdown pass to Elliott following the first of two forced fumbles by safety Donovan Wilson.
He had the Cowboys up 13-7 with a 4-yard touchdown pass to rookie receiver CeeDee Lamb, who stretched out to make a twisting circus catch in the end zone while cornerback Jeff Gladney, the TCU product who was drafted out of TCU earlier this spring, tried to defend.
Then, following Wilson’s second forced fumble, the Cowboys added a 19-yard field goal by Greg Zuerlein with seconds remaining in the second quarter to take a 16-7 halftime lead.
But the Cowboys appeared to come back down early in the second half as the Vikings scored touchdowns on their first two possessions, including a 75 yard, 9-play drive to open the third quarter.
Adam Thielen beat Anthony Brown with a one-handed catch on a 2-yard touchdown reception. Thielen caught a 3-yard touchdown the next time the Vikings had the ball, capping an 81-yard drive at the start of the fourth quarter to give the Vikings a 21-16 lead.
Undaunted, the Cowboys answered with a 42-yard touchdown run from Tony Pollard. A two-point conversion by CeeDee Lamb on an option pitch from Ezekiel Elliott put the Cowboys back in front 24-21.
But the defense couldn’t make it stand as the Vikings scored on their third straight drive of the second half when Cousins hit a wide-open Justin Jefferson for a 39-yard touchdown.
However, that was before Dalton’s final heroics that included a fourth-down completion to Amari Cooper before the touchdown to Schultz and huge stops by the defense. limiting the Vikings to only one first down on their final two drives.
Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins completed 22 of 30 for 314 yards and three touchdown passes in the game. The NFL’s leading rushing Dalvin Cook gained 115 yards on the ground on 27 carries.
Now, the focus is on facing Washington in four days. The winner will be the first NFC East team to post its fourth victory.
“We never thought we were out of it,” Elliott said. “Our division is struggling this year. We’re right there to go win the division.”
This story was originally published November 22, 2020 at 8:20 PM.
