Dallas Cowboys vs Minnesota Vikings summary: score, goals, highlights | NFL Week 8
Dallas Cowboys 20 vs Minnesota Vikings 16
Proud parents
Cooper Rush's family got to see him play his first NFL regular season game and finish it off with a touchdown to win the game. His dad looks extremely proud!
Game Summary
Cooper Rush, backup QB to Dak Prescott, made his NFL regular season debut with the Cowboys in tonight's Halloween game against the Minnesota Vikings. He wasn't perfect, but he certainly looked more experienced than that.
The first half was shaky. The Vikings scored a TD on their first drive and the Cowboys kept getting penalties to make it even more difficult to get down the field. They missed a FG attempt in the first quarter, and then threw an interception in the second. They eventually got back into FG range before the Vikings could score again, making it a 7-3 game. The Vikings came back and got their own FG, putting them up by a TD. At the half, the Vikings are up 10-3.
The start to the second half happens quick as they get to third down on the first drive and then Rush throws it to Wilson, who runs it 73 yards for a TD. Tie game. Vikings have a hard time against the Dallas defense after that. Cousins is sacked and they're held to another FG, but it puts them up 13-10. The Cowboys get another FG soon after to tie up the game yet again. It just keeps staying close in the second half for these teams. Penalties and a sack/forced fumble keep the Cowboys from getting very far for a while, and the Vikings get the opportunity for another FG, and they do. They're up 16-13. If the Cowboys just get a FG here, they can tie the game, but they don't end up needing to settle for that. Elliott, in an incredible play, bursts through to get the Cowboys to 1st and goal and on the next play, Rush throws a touchdown pass to Amari Cooper to all but seal the deal for Dallas. They're up 20-16 and the Vikings are out of timeouts with less than two minutes left in the game. They can't seem to stop the clock and it runs out to give Dallas their sixth straight win.
Even more impressive is that they got the W on the road, playing in one of the most challenging stadiums and environments in the NFL, and with their backup quarterback. They would have had a lot of decent excuses for a loss, but they still came back and won it.
The Cowboys WIN with their backup QB against the Minnesota Vikings in one of the most difficult environments to play in and they have six straight wins!
Cousins pass complete to Conklin but he can't stay out of bounds and the time tick tick ticks and Cousins pass is incomplete and that is TIME!
The Cowboys inexplicably took out Gregory and Diggs left limping...Gregory going back in after the TO
Dallas calls second timeout of the half
Cousins pass complete to Osborn, but he's still in bounds and the clock is moving - 3rd and 9
Penalty on Vikings - False Start - 5 yards - puts them at 2nd and 15
Cousins pass incomplete to Conlklin - 2nd and 10
Cousins deep pass to the Minnesota 38 is caught for a gain of 13
Zuerlein kicks 65 yards from Cowboys 35 to end zone - touchback
The Cowboys get the touchdown after an incredible play by Elliott to put them up by a comfortable 4 points with 51 seconds left in the game!
Zuerlein extra point is GOOD!
Rush pass to Cooper is CAUGHT in the end zone for a Cowboys TOUCHDOWN!
Vikings take their last timeout
Elliott takes it all the way up to first and goal! What a play!
Penalty on Vikings - Delay of Game because of calling two timeouts in a row
Vikings take second timeout
Minnesota takes first timeout of the half
Cooper pass complete to Elliott, taken down at the 25-yard line for a loss of 3 yards - 3rd and 16
Rush pass incomplete - Penalty on Cowboys - Holding - 10 yards - puts the Coboys at 2nd and 13 now
Rush pass complete to Brown to Vikings 12 for 7 yards
Penalty on Vikings - Illegal Use of Hands - 5 yards
Rush pass incomplete to Brown but there's a flag
2-minute warning
Rush pass incomplete to Schultz - 2nd down
Cooper again for 18 yards to the Vikings 24
Rush throws it and it's bobbled and then CAUGHT by Cooper at the Vikings 42 foe 33 yards
Rush pass incomplete to Lamb as Dantzler swats it away
Joseph kicks 65 yards from Vikings 35 to end zone - Touchback
The Vikings bank on Dallas penalties and get another field goal to put them ahead by 3.
Joseph 24-yard field goal is GOOD
Cousins barely gets the ball out but Thielen is right where he needs to be and pass is complete - 4th and goal
Cousins pass complete to Mattison but he's pushed out at the Dallas 11 for a loss of 3 yards
Cook left to Dallas 8 for a loss of 4
Dallas, get it together, man.
