MINNEAPOLIS - Tony Pollard had two touchdown catches for Dallas with a career-high 189 yards from scrimmage, and the Cowboys sacked Kirk Cousins a career-most seven times in a 40-3 victory over Minnesota on Sunday that slammed the Vikings' seven-game winning streak to a screeching halt.
Dak Prescott was flawless at quarterback, Ezekiel Elliott rushed for two scores in his return from injury and Brett Maher made four field goals - including a 60-yarder to end the first half. The Cowboys (7-3) didn't punt until their eighth possession, and the defense was just as good.
Micah Parsons and Dorance Armstrong had two sacks apiece in the fifth-largest loss ever for the Vikings - and the biggest road win in Cowboys history.
The Vikings (8-2) have been the king of the comebacks in an NFL season featuring the smallest average winning margin in 90 years, none more remarkable than last week at Buffalo when they turned a 17-point deficit late in the third quarter into an overtime victory.
Parsons promised Prescott and the offense this week the Cowboys would never again lose a 14-point fourth-quarter lead like they did last week for the first time in franchise history when they fell in overtime at Green Bay.
They carried out a near-perfect game plan with stunning ease against a team that entered the week tied for the best record in the league.
After surrendering 200 rushing yards in consecutive games for the first time since their 1960 inaugural season, the Cowboys flipped the script by gaining 108 yards on the ground in the first half. Seven of their eight third-down conversions came by rushing, and then they turned Pollard loose as a pass-catcher out of the backfield.
The epitome of the blowout came soon after halftime when the Cowboys faced third-and-14. With no hurry to throw - he was not sacked all afternoon - Prescott found Pollard in a one-on-one mismatch with linebacker Jordan Hicks and lofted a pass near the sideline for a 68-yard score that gave Dallas a 30-3 lead. The Vikings were so out of sorts they had six penalties for 54 yards in the third quarter alone.
Cousins went 12 for 23 for 105 yards and a lost fumble that Parsons forced with a blind-side sack the first time the Vikings tried to pass. Justin Jefferson, coming off a career-high 193 receiving yards against the Bills, had 33 yards on three catches.
Pollard, the Cowboys' most dangerous weapon on offense all year, finished with six catches for 109 yards and 15 rushes for 80 yards.
SO MUCH FOR CLOSE GAMES
The Vikings had their largest margin of defeat since Nov. 14, 2011, when they lost 45-7 at Green Bay. The Cowboys notched their biggest win since beating Buffalo 44-7 on Nov. 13, 2011.
JUST KICKING IT
Maher has four 60-plus-yard field goals in his career, the most in NFL history. Nobody else has more than two. He even made the 60-yarder twice, after a late stoppage for a replay review negated the first try that went off before the Cowboys heard the whistle.
INJURY REPORT
Cowboys: LB Anthony Barr (hamstring) was inactive against his former team. He played eight seasons for the Vikings, who drafted him in the first round in 2014. DT Quinton Bohanna (illness) was also scratched, replaced by Neville Gallimore. ... CB Kelvin Joseph (illness) did not play in the second half.
Vikings: LT Christian Darrisaw, who was forced out of the previous game with a concussion, was beaten by Parsons for the strip-sack and by Armstrong later for another sack to prompt a punt in the second quarter. He went back in the concussion protocol after that. ... CB Andrew Booth Jr. got his first career start for fellow rookie Akayleb Evans (concussion), who subbed the previous week for Cameron Dantzler (ankle). DT Dalvin Tomlinson (calf) missed his third straight game, and James Lynch took his spot again. ... LG Ezra Cleveland left with an injury in the third quarter.
UP NEXT
Cowboys: Host the New York Giants on Thursday. The Cowboys beat the Giants 23-16 on Sept. 26. Dallas has lost three straight Thanksgiving Day games.
Vikings: Host the New England Patriots on Thursday night, the first Thanksgiving Day home game in franchise history. They last played on the holiday in 2017, a 30-23 win at Detroit.
Vikings suffer from pass protection woes
MINNEAPOLIS – The first drive of the game set the stage: A Cowboys sack of Kirk Cousins. It was a common occurrence in the Vikings' blowout 40-3 loss to Dallas on Sunday.
"I don't know. I guess they just came to play today," said Vikings guard Ed Ingram. "Seemed like everything was going right for them. I applaud their team because they're a good team, as well."
Defensive Player of the Year candidate Micah Parsons had two early sacks for the Cowboys.
The Vikings lost top-tier left tackle Christian Darrisaw for most of the game, after he suffered his second concussion in two weeks. He was replaced by Blake Brandel.
"All credit due to them, and yeah, I mean, it was a tough game," said Brandel. "We didn't play good enough. I didn't play good enough, and just on to the next game."
