The Minnesota Vikings host the Dallas Cowboys on Thursday Night Football to start Week 13 in the NFL. The Cowboys are 10-1, riding one of the best offenses in the NFL to an absurd 10-game win streak and pole position in the NFC. The Vikings are now 6-5, struggling after a 5-0 start. The defense has played well, but an injury-riddled offense has held them back. The Vikings are down their starting QB, RB, both tackles, top backup tackle and at times this year, WR and center.
Can the Vikings, who have had several tough losses, get a needed win at home? Or will the Cowboys make it 11 straight. Here's our preview and prediction.
Game Info:
When: 8:25 p.m. EST
Where: U.S. Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, Minnesota
TV: NBC, NFL Network and Twitter
Spread: Cowboys by 3
O/U: 44
What They're Saying About The Dallas Cowboys:
Cowboys Are The Ultimate Road Warriors (FanSided)
Why The Cowboys Will Beat The Vikings (Chat Sports)
Barry Church's Return Helps Cowboys (ESPN)
Cowboys Offense Puts Pressure On Opposing Coaches (ESPN
What They're Saying About The Minnesota Vikings:
HC Mike Zimmer To Miss Cowboys Game, Mike Priefer Will Be Interim Coach (Vikings' Website)
Joe Berger, Marcus Sherels Ruled Out (Star Tribune)
Is Adrian Peterson's Return Imminent? (CBS Minnesota)
Vikings D-Line Ready For Cowboys O-Line (Vikings' Website)
Key To The Game: Battle In The Trenches
This is a matchup of strengths when Dallas has the ball, and a matchup of weaknesses when the Vikings have it. The Cowboys offensive line is the best in the NFL, even with Doug Free not playing all that well. That offensive line has made life easy on Dak Prescott and opened up plenty of holes for Ezekiel Elliott. The Cowboys run the ball a ton, control the clock and keep their defense off the field. Will that game plan work against the Vikings? Their defense is fantastic, especially when they can turn their edge rushers loose. If the Cowboys can't get it going on the ground, they could be in trouble.
On the other side of the ball, it's a different story for both teams. The Vikings have leaned on a defense to carry them to a win, while the Cowboys have used their offense to shoulder the burden. Injuries to the Cowboys secondary have caused issues, but mainly because the Cowboys secondary is already covering for a terrible pass rush. The Cowboys, even with DeMarcus Lawrence back, have struggled to pressure the QB. That might not be the case this week, as the Vikings have one of the worst offensive lines in the NFL. They're already down three OTs and center Joe Berger won't be able to go tonight. That means the Cowboys, especially the defensive ends, can find a way to pressure Sam Bradford. The Vikings have done a good job of making sure the ball gets out of Bradford hand quickly, but with no running game, the offense has really struggled. If the Vikings can't get some points on the board, they're in for another tough game.
Prediction: Cowboys Win 23-20
There won't be a ton of scoring in this one, but the Cowboys will come out on top. Even on the road, the matchups are in the Cowboys' favor. Ezekiel Elliott won't have the monster games he's had at times this year, but Dak Prescott will make a few extra plays to help balance that out. The Vikings will again struggle on offense and it'll result in another close, painful loss for the team.