Penalty on Cowboys - Unnecessary Roughness - 4 yards
Cooks stopped at the 7-yard line and there's yet another flag thrown
Mattison up the middle to Cowboys 12 for 1 yard
Penalty on Dallas - Unnecessary Roughness - 14 yards
Cook pushes up the middle to the 27 yard line for 7 yards - flag is thrown
Cook to Cowboys 34 for 8 yards
Cousins pass to Ham pushed to Dallas 42 for 9 yards
A ridiculous penalty called on Cowboys - Roughing the Passer = 15 yards
Cousins pass incomplete
Cook up the middle for a gain of 8 yards at the Vikings 26
Anger punts 41 yards to Vikings 26 - fair catch by Osborn
Rush pass incomplete to Lamb who dropped the ball - 4th down
Rush pass incomplete to Cooper - 3rd and 9
Elliott runs it for 1 yard gain - 2nd and 9
Berry's back on the field and punts to the Dallas 32
Mattison needed 23 but he got 4 - 4th down
Penalty on Vikiings again - Holding - declined
Cousins pass incomplete as Kazee hits Jefferson hard
Two penalties on Vikings - Holding and Intentional Grounding - 13 yards - 2nd and 23
Cousins nearly sacked and a flag is down
Rush is SACKED and there's a forced fumble and the Vikings recover it
Elliott to Vikings 45 for 2 yards - 2nd and 8
Rush deep pass to Lamb to Vikings 47 for 19 yards
Rush pass caught and tipped by Biadasz to Schultz for 7 yards
Penalty on Dallas - Holding - 10 yards - 2nd and 20
Rush pass complete to Brown but a flag is thrown
Rush pass incomplete to Elliott
Rush pass complete to Cooper for 15 yards at the Dallas 37
Rush pass to Lamb to Cowboys 22 for 13 yards
Penalty on Dallas - Holding - 9 yards
Berry punts - fair catch but there's a flag on the play
Cousins pass to Osborn to Vikings 31 for 4 yards - 4th and 4
Cousins pass to Thielen to Vikings 27 for 4 yards
And that brings us to the end of the third quarter
Cousins pass short to Ham to the Vikings 23 for a loss of 2 yards
Zuerlein kicks 65 yards from Cowboys 35 to end zone, - touchback
The Cowboys tie up the game yet again with a successful field goal
Zuerlein 39-yard field goal attempt is GOOD
Rush pass incomplete to Cooper - he bobbles it and doesn't get control until he's out of bounds - 4th down
Rush pass caught by Pollard for one yard - 3rd and 8
Pollard to Vikings 22 for 1 yard - 2nd and 9
Rush tosses it to Wilson and he passes deep to Lamb to the Vikings 23 for a huge gain of 35 yards at the Vikings 23
Indeed a pass interference on Minnesota - 14 yards
Rush pass incomplete short right to Wilson but that was definitely a pass interference
Berry punts 39 yards to Cowboys 31 - Lamb to Cowboys 28 for -3 yards
Cousins pass incomplete and nearly picked by Parsons and they're already to 4th down and 6
Cousins throws and it's caught by Ham but he's immediately tackled for a loss of 4
Anger punts 36 yards to Vikings 26 - Cowboys Cox was injured during the play
Rush pass complete to Wilson but he doesn't get far - 4th down at the Dallas 38
Elliott with a 2-yard gain at the Dallas 36 - 3rd and 8
Dallas takes first timeout of second half
Rush deep pass incomplete to...?
Rush pass complete to Cooper to Cowboys 34 for a 10-yard gain and first down
Elliott 4-yard gain at the Cowboys 24 - 2nd and 6
Joseph kicks 67 yards from Vikings 35 to Cowboys -2 - Pollard to Cowboys 20 for 22 yards
Vikings get ahead again with a FG
Joseph 40 yard field goal is GOOD
Cousins pass caught by Conklin to Dallas 22 - 4th down
Cousins pass incomplete to Jefferson - 3rd and 12
Cook to Dallas 29 for loss of 2
Cousins pass complete Herndon to Cowboys 27 for 7 yards
Cook to Dallas 34 for 3 yards - 2nd and 7
After the punt, Cousins pass to Jefferson to Cowboys 37 for 18 yards
Rush sacked at the Dallas 8 for a loss of 10 yards - 4th down
Rush pass incomplete to Cooper - 3rd and 8
Elliott right guard to Cowboys 18 for 2 yards - 2nd and 8
Berry punts 37 yards to Cowboys 16
Cousins is SACKED by Randy Gregory, bringing the Vikings to 4th down and 12
Cousins pass complete to Conklin to Cowboys 46 for 11 yards - 3rd and 4
Cousins pass complete to Cook to the Vikings 43 for 4 yards
Penalty on Vikings - Holding -10 yards
Cook to Cowboys 43 for 8 yards
Cook bursts through for a huge gain of 20 yards to the Vikings 49
Jefferson is down on the field
Illegal contact - Defense - 5-yard penalty, automatic first down
Cousins deep pass incomplete - flag on the play
Zuerlein kicks to the Dallas 35 - touchback
The Cowboys tie up the game with a SEVENTY-THREE yard touchdown run from Wilson!
