Cowboys at Vikings score, takeaways: Dallas swallows Kirk Cousins, Tony Pollard explodes in blowout win

The NFC hierarchy is changing

The Vikings entered Week 11 with a chance to unseat the Eagles as the current No. 1 seed in the NFC. Instead, they were utterly battered by Philadelphia's NFC East rival. Hosting the Cowboys as home underdogs, Minnesota proved incapable of even making Sunday's showdown a competition -- so much so that CBS booted them in exchange for another broadcast with an entire quarter to play. Kirk Cousins was uncomfortable from start to finish as Micah Parsons headlined a ferocious Dallas pass rush, and Tony Pollard exploded as the Cowboys' lead ball-carrier, helping "America's Team" to a 40-3 blowout in Minneapolis.

The Vikings' dismantling comes just a week after Kevin O'Connell's squad upset the explosive Bills on the road, and a week after the Cowboys fell to the slumping Packers by blowing a huge lead. Now, Dallas might be the more formidable foe in the conference, with every side of the ball showing up to stun Minnesota's home crowd.

Here are some additional takeaways from Sunday's Cowboys blowout:

Why the Cowboys won

They did everything right. Seriously. Let's start on offense: Mike McCarthy and Kellen Moore wisely leaned more on the speedy Tony Pollard than Ezekiel Elliott, even with the latter back from a knee injury, and it paid off, with Pollard breaking off early first-down runs and all but burying Minnesota with his 68-yard catch-and-sprint touchdown past Jordan Hicks in the third. Dak Prescott was uber-efficient after an unusually erratic day against Green Bay in Week 10, hitting each of his top three wideouts -- CeeDee Lamb, Michael Gallup, Noah Brown -- for clutch chain-movers.

Special teams got an MVP outing from Brett Maher, who hit all four field goal tries, including a 60-yarder he was required to boot twice because of an official review. And the defense? Oh boy did it come alive after getting gashed the week prior. Micah Parsons returned to terrorizing form with two sacks and five QB hits, Dorance Armstrong was just as dominant, and the entire front had its way against a battered Vikings front, handing Cousins more pressure than he's ever faced in his NFL career. Trevon Diggs feasted on the front-seven dominance, easily rendering Justin Jefferson a near-nonfactor downfield.

Why the Vikings lost

They could not protect Kirk Cousins. Left tackle Christian Darrisaw was victimized early, but it was his departure with a concussion that really ruined the trenches, leaving backup Blake Brandel to fight against Parsons and a persistent Dallas front. Cousins simply had no time to either read the field, let playmakers like Jefferson emerge deep, or establish a rhythm beyond a play or two. T.J. Hockenson was a steady safety valve, but his prominent role emphasized how much Cousins was forced to dink and dunk, given that he rarely had a clean pocket to connect with his outside targets. Dalvin Cook was explosive with the ball in his hands as usual, but he too was a total ghost in the passing game.

Defensively, Minnesota also had major issues. A lack of linebacker speed doomed them trying to contain Pollard out of the backfield, and cornerback Patrick Peterson, who's made recent headlines for a turnover-happy resurgence, routinely fell behind his men downfield. The pass rush, meanwhile, didn't show up at all, even with Za'Darius Smith active opposite Danielle Hunter; their front managed just a single QB hit on Prescott.

Turning point

If it wasn't Dak's last-minute dart to Lamb near the end of the second quarter, which confirmed Dallas was doing whatever it wanted against Minnesota's secondary, it was Maher's succession of 60-yard field goals -- the first reversed by a delayed official review, and the second right down the pipe to give the Cowboys a 20-point lead going into halftime. At that point, all the momentum rested in Dallas' hands, and the Vikings had yet to show any sustained offensive life.

Play of the game

Tony Pollard's big plays were certainly highlights, as was Brett Maher's 60-yard kick, but Dak's timely bullet to CeeDee Lamb at the end of the first half was the best snap in terms of both aesthetics and importance. Prescott couldn't have put the ball in a better place while airing it out on the move, and Lamb laid out at just the right time to make the sideline grab.

