Why the Minnesota Vikings can upset the Dallas Cowboys
Are the Minnesota Vikings tailor-made to upset the Dallas Cowboys on Thursday night football? This might be the week the Cowboys trip up…
The Minnesota Vikings started the 2016 season 5-0 despite being completely ravaged by injuries at critical positions. They have had to endure a kicker change, more injuries, and really inconsistent play from their offense over the last month plus.
The Dallas Cowboys started the season with a loss, and haven’t lost since that game. They are one of the best offensive attacks in the league, and have a top run defense.
Both teams played last Thursday as well, and Dallas is a favorite to beat the Vikings on the road, but I’ll take a phrase from the great Lee Corso:
Not so fast…
The Vikings, like many NFL teams, play much better at home than they do on the road, and have an especially unique home field advantage. Playing in a brand new, state of the art stadium will be nothing new for the Dallas Cowboys, but the volume level of that building is going to be nuts as the Vikings try and get back into the NFC North race, which just took a turn for the worst last week on Thanksgiving against the Lions.
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I wouldn’t say the Vikings are necessarily built to beat the Cowboys on a consistent basis, but their ability to play tough defense and make big plays on special teams could give them an edge especially playing at home against a young quarterback.
The Cowboys execute offensively incredibly well, and they obviously have two of the best young players in the league playing behind probably the league’s top offensive line, but nothing is set in stone.
The Vikings rank 2nd in the NFL in points allowed, and are one of the league’s best pass defenses. They are not only tough on the defensive front, but they boast one of the best front seven units in all of football and a very talented secondary.
The Cowboys haven’t been blowing teams out lately, and I think the Vikings have a decent chance of knocking the Cowboys off while also making a push in the playoffs of their own. This is almost a must-win situation for the Vikings, and beating this Dallas team could be a huge boost of confidence going into the home stretch of the season.