Kirk Cousins completed 23 of 32 passes for 220 yards and two touchdowns, both to tight end Kyle Rudolph, and the Minnesota Vikings held on for a 28-24 win over the Dallas Cowboys in Arlington, Texas, on Sunday night.
Dalvin Cook finished with 26 carries for 97 yards and a touchdown for Minnesota (7-3), which won for the fifth time in six games. Cook also had seven catches for 86 yards out of the backfield.
Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott completed 28 of 46 passes for 397 yards, three touchdowns and one interception, which came on a “Hail Mary” from the Dallas 46 as time expired. Amari Cooper had 11 catches for 147 yards and a touchdown, while Randall Cobb had six catches for 106 yards and a touchdown for the Cowboys (5-4).
Dallas marched down the field in the final four minutes in pursuit of a go-ahead touchdown, but its drive stalled in the red zone when linebacker Eric Kendricks broke up a fourth-and-5 pass by Prescott with 40 seconds remaining.
Both teams traded touchdowns — and the lead — during a physical second half.
The Vikings led 20-14 early in the third quarter before Dallas claimed its first lead of the game. Cooper made a great touchdown catch, dragging his toes inbounds for a 12-yard score to put the Cowboys on top 21-20 with 7:01 to go in the third quarter.
Minnesota answered on fourth-and-goal from the 2 with two seconds left in the third quarter. Cook took a toss to the right and weaved through traffic on his way to the end zone to put the Vikings back on top. Rudolph caught a two-point conversion to make it 28-21.
Dallas cut the deficit to 28-24 on a 23-yard field goal with 10:00 left.
The Vikings jumped out to a 14-0 lead in the first quarter thanks to a pair of touchdown receptions, both from 1 yard out, by Rudolph, including a one-handed snag after a leaping throw by Cousins. The veteran tight end doubled his touchdown count for 2019 and increased his career total to 45, which ranks fifth in team history behind Cris Carter (110), Randy Moss (92), Anthony Carter (52) and Sammy White (50).
The Cowboys bounced back to even the score at 14-14 with 1:54 to go in the first half. Prescott found Michael Gallup for a 23-yard score midway through the second quarter, and he connected with Cobb for a 22-yard touchdown — after drawing Minnesota offsides for a “free play” — just after the two-minute mark.
Minnesota took a 17-14 lead into halftime after Dan Bailey made a 26-yard field goal as the half expired.
–Field Level Media
