Despite playing possibly their worst offensive game of the entire season thus far, the Dallas Cowboys found a way to escape Minnesota with their 11th straight win. Of course, it’s not always going to be pretty in the NFL, especially on the road against a defense of this quality, but at the end of the day it is a win.
During their quest for the 11th straight victory, three plays stood out as key moments which guided the Cowboys to the win.
Dak Takes It Himself
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The Cowboys offense struggled all night, but they looked downright lost up until this 2nd quarter drive. On 3rd and thirteen the Cowboys needed a big play to turn the game around, and give themselves some momentum to work with.
Dak answered the bell, and took matters into his own hands to run for a 14 yard gain, converting for a first down. Just two plays later, Dak found Dez Bryant deep down the middle of the field for a 56 yard gain to set up their first touchdown of the game.
Thank the Lord for Dak Prescott.
The Vikings Give Us One
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Down two at this point in the game, the Cowboys couldn’t move the ball and were forced to punt once again. They were running out of time, and needed their defense or special teams to make a big play and give them a short field.
Ask and you shall receive on Thursday Night, as Kyle Wilber forces a fumble on the punt return and grabs the recovery as well. Thankfully, head coach Jason Garrett threw the challenge flag and got the play overturned in the Cowboys favor.
Throw Up The X
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After recovering the fumble the Cowboys offense was in great position. However, with the struggles they had endured during the game, there was no guarantee they would punch this in for six.
Dez Bryant doesn’t settle for field goals.
That was basically Dez saying "I'm a better athlete than you."
— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) December 2, 2016
For the first time in what seems like a year, the Cowboys gave Dez a chance to work one on one with the defender on a quick screen pass. And like he did against Darrelle Revis last season, Dez beat the corner and ran it in for a touchdown.
It was Dez’s 65 touchdown reception as a Cowboys, tying Michael Irvin for 2nd in team history. He now sits behind Bob Hayes (71 touchdowns), but should be able to pass that as soon as next season.
Another week, another win for the Dallas Cowboys.
