Dalton comes back to rescue Cowboys in win against Vikings PANTHERS 20, LIONS 0
MINNEAPOLIS — Andy Dalton returned from a two-game absence to throw three touchdown passes, hitting Dalton Schultz for a 2-yard score with 1:37 left to lift Dallas over the Minnesota Vikings 31-28 on Sunday to stop the Cowboys’ four-game losing streak.
Dalton went 22 for 32 for 203 yards and one interception after fill-ins Ben Dinucci and Garrett Gilbert started the previous two games. After missing games to a concussion and COVID-19, Dalton directed an 11-play, 66-yard drive down the stretch that was extended with a fourthand-6 completion to Amari Cooper at the 19.
Kris Boyd stepped in front of Schultz and nearly picked off a first-and-goal pass in the end zone, but Dalton delivered to his wide open tight end two plays later. That snapped the Vikings’ three-game winning streak and kept the Cowboys (3-7) alive and well in the lackluster NFC East. They’re in a three-way tie for second place behind Philadelphia (3-6-1).
Dodging pressure all afternoon, Kirk Cousins completed 22 of 30 passes for 314 yards and three touchdowns to punctuate possessions of 75, 81 and 85 yards to start the second half after the Vikings trailed 16-7 following a first half marked by two lost fumbles and six penalties for 60 yards.
Adam Thielen caught the first two touchdowns, the first one with a falling-down, one-handed grab in the back corner of the end zone while being held by Cowboys cornerback Anthony Brown.
When it counted the most, the Vikings (4-6) stalled out on their final two possessions while Cousins went 2 for 7. His fourth-and-6 throw to Thielen from the 29 fell incomplete with 1:18 left.
■ NEXT: Washington at Cowboys, 1:30 p.m. Thursday. Panthers at Vikings, 10 a.m. Sunday.
P.J. Walker threw for 258 yards and a touchdown in his first NFL start, the muchmaligned Carolina defense earned its first shutout since 2015 and the Panthers (4-7) snapped a fivegame losing streak. Walker, a former XFL player, was made the starter less than two hours before kickoff when Teddy Bridgewater was officially ruled out with a knee injury. Walker did plenty well, connecting on a perfect 52-yard strike to D.J. Moore along with a well-placed 17-yard touchdown pass to Curtis Samuel. But he also had two terrible
mistakes, twice throwing interceptions in the red zone, essentially hitting the defender right in the hands. Still he did enough to win, as Moore had seven catches for 127 yards and Samuel had eight grabs for 70 yards. Mike Davis ran for 64 yards and a touchdown. Matthew Stafford, who played despite a thumb injury that prevented him from taking a snap under center all week in practice, finished 18 of 33 for 178, He was sacked five times as the Lions (4-6) were blanked for the first time since Oct. 18, 2009.
■ NEXT: Texans at Lions, 9:30 a.m. Thursday. Panthers at Vikings, 10 a.m. Sunday.