Zuerlein extra point is GOOD!
They are held to 3rd down but on the 3rd, Rush passes deep to Wilson and he runs it 73 yards for a Dallas TOUCHDOWN!
Elliott to Cowboys 27 for 2 yards
Halftime summary
The Vikings get a TD on the first drive of the night and the Cowboys struggle on offense without Dak. They manage one FG, but penalties and mistakes have kept them from getting any further. Vikings up by a TD at the half.
End of first half
Cousins kneels to the Vikings 33 for loss of 1 and that brings us to the end of the half
Cousins pass incomplete to Thielen
Cousins scrambles to Vikings 34 for 13 yards - 1st down
Cousins pass complete to Smith-Marsette to Vikings 21 for 6 yards - 2nd and 4
Anger punts 50 yards to Vikings 15 - Fair catch by Osborn
Rush pass incomplete to Brown - 4th down
Rush pass to Schultz is bobbled and incomplete - 3rd and 10
It's ruled as incomplete - 2nd and 10
Rush pass incomplete - could have been intercepted but the play is under review as the ball bounces on the ground
Rush pass complete to Cooper to the Dallas 35 for the first down
Rush pass short to Elliott to Cowboys 28 for a gain of 4
A defensive holding on the punt keeps the Vikings in the game, but the Cowboys hold them off just enough to keep the TD at bay. The Vikings put 3 more points on the board with a FG to make it a 10-point lead before the half.
Joseph 45 yard field goal is GOOD
Cousins pass incomplete to Cook - 4th and 12
Cousins pass to Madison complete but Parsons brings him down for a loss of 2 - 3rd and 12
Two-minute warning in the second quarter
Cook again - no gain at Dallas 24 - 2nd down and 10
They go for it and it pays off - pass deep to Thielen for a gain of 32 yards
They call it no gain - 4th and 1 - will they go for it?
Ham runs it but it's not clear if he gets the down
Cook runs it and is stopped just short of the 1st for a gain of 1 at the Vikings 44
Cousins pass complete to.Stocker to Vikings 42 for 7 yards - 2nd and 3
Dumb mistake by Cowboys - Offsides- 5-yard penalty
Berry punts 27 yards to the Cowboys 43 - out of bounds - flag on the play
Cousins pass incomplete to Theilen who is looking for a flag but doesn't get it. It was a clean tackle by Brown
Cook again to Minnesota 30 for a gain of 3 yards - 3rd and 5
Cook runs it for 2 yards to the Vikings 27 - 2nd and 8
Zuerlein kicks 65 yards from Cowboys 35 to end zone - touchback
The Cowboys can't get the TD, but they do get the FG this time at a little closer range to put themselves on the scoreboard.
Zuerlein 38-yard attempt is GOOD!
Rush throws the ball away - pass incomplete to Cooper (I guess? - not sure who he meant that for)
Rush pass incomplete to Elliott - 3rd and 6
Elliott takes it to the 20 yard line for a gain of 4
Rush pass complete to Wilson at the Vikings 24 for a gain of 9
Rush pass complete to Schultz for a gain of 4 yards - 3rd and 4
Pollard to Vikings 37 for 2 yards - 2nd and 8
Pollard fights for the first down and he gets it for a gain of 6 at the Vikings 37
Rush tosses to Elliott who's tackled at the Vikings 45 for a gain of 2 - 3rd down
Elliott for another gain of 2 at the Vikings 47 - 2nd down
Rush pass to Cooper COMPLETE in Vikings territory at the 49 yard line
Elliott for a gain of 2 yards at the Dallas 22
Berry punts 37 yards to Cowboys 13, Wilson to Cowboys 20 for 7 yards
Cousins pass incomplete to Osborn as he's hit by Brown who knocks it loose - 4th down
Cook pass complete to Conklin at the 50-yard line for a gain of 5 - 3rd and 5
PENALTY on Cowboys - Illegal Contact - 5 yards at Vikings 40
Cousins partial screen pass complete to Ham for 3 yards at the Vikings 43
Rush pass is PICKED by former Cowboy Woods at the Vikings 28 and runs it 12 yards to the Minnesota 40 - Vikings get the ball back
Elliott up the middle to the Vikings 47 for 5 yards - 2nd and 5
End of Q1
Pollard runs it to the Dallas 48 for 2 yards and gets the first down just before the end of the 1st quarter
Pollard runs it for 7 yards - short of the first down at the Dallas 46
Rush scrambles to the Dallas 39 for 2 yards - 2nd and 8
Rush pass deep left to Lamb to the Cowboys 37 for 20 yards
Elliott yet again to the Dallas 17 for a gain of 4 - first down
Elliott again to the 12-yard line and it's 3rd and 2
