Five takeaways from the Dallas Cowboys’ backbreaking loss to the Vikings
In a game the Dallas Cowboys had to have at home, they fell to the lowly Minnesota Vikings 34-26 on Sunday in a result that all but wipes out any playoff chances they had coming into the night.
The defense once again suffered catastrophic issues, allowing points on six of Minnesota’s final seven drives (excluding a game-ending kneeldown), including four touchdowns. Offensively, a 2-for-12 clip on third down could not keep Dallas on the field, and inefficiency in Minnesota territory could not give the Cowboys chunk plays.
The loss drops Dallas back below .500 to 6-7-1. And with three games to play, literally everything would have to go right for the Cowboys to find their way to the postseason. The Cowboys would have to win their last three games, and the Eagles would have to lose their last three to hand Dallas the NFC East title.
In reality, this result has written the end for the Cowboys’ chances.
Here are the five takeaways from the loss:
Same story, different day for defense
Even for a Minnesota offense that came in 29th in yards per game (275.7) and 27th in points per game (19.6), all things can find their way back on track against this Cowboys defense.
Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy, who has been at the center of some controversy about his rocky first season as the starter, had one of his best games, throwing for a career-best 250 yards and combining for three touchdowns in the victory.
As the Cowboys see their playoff hopes all but dwindle to zero following this loss, the focus now needs to be put on what can get corrected on the defensive side of the ball so that the issues this team faced in 2025 don’t come back in 2026.
If that’s making a staff change, making multiple personnel changes or drastically overhauling the scheme, something will have to happen to not continue wasting one of the best offenses in the NFL.
Javonte Williams running toward an extension
One of the bigger surprises of the Cowboys’ season has been starting running back Javonte Williams rushing for over 1,000 yards and being a reliable backfield weapon for head coach Brian Schottenheimer. So, when he went down with a shoulder injury in the first quarter — seemingly knocking him out of the game after he didn’t return in the first half — a big part of the offense had to be replaced.
Malik Davis ran well in his place, but a clear spark was brought back to the offense when Williams returned to the field to open the third quarter. In just two-and-a-half quarters of work, Williams ran 15 times for 91 yards, helping to facilitate the Cowboys’ offense while keeping the Vikings’ defense honest in the second half.
On a one-year contract, Williams could draw a market in the offseason after the season he has put together. Finding a young running back either in free agency or in the draft to complement the backfield should be a priority, but few agenda points should be higher than getting Williams re-signed before free agency begins in mid-March.
He’s earned that.
Cowboys need an all-defensive draft
Yes, there are some holes on offense. But considering the Cowboys only hold three picks in the first four rounds of the upcoming draft (eight total expected), the premium picks need to go to the defensive side of the ball.
The case could be made all eight need to be made on that side.
Pick whatever position group you want. The defensive end group only has Donovan Ezeiruaku under contract in 2026. The linebacker position seems to only have DeMarvion Overshown as a reliable option. Cornerback will most likely see Trevon Diggs be released in the offseason, and the group as a whole has been one of the worst passing defenses in the league. The safeties have had communication issues on the back end all season.
OK, sure. The defensive tackle group is fine. But taking the best player available on the board on defense with every pick is all but required after the failure this unit has been all season.
George Pickens could be under spotlight again
After a week of noise that saw Cowboys receiver George Pickens draw a lot of criticism for his lackadaisical performance against the Detroit Lions, his numbers don’t look much better coming out of Sunday night’s second consecutive loss.
Pickens finished the night with three receptions on six targets for 33 yards, his lowest yardage output of the season. When words like “effort” are getting thrown around, you might typically see a big response from players under the spotlight. For Pickens, that didn’t happen.
Don’t be surprised if the noise is just as loud — or even louder — than it was last week. When the Cowboys have needed Pickens over the past two games, he hasn’t been producing.
Red zone offense continues to stall
Coming out of last week’s loss to the Lions, the Cowboys’ red zone offense was a talking point by Schottenheimer and quarterback Dak Prescott after the unit scored just one touchdown on three trips inside the 20-yard line at Ford Field.
On Sunday night, the Cowboys cashed in on each of their first two trips with rushing scores from Williams and Davis, but their next three trips ended with Brandon Aubrey field goals.
Getting points is objective No. 1, but getting touchdowns is the expectation when the highest-producing offense in the NFL (394.9 yards per game entering Week 15) enters the red area. A 33-percent clip followed by a 40-percent performance isn’t what Dallas wants, and it will need better production to close out this season on a high note.
This story was originally published December 14, 2025 at 10:30 PM.
