Cowboys (5-1) at Vikings (3-3)
Sunday, 8:20 p.m. E.T., US Bank Stadium, Minneapolis TV: NBC
Tipico Sportsbook line: Cowboys by 2 ⁄2
1
Cowboys’ keys to victory: Dallas owner Jerry Jones said that he feels good about Cowboys QB Dak Prescott’s status for this game after Prescott injured his calf at the end of a Week 6 win. If Prescott plays, the Dallas offense shouldn’t have too much trouble picking apart the inexperienced Minnesota secondary. With CB Patrick Peterson on IR, Minnesota will be susceptible to big plays in the passing game. Add in Cowboys CB Trevon Diggs’ knack for creating turnovers, and it’s hard to see the Vikings running away with this.
Vikings’ keys to victory: As Minnesota has shown this fall, the team has the talent to keep pretty much anybody close. QB Kirk Cousins has made a handful of defenses look really bad in 2021. Cousins has the capability of moving the ball against this Dallas defense. The Cowboys’ only loss so far has been to the Buccaneers in the season opener. In that game, Tampa Bay gave other teams a blueprint: Outshoot Prescott by torching the Cowboys’ defense for big plays in the passing game. The Vikings need Cousins to thrive. Then, anything is possible.
Matchup to watch: Vikings CB Bashaud Breeland vs. Cowboys WR corps. Breeland needs to be the Weeks 5-6 version of himself, not the one who gave up big plays to Ja’Marr Chase and A.J. Green earlier this season. The Cowboys have plenty of receiving weapons, such as WRs CeeDee Lamb and Amari Cooper. With Peterson out, Breeland needs to be a shutdown corner.
Who wins? Dallas outshoots Minnesota.
Cowboys, 34-28
Jack White, Vikings Wire