What's next

The Cowboys (7-3) will be back in action on Thanksgiving, when they'll host the rival Giants (7-3), who got routed by the Lions at home on Sunday. The Vikings (8-2), meanwhile, will also return to prime time for the holidays, hosting the Patriots (6-4) on Thursday night after New England edged the Jets in Week 11.

[Nov 20, 2022 at 6:54 pm ET · Cody Benjamin]

Cowboys now up to seven sacks on Kirk Cousins, who's been under duress all day. One thing to monitor on Dallas' end beyond this week, however: Micah Parsons got up slow after his latest QB pressure, and required a bit of trainer assistance to walk to the sidelines. He's been a monster with four tackles, three QB hits and two sacks, but Cowboys would be smart to rest him from here.

[Nov 20, 2022 at 6:32 pm ET · Cody Benjamin]

Ezekiel Elliott into the end zone for his second goal-line TD of the day, and it's now a 37-3 ballgame. Expected Dallas to give the Vikings a fight, but did not expect them to absolutely embarrass Minnesota on its own turf. If Kirk Cousins doesn't lead a scoring drive now, or in the next eight minutes, you probably wanna think about pulling the starters.

[Nov 20, 2022 at 6:29 pm ET · Cody Benjamin]

This is officially a beatdown in Minnesota:

[Nov 20, 2022 at 6:16 pm ET · Cody Benjamin]

The Tony Pollard explosion:

[Nov 20, 2022 at 6:16 pm ET · Cody Benjamin]

Tony Pollard, have yourself a day! My goodness. Dak Prescott lofts it up on third-and-11 down the right side, and the speedy RB easily beats Jordan Hicks for a 68-yard score. It's now 30-3, and this thing is suddenly very ugly in Minnesota. Pollard is up to 165 yards from scrimmage, and if not for an early Vikings goal-line stand, he'd have two scores, too.

[Nov 20, 2022 at 6:03 pm ET · Cody Benjamin]

Bad news for the Vikings offensive line, which has already struggled to keep Kirk Cousins upright:

[Nov 20, 2022 at 5:56 pm ET · Cody Benjamin]

CeeDee Lamb's clutch grab to set up the field goal ahead of halftime, with Dallas now up 20 points:

[Nov 20, 2022 at 5:56 pm ET · Cody Benjamin]

Incredible throw and catch between Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb to give Dallas a final chance at points before the break, with Lamb laying out beyond Patrick Peterson and Harrison Smith to haul in the bullet for a 27-yard pickup. Prescott threw it on the move, too, putting it on a rope. Brett Maher then manages to sneak a 60-yard field goal into the uprights, but the officials stop the game afterward to complete a review that was already underway regarding Lamb's sideline grab. On his second try, Maher is even better, nailing the long field goal to seal a magical first half for America's Team, which leads 23-3 at halftime.

[Nov 20, 2022 at 5:46 pm ET · Cody Benjamin]

Kirk Cousins is going to have nightmares about Micah Parsons this evening. The latter gets to Kirk for his second sack (and third QB hit) late in the second, with Christian Darrisaw sidelined at left tackle and backup Blake Brandel attempting to hold down the fort on the blind side. Then Cousins is forced to throw it away to set up third-and-forever with Parsons chasing him down the very next play. He's just not been comfortable for any stretch of the game. Halftime approaches, and he's 7 of 15 for 69 yards.

[Nov 20, 2022 at 5:38 pm ET · Cody Benjamin]

Tony Pollard's explosiveness putting points on the board for Dallas:

[Nov 20, 2022 at 5:38 pm ET · Cody Benjamin]

Tony. Pollard. The Cowboys are letting him run as the unofficial primary back even with Ezekiel Elliott's return, and he just delivered with his biggest play of the day: a catch-and-run off a short pass that he takes 30 yards, racing past a helpless Patrick Peterson on the sidelines for the score. It's now 20-3 in favor of the visitors, and Minnesota needs its own score in a hurry. Vikings are 1 for 5 on third downs to start, with just a single first down rushing the ball, as opposed to nine for Dallas on the ground.

