Dallas Cowboys Opponent Profile: Vikings Fighting For Their Playoff Lives
By Shawn Lealos
Five weeks into the 2016 NFL season, it looked like the Dallas Cowboys and Minnesota Vikings might be the best of the NFC. Dallas was 4-1 and the Vikings were undefeated at 5-0. Since then, the Cowboys have proven to be the top of the class, with a 10-1 record after 11 games, while the Vikings dropped five of their next six games after their hot start. Now, the Cowboys try to tighten their grip on their NFC home-field advantage and Minnesota finds themselves fighting to remain in competition in the NFC North. Here is a closer look at the Minnesota Vikings.
Minnesota Vikings Season Record
The Minnesota Vikings are 6-5, a very disappointing record after their quick start to the season. They have lost five of their last six games, all to NFC competition, and find their playoff hopes are slipping away. They are only one game back behind the Detroit Lions, but lost both games against their NFC North rivals, so they really need help if they want to win the NFC North. They might just be fighting for a wild-card spot right now.
Minnesota Vikings On Offense
Before the season started, the Minnesota Vikings were expecting to rely on running back Adrian Peterson to carry their offense and quarterback Teddy Bridgewater to run things. Bridgewater was injured before the season started, shattering his left knee. Adrian Peterson was lost early in the season to a knee injury as well. Peterson could potentially return in time for the playoffs, but only if the Vikings make it that far.
Sam Bradford, a former No. 1 overall draft pick from Oklahoma, came to the Vikings in a trade and has played well. He has an impressive 98.3 QB rating and has only thrown three interceptions compared to 12 touchdowns. He still takes too many sacks -- which falls on him as well as his struggling offensive line -- with 26 on the season, and is struggling with an ankle injury. He will start on Thursday despite that injury. Another injured star is wide receiver Stefon Diggs, who leads the Vikings with 67 catches for 747 yards. He missed last week's game but returned to practice this week and is expected to play.
The Vikings running game has struggled without Adrian Peterson, which is a large reason for their losses lately. Jerick McKinnon and Matt Asiata lead the way, but they only average 3.0 and 3.2 yards per carry, respectively, and have only combined for 603 yards on the season.
Minnesota Vikings On Defense
The reason that the Minnesota Vikings remain a dangerous team is because of their defense. The team ranks fourth in the NFL in total defense. The bad news for Minnesota is that they rank 14th in the NFL against the run, and that is where the Cowboys really dominate games. Ezekiel Elliott leads the NFL in rushing and can help the Cowboys control the time of possession against teams that can't stop him.
Minnesota Vikings Players To Watch
Sam Bradford – For years, Bradford was unfairly criticized for playing on a team in the St. Louis Rams with a poor offensive line, and he suffered through injuries thanks to the lack of protection. Now that he is playing for a team better suited for his playing style, he is finally looking like the first round quarterback he was drafted to be. Bradford can win at the professional level and is dangerous when he has his weapons healthy.
Stefon Diggs – One player that Bradford needs at his disposal is Stefon Diggs. When healthy, Diggs is one of the most exciting playmakers in the NFL and it looks like he may return against the Cowboys. Diggs averages 11.1 yards per reception and could prove to be a tough matchup for the injured Dallas secondary.
Outlook
Five weeks into the season it looked like the Dallas Cowboys and Minnesota Vikings could have been playoff opponents. The Vikings are now fighting for their playoff lives and a win over Dallas could take them closer to that goal. However, the Cowboys are playing on a completely different level than Minnesota and should win this game easily provided they come to play on a short week.
