NFL Week 8 Preview: Cowboys travel to the Twin Cities to play Vikings on Sunday Night Football

DALLAS COWBOYS (5-1)
AT MINNESOTA VIKINGS (3-3)

SUNDAY, OCT. 31, 2021 // 8:20 PM ET // U.S. BANK STADIUM // REFEREE: SCOTT NOVAK

ON THE AIRWAVES

TV: NBC (8:20 PM ET): Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth, Michele Tafoya (field reporter)
NATIONAL RADIO: Westwood One: Dave Pasch, Mike Golic
SIRIUS: 81 (Dal..), 211 (Min.), National (88) | XM: 226 (Dal..), 225 (Min.), National (88) | SXM App: 808 (Dal.), 820 (Min.), National (88)

U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis from the West. 2021 photo By Lectrician2 – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https commons.wikimedia.org

REGULAR-SEASON SERIES HISTORY

LEADER: Cowboys lead all-time series, 13-12
STREAKS: Cowboys have won 3 of past 4
LAST GAME: 11/22/20: Cowboys 28 at Vikings 31
LAST GAME AT SITE: 11/22/20

DALLAS COWBOYS LEADERS

Bye (Week 6: W 35-29 at New England, OT) LAST WEEK

Mike McCarthy: 17-9-2 COACH VS. OPP.

34.2 (1L)/24.3 PTS. FOR/AGAINST

460.8 (1L) OFFENSE

Dak Prescott: 158-216-1,813-16-4-115.0 PASSING

Ezekiel Elliott: 102-521-5.1-5 RUSHING

CeeDee Lamb: 33-497-15.1-4 RECEIVING

381.2 DEFENSE

Randy Gregory: 4 SACKS

Trevon Diggs: 7 (1L) INTs

+7 (14/7) TAKE/GIVE

Bryan Anger: 49.6 (44.3) PUNTING (NET)

Greg Zuerlein: 55 (19/21 PAT; 12/15 FG) KICKING

COWBOYS NOTES

• QB DAK PRESCOTT passed for season-high 445 pass yards & 3
TDs vs. INT for 108.7 rating in Week 6. Has 9 games with 400+
pass yards since 2018, most in NFL. Has 400+ pass yards & 3+
TD passes in 3 of his past 4 road starts. Passed for 397 yards
& 3 TDs vs. INT for 101.4 rating in his last start vs. Min. (11/10/19).
• RB EZEKIEL ELLIOTT had 119 scrimmage yards (69 rush, 50
rec.) & season-high 7 receptions in Week 6. Aims for his 5th
in row with 100+ scrimmage yards. Has 1,576 scrimmage yards
(121.2 per game) in 13 career SNF games. Aims for his 3rd in row
at Min. with 100+ scrimmage yards & TD. RB TONY POLLARD
had rush TD in last meeting. Aims for his 6th in row with 60+
scrimmage yards.
• WR CEEDEE LAMB set career highs in catches (9) & rec. yards
(149) & 2nd-career game with 2 rec. TDs in Week 6. Had TD
catch in last meeting. Aims for his 4th in row on road with 80+
rec. yards & 5th in row on road with 5+ catches. WR AMARI
COOPER has 22 receptions for 307 yards (102.3 per game) &
rec. TD in 3 career games vs. Min. Has 10+ catches in 2 of his
past 3 on SNF. TE DALTON SCHULTZ has 5+ catches in 5 of 6
games in 2021 & aims for his 5th in row with 5+ catches. Had
rec. TD in last meeting.
• CB TREVON DIGGS became 2nd player since 1970 (HOFer ROD
WOODSON) with 7 INTs in team’s 1st 6 games of season & 2nd
player in SB era (BRIAN RUSSELL – 2003) with INT in each of his
team’s 1st 6 games of season.

MINNESOTA VIKINGS LEADERS

LAST WEEK Bye (Week 6: W 34-28 at Carolina, OT)

COACH VS. OPP. Mike Zimmer: 2-1

PTS. FOR/AGAINST 24.5/22.8

OFFENSE 414.2

PASSING Kirk Cousins: 166-239-1,769-13-2-105.4

RUSHING Dalvin Cook: 80-366-4.6-2

RECEIVING Justin Jefferson: 41-542-13.2-3

DEFENSE 358.3

SACKS Danielle Hunter: 6

INTs Four tied: 1

TAKE/GIVE +2 (7/5)

PUNTING (NET) Jordan Berry: 48.4 (42.8)

KICKING Greg Joseph: 51 (12/13 PAT; 13/17 FG)

VIKINGS NOTES

QB KIRK COUSINS passed for season-high 373 yards & 3 TDs
vs. 0 INTs for 112.6 rating in Week 6. Has 20 career games with
300+ pass yards, 3+ TD passes & 110+ rating, most by QB in 1st
10 seasons in NFL history. Passed for 314 yards & 3 TDs vs. 0
INTs for 140.1 rating in last meeting. Has 2,172 pass yards (310.3
per game) & 17 TDs vs. 4 INTs for 113.6 rating in 7 starts on SNF.
• RB DALVIN COOK rushed for 140 yards & TD in Week 6. Has 343
scrimmage yards (171.5 per game) & 2 rush TDs in 2 games vs.
Dal. Aims for his 3rd in row vs. Dal. with 160+ scrimmage yards &
rush TD. Aims for his 4th in row on SNF with TD. RB ALEXANDER
MATTISON has 150+ scrimmage yards in 2 of past 3 at home.
• WR JUSTIN JEFFERSON had 8 catches for 80 yards in Week 6.
Aims for his 10th in row with 5+ receptions. Had 86 rec. yards &
TD catch in last meeting. Has 9 rec. TDs in his past 10 at home.
WR ADAM THIELEN had season-high 11 receptions for 126 rec.
yards & TD catch in Week 6. Had 8 catches for 123 yards & 2
rec. TDs in last meeting. Has 31 catches (7.8 per game) for 374
yards (93.5 per game) & 4 rec. TDs in his past 4 on SNF. WR K.J.
OSBORN had 6 catches for 78 yards & rec. TD in Week 6.
• DE DANIELLE HUNTER aims for his 3rd in row at home with
sack. Had 2 sacks in only career home game vs. Dal. (12/1/16).
DE EVERSON GRIFFEN has 4 sacks in 3 home games in 2021 &
aims for his 4th in row at home with sack. Has 1.5 sacks, FF & FR
in 3 career games vs. Dal. LB ERIC KENDRICKS had 2nd sack of
season & 5th-career FR in Week 6.

COURTESY NFLmedia.com

Posted in NFL

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