Vikings smash Cowboys’ playoff hopes as JJ McCarthy leads way to victory

Minnesota Vikings may be eliminated from the playoffs, but the Dallas Cowboys technically weren't going to be in Sunday's game at AT&T Stadium.

CowboysThe odds are now down to earth after a 34-26 loss to the Vikings on Sunday night.

The Vikings are now 6-8 on the season while the Cowboys fall to 6-7-1. And while they're not technically eliminated, the Cowboys' playoff chances are now hanging in the balance.

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The start of this fight was unsuccessful for the Vikings, as JJ McCarthy The very first pass attempt was an interception as the lightning-fast Donovan Wilson put it down the line, and Quinnen Williams looked up and hauled the ball.

Dak Prescott and the Cowboys offense had incredible field position for their opening drive, and although it took 11 plays to go 35 yards, Javonte Williams was able to kick the ball into the end zone for a 7-0 lead.

It also wouldn't have happened without a fake field goal, as Brandon Aubrey, one of the NFL's most reliable players, ran for a first down on fourth-and-4 from the Minnesota 29-yard line. However, Aubrey doesn't make a very good appearance later in the game.

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The Vikings finally got something going after the field turned over on their third drive, when Aaron Jones was pushed out of bounds on an 18-yard reception and the Cowboys were called for a tackle on the yoke for a 15-yard tack. On the very next play, McCarthy threw a touchdown pass to Jalen Naylor—his first of two scores in the game—to tie the game at seven points apiece.

The second quarter saw a flurry of offense from both sides, with Dallas responding with Malik Davis rushing in from a yard out while McCarthy capped a 75-yard drive with a perfectly executed fake pass at the Dallas one-yard line for a passing touchdown.

On the ensuing drive, Aubrey, who again has one of the most reliable legs in the game, missed just his third field goal attempt of the year, this time from 51 yards. After Will Reichard scored, Aubrey managed to come back before the break with both teams scoring 17 points.

The Cowboys took a 23-17 lead in the second half thanks to two more Aubrey field goals, but seven points was what they were hoping for. McCarthy helped make that happen by throwing a big pass to Naylor and setting up the Vikings in the red zone.

After Justin Jeffersonwho struggled in this despite being targeted without scoring a touchdown, C.J. Ham buried a one-yard touchdown to make it 24-23 after the extra point.

Prescott tried to match his sophomore counterpart, but the Cowboys stalled at the Minnesota 41-yard line. At 59 yards it was within Aubrey's range, but he missed again. All four of his missed field goals this season have come from 50 yards or longer.

Now that the ball was close to midfield, the Vikings had a chance to build on the lead and they got exactly what they needed. On first-and-goal from the Dallas four-yard line, McCarthy found Naylor again and celebrated as the Vikings went up 31-23.

The Cowboys turned the ball over on downs on the ensuing drive, and the Vikings saw Aaron Jones pick up several first downs to not only save the clock, but also force Dallas to use all of its timeouts.

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On the sidelines, McCarthy was 15 of 24 for 250 yards with two touchdowns and one interception, and Jordan Addison's 58-yard catch was one of his best throws.

For the Cowboys, Prescott was 23 of 38 for 294 yards, although he never scored a touchdown. CeeDee Lamb led all receivers in the game with 111 yards on six catches, but George Pickens was silent for the second straight game. He had just three catches for 33 yards.

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