"There would be some interior penetration and then trying to maybe help interior-wise, make sure the slide's going the right way, then there was some issues on the perimeter, as well," said Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell after the game. "And some of those sacks did not come on third down, some of them came, you know, on play passes where you're trying to protect and try to give Justin [Jefferson] and Adam [Thielen] a chance to work down the field."
Dallas entered the day leading the league in sacks and added seven more; six of them coming on just a four-man rush.
"When you can rush four, it's effective, certainly," said the oft-sacked Minnesota quarterback Kirk Cousins. "We want to be in a place where we're not having to drop back too much. And you certainly need to be, you know, in a game where you're right there and you're not behind where you have to drop back."
Minnesota never led and only rushed for 73 yards. The offensive line was exposed by the Cowboys.
"They got a good front and we just didn't, you know, step up to what we needed to do today," said Brandel.
The Vikings have a quick turnaround, hosting the Patriots on Thanksgiving at U.S. Bank Stadium.
Cowboys add insult to injury in 4th quarter
In the fourth quarter, Cowboys kicker Brett Maher scored another field goal, giving his team a 37-point lead. He was 4 for 4 for FGs Sunday.
This was the Vikings' widest margin of defeat at home in 42 years, when they lost by 35 points against the Philadelphia Eagles in 1980.
Also, can you remember the last time the Vikings didn't score a touchdown in a game? We can, sadly. It was back in 2016, when they lost 34-6 at home to the Indianapolis Colts.
Mike Max goes 1-on-1 with Dalvin Cook
Cowboys lead Vikings 37-3 going into 4th quarter
It was quite an ugly third quarter for the Vikings. Here are the "highlights":
* LT Christian Darrisaw is officially out of the rest of the game, and he likely won't play in the Vikings' Thanksgiving Day game against the New England Patriots.
* RB Tony Pollard scored a 68-yard touchdown to give the Cowboys a 27-point lead.
* Cowboys DE Dante Fowler then sacked Vikings QB Kirk Cousins.
* RB Ezekiah Elliot scored his second touchdown of the game, with the Cowboys up 37-3. Many Vikings fans started to head for the exits.
* Cowboys safety Jayron Kearse sacked Cousins, followed by Dorance Armstrong (his second sack of the game).
* This marks the first game in Cousins' career that he's been sacked seven times.
Darrisaw out for rest of game with concussion
LT Christian Darrisaw is officially out of the rest of the game, and he likely won't play in the Vikings' Thanksgiving Day game against the New England Patriots.
Cowboys have 10-point lead after 1st half
* For the second-straight game, LT Christian Darrisaw left the field to be evaluated for a concussion.
* Brett Maher scored his second field goal of the game, this one 53 yards, to put the Cowboys up 10 points over the Vikings.
* QB Kirk Cousins threw a long pass to TE T.J Hockenson, who stepped out of bounds soon after catching it.
* RB Tony Pollard made the biggest play of the game so far, taking a screen pass for a 30-yard touchdown, giving the Cowboys a 17-point lead.
* With Darrisaw out of the game, LB Michah Parsons was able to overpower Vikings OT Blake Brandel, leading to a sack of Cousins - who is 7 of 15 for 69 yards.
* Cowboys QB Dak Prescott threw a beauty to CeeDee Lamb to get them into field-goal range, leading to a 60-yard field goal from Maher.
* Lamb's catch was disputed, then officials ruled it was clean, but Maher's field goal was recalled. He then kicked it successfully again, with the Cowboys 20 points ahead going into halftime.
Darrisaw being evaluated for another concussion
Minnesota Vikings left tackle Christian Darrisaw has left the game to be evaluated for a concussion. He also suffered one last week against the Buffalo Bills.
Cowboys lead Vikings 10-3 going into 2nd quarter
Brett Maher scored the first field goal of the game for Dallas, which was countered by Minnesota's Greg Joseph to tie it up.
Ezekiah Elliot's touchdown then gave the Cowboys a 10-3 lead over the Vikings after the first quarter.
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones signs autographs pregame
Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones is making the rounds before Sunday's game, talking to fans and signing autographs.
Vikings, Cowboys announce inactive players
The Vikings have announced six inactive players for Sunday's matchup:
- Cornerback Akayleb Evans
- Outside linebacker Luiji Vilain
- Defensive tackle Dalvin Tomlinson
- Defensive lineman Esezi Otomewo
- Offensive tackle Vederian Lowe
Offensive lineman Chris Reed
The Cowboys also announced six inactives, including former Vikings linebacker Anthony Barr. The other inactive Cowboys are:
- Quarterback Will Grier
- Cornerback Nahshon Wright
- Safety Markquese Bell
- Defensive end Tarell Basham
- Defensive tackle Quinton Bohanna
