Desperation was in the air as the Minnesota Vikings and Dallas Cowboys faced off Saturday afternoon in Minneapolis. Both teams were 1-3 and looking to avoid falling even farther out of playoff contention. Penalties were the name of the game, and Dallas accrued 11 of them. Despite the early flags, the Cowboys controlled the game until Percy Harvin's 95-yard kickoff return to start the second half gave the Vikings the momentum they needed.
The Vikings produced a mere 188 yards on offense, 126 less than the Cowboys amassed. Quarterback Brett Favre accounted for 118 yards through the air and went through the game without an interception, a rare occurrence this season. However, the offensive line was up to its usual antics, letting the Dallas defense get to Favre three times and giving up many more hits to their QB. The line has yet to really show any kind of stability this year, and the play of the offensive tackles, Phil Loadholt and Bryant McKinnie, appears to have digressed from last season. One reason for the lack of protection may be the absence of starting center John Sullivan, who has not played since Week 3. Even with the below-average performance from the offensive line, running back Adrian Peterson still ran for 73 yards and scored a clutch touchdown in the third quarter. Peterson remains the most consistent weapon on the team, and he has came through every time the Vikings have called his number. Favre did a nice job of managing the game when he was given enough time to find an open receiver. He targeted Moss six times, and the two connected for a total of 55 yards. Favre threw a beautiful ball to Moss in the end zone that was dropped, but it looks like the two are starting to develop a bit of chemistry. Once again, it took awhile for the Vikings offense to find its footing, but they stayed away from the lethal turnovers that haunted them in the previous game against the Jets. The Vikes were able to put the game away with Ryan Longwell's 38-yard field goal in the fourth quarter.
The lone blemish in the otherwise fantastic Vikings defensive performance Sunday was the containment wide receiver Roy Williams. Although he only had 28 yards, Williams was able to get free for two Cowboy touchdowns. Cornerback Lito Sheppard struggled all day covering receivers in the red zone and was also responsible for a touchdown pass to rookie Dez Bryant. The defensive line was unable to sack Tony Romo, but they still managed to put six hits on the Dallas quarterback, and the pressure had a definite effect on the passing game. The play of the line and the rest of the pass defense forced Romo to rely on screen passes to running back Felix Jones during the majority of the game. With the exception of his three touchdown passes, Romo never really looked comfortable in the pocket. A pass deflection on one play led to an interception at the hands of linebacker E.J. Henderson, one of his two picks on the day. The running game wasn't much of a factor for Dallas, as no player on the team ran for more than 32 yards. The only exceptions were a few longer scrambles from Romo when he found openings in the line. The Cowboys, usually a pass-happy team, actually tried running the ball 28 times, to no avail. All-in-all, the Vikings defense did a stellar job against the Cowboys Sunday, and this time the offense was finally able to reciprocate the support it was given from its counterpart.
While the scoreboard wasn't nearly as tilted as it was last time these two teams played, the Vikings ended up on top again, thanks in most part to the stellar play of their defensive unit. Nonetheless, the defense will have to step it up again next week when they travel to Lambeau Field, home to one of the more threatening passing attacks in the league. The Vikings will have to hope their once-again decimated secondary will be able to stay with the Packers' skilled receivers in Greg Jennings, Donald Driver and James Jones. If the Vikings defensive line can get past the Packers offensive line, which itself is injury riddled, the passing attack of Green Bay might not as much of a factor which, in combination with the Packers' non-existent running game, could lead to positive results for the team in purple and gold.
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