Hours after they were officially eliminated from postseason contention, the Minnesota Vikings dealt a blow to Dallas’ playoff odds by beating the Cowboys 34-26 on “Sunday Night Football.”
It was the seventh game this season that Dallas had allowed at least 30 points, tied for the league lead.
Facing a Cowboys defense that has ranked near the league’s bottom in yards and points allowed, Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy kept drives alive with his arm and his legs, completing 15 of his 24 passes for a career-high 250 yards while throwing two touchdowns to Jalen Nailor and running for another score. McCarthy threw an interception on his first pass when it was batted and caught at the line of scrimmage, but he recovered to throw completions of 58, 29, 23 and 18 yards.
Minnesota improved to 6-8, while Dallas is 6-7-1. The Cowboys remain behind Detroit and Carolina in the race for the NFC’s wild card with three games left.
The offensive turnaround was a twist from earlier this season, when the Vikings managed just six points total in a two-game stretch last month. Since they were shut out in Week 13, however, the Vikings have scored 31 and 34 points in their last two games. It has not been enough to keep them alive for the postseason, but it was an encouraging sight after McCarthy had struggled for much of his first full season. Chicago’s win earlier Sunday in Week 15, hours before kickoff in Dallas, was enough to eliminate the Vikings and ensure the franchise still will have not made the postseason in consecutive seasons since 2008-09.
After Cowboys kicker Brandon Aubrey’s field goal in the final minute brought Dallas within eight points, Dallas attempted an onside kick with 18 seconds left, but Minnesota recovered.
Aubrey entered as one of the NFL’s most dependable kickers, having missed only two field goals all season. For his career, he had made 90% of his field goals, including six from 60-plus yards. Against the Vikings, however, Aubrey made four of his six kicks, with misses from 51 and 59 yards.
Cowboys running back Javonte Williams rushed for a touchdown and ran for 91 yards, making him the franchise’s first back since Ezekiel Elliott in 2019 to eclipse 1,100 rushing yards in a single season.
Dallas is 0-6 this season when Dak Prescott throws for one or fewer touchdowns and 6-1-1 when he throws for multiple scores — an indication of just how much offense has been needed to offset the Cowboys’ defensive woes this season. Though Prescott threw for 294 yards, he did not throw for a score.
CeeDee Lamb caught six passes for 111 yards.
