Cowboys’ win a Rush job
DALLAS 20 MINNESOTA 16
MINNEAPOLIS — Cooper Rush subbed for an injured Dak Prescott and passed for 325 yards and two second-half touchdowns, the last a five-yarder to Amari Cooper with 51 seconds left in the Dallas Cowboys’ 20-16 victory over the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday night.
Rush, a fifth-year backup handed the offense when Prescott was shelved in a gametime decision because of a strained right calf muscle, directed an eight-play, 75-yard drive he finished with a perfect toss to Cooper on a fade in the corner of the end zone.
Cooper had eight catches for 122 yards, and CeeDee Lamb had six receptions for 112 yards for the Cowboys (6-1), whose only lead came in that final minute.
Rush overcame two turnovers, both delivered by former Dallas safety Xavier Woods, to slice up the Minnesota secondary in his first NFL start. Prescott watched approvingly from the sideline wearing a headset to help the coaches.
Kirk Cousins and the Vikings (3-4) were frequently in disarray on offense, after opening the game with a 75-yard march for a touchdown pass to Adam Thielen. Greg Joseph kicked three field goals to keep them in front for most of the night, but the Vikings totaled only 278 yards against a defense that was giving up the second-highest yards-perplay average in the NFL entering the week.
Cousins finished 23 for 35 for 184 yards, too often settling for the short dump-off option rather than pushing the ball up the field to Thielen and fellow star Justin Jefferson. Dalvin Cook had 18 carries for 78 yards, but he never found a rhythm because of all the fits and starts.
The Vikings converted only one of 13 third downs and had eight of 12 possessions last only four plays or fewer. Woods had an interception in the second quarter and forced a fumble with his first career sack in the fourth quarter, but the Vikings didn’t turn those gifts into any points.
Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn had a masterful game plan that was almost undone by a lack of discipline. The defense accounted for nine of the team’s 11 penalties, including three unnecessaryroughness calls in a Vikings scoring drive.