Elliott to the Cowboys 8 for 3 yards - 2nd and 7
Berry punts 44 yards to Cowboys 5 - bounces out of bounds
Cousins pass intended for Conklin incomplete - 4th down at Dallas 49
Vikings take first timeout of the first half
Cousins deep pass incomplete to Jefferson - 3rd and 7
Pass complete to Theilen to Cowboys 49 for 3 yards - 2nd and 7
Cook busts fast through the middle for a 15-yard gain right off the bat - 1st down
Zuerlein 43-yard FG attempt is NO GOOD - wayyyy left
Rush SACKED by Kendricks for a loss of 6 yards at the Vikings 25
Rush pass caught by Lamb for a gain of 8 yards - 3rd and 7
Rush pass incomplete to Cooper - 2nd and 15 at Vikings 27
False start on Dallas - 5 yards - 1st and 15
Rush pass deep to Lamb is caught low by Lamb for 22 yards at the Vikings 22
Pollard to Vikings 41 for 6 yards - 2nd and 4
PENALTY on Vikings - Offside -5 yards - automatic first down
Rush pass nearly caught by Jarwin but he's hit hard and the ball comes loose - incomplete - flag on the play
Rush pass complete to Elliott to the Cowboys 48 for 8 yard gain
Elliott up the middle to Cowboys 40 for 2 yards - 2nd and 8
Rush pass caught by Amari Cooper for the first down at the Cowboys 38
Cooper Rush on the field - pass complete to Elliott for 8 yards - 2nd and 2
Joseph kicks 65 yards from Vikings 35 to the end zone - touchback
Minnesota gets first points of the game
The Cowboys couldn't hold off the Vikings offense this time. They almost held them to 4th down, but a pass interference on Diggs gave Minnesota the first down and shortly after, the TD.
Joseph kick is GOOD!
Cousins pass to WIDE OPEN Theilen for a Vikings TOUCHDOWN!
Cook to Cowboys 20 for a loss of 1 - 2nd and 11
Pass interference on Dallas - Automatic first down (14 yard penalty)
Pressure is on and Cousins gets the ball away but Diggs swats it away - flag on the play
Pass tossed to Jefferson, but he scrambles. He's able to throw it away. 3rd and 7
Pass caught by Jefferson at the Cowboys 33 - 2nd and 7
Holding on Dallas
Cousins throws a deep pass and it is CAUGHT by Conklin for 31 yards - flag on the play
Handoff to Cooks but he's about a yard short of the first down at the Vikings 33
Cousins with a play-fake, gain of 7 yards - 2nd and 3
Cowboys have kicked off to start the game!
Minnesota’s offense
The Vikings and Cowboys are both offense-heavy teams. The Vikings are sixth in passing yards, eighth in rushing yards, and fifth in total yards. Unfortunately for them, they can’t always get all the way to the end zone. They are 14th overall in points per game. Dallas, on the other hand, lead the NFL in points per game.
The Vikings have running back Dalvin Cook, and two top receivers, Justin Jefferson and Adam Theilen to rely on. The Dallas defense needs to be ready for them. Theilen is one of the top ten in receiving TDs and Jefferson is in the top 10 in receptions and yards.
Their weak spot, however is in stopping the run. If Dallas is wise, they’ll use that to their advantage and give the ball to Tony Pollard and Ezekiel Elliott. They should be able to find the weak spots in the Vikings’ secondary.
Inactive Players
The Cowboys will be set back against the Vikings. It was recently announced that Dak Prescott will not play tonight after all. The chances of a loss here just went up.
Dak Prescott listed as Inactive
In this Halloween’s NFC matchup, both the Cowboys and the Vikings are coming off a bye week. Both teams’ last matchup saw them winning in overtime with walkoff touchdowns.
For the Cowboys, that last touchdown effort came at a cost. Das Prescott suffered a calf strain just after the last play of the game. Though the Cowboys had their bye week last week, Prescott’s status remained up in the air throughout the last week and was just recently listed as Inactive.
Cooper Rush will start in place of Prescott. He made all the first-team reps during practice this week and has appeared in just six regular season games so far. Will Grier will be Rush’s backup.
Halloween SNF
Happy Halloween and welcome to our live coverage of the Sunday Night Football, Cowboys vs Vikings! Will Prescott play tonight? Will the Vikings be able to control the Dallas offense? We will find out soon and give you the live updates right here.