[Nov 20, 2022 at 5:30 pm ET · Cody Benjamin]

Lots of near-misses for both offenses tonight. Kirk Cousins delivers a beauty of a deep ball to T.J. Hockenson, who corrals the pass but not before stepping out of bounds. No points for Minnesota on their latest series, which followed another field-goal drive from Dallas. Dak Prescott hasn't really found much downfield through the air, but he's had an efficient day and also used his legs, teaming up with the busy duo of Tony Pollard and Ezekiel Elliott to win on the ground.

[Nov 20, 2022 at 5:19 pm ET · Cody Benjamin]

Huge development, considering Micah Parsons has already won twice on his side:

[Nov 20, 2022 at 5:07 pm ET · Cody Benjamin]

Micah Parsons announces himself again, this time with a third-and-short sack of Kirk Cousins. The Vikings QB has already absorbed three hits and two sacks through just over a quarter; he's managed just 43 yards through the air, down 10-3. Left tackle Christian Darrisaw came in as one of the NFL's steadiest blockers of the year, but he may need extra help for much of the contest.

[Nov 20, 2022 at 4:57 pm ET · Cody Benjamin]

Tony Pollard sets up the TD, and Ezekiel Elliott scores it to give the Cowboys a seven-point lead:

[Nov 20, 2022 at 4:55 pm ET · Cody Benjamin]

The Tony Pollard Show has begun. Ezekiel Elliott was the RB1 on Dallas' first series, but his counterpart is pulling ahead now, not only because of his speed advantage but his usage; the Cowboys just deployed him for three touches in four plays to drive into the red zone, then gave him two more carries on first- and second-and-goal. Vikings front stood tall to keep Dallas out of the end zone at first, with Zeke filling in to score on third-and-goal. But we all know which back has more sustainable juice. It's a 10-3 Cowboys lead after the TD. Michael Gallup also stepped up with two first-down catches on the drive.

[Nov 20, 2022 at 4:45 pm ET · Cody Benjamin]

Kirk Cousins tries T.J. Hockenson on back-to-back red-zone plays but can't hit the tight end on either. First one went perfectly into Hockenson's hands, but the ex-Lion flat-out dropped it. Second one was a bit out of reach. Vikings, like the Cowboys, settle for three on their first red-zone trip despite a promising start that included key first downs from Adam Thielen and Dalvin Cook. The latter averaged almost seven yards per carry on the team's first extended series.

[Nov 20, 2022 at 4:34 pm ET · Cody Benjamin]

Cowboys fail to fully capitalize on the takeaway deep in Vikings territory. Ezekiel Elliott gets early work to move the chains, but Dak Prescott can't hit Dalton Schultz on a well-covered third-down strike to the end zone, so Dallas settles for three. Schultz may deserve more of the blame in this case, as the ball got past a pair of Minnesota defenders. It's 3-0, Cowboys.

[Nov 20, 2022 at 4:29 pm ET · Cody Benjamin]

Vikings enter as home underdogs, and their first possession does not go as planned. Micah Parsons comes bursting off the edge, overpowering left tackle Christian Darrisaw to down Kirk Cousins and, not only that, strip the QB to give Dallas an instant takeaway. That didn't take long. Darrisaw has been solid all year, but he just couldn't hold up against Parsons. It's Cowboys ball inside Minnesota's 30.

[Nov 20, 2022 at 4:20 pm ET · Cody Benjamin]

Za'Darius Smith confident in the Vikings' chances ahead of kickoff:

[Nov 20, 2022 at 3:31 pm ET · Cody Benjamin]

Good news for the Cowboys coming in: the rival Giants (7-2) are on track to fall to the Lions (3-6) thanks to an injury-riddled performance today. That means, with a win today against Minnesota, Dallas would hold the same record as New York in a suddenly wide-open division. The first-place Eagles (8-1) are also trailing the Colts late in the fourth quarter of their game.

[Nov 20, 2022 at 3:23 pm ET · Cody Benjamin]

Biggest takeaway from today's inactives: the Cowboys will have Ezekiel Elliott back after the RB missed two games with a knee injury. DeMarcus Lawrence is also back on the defensive front. The Vikings, meanwhile, will have Za'Darius Smith (knee) coming off the edge and looking to build off his 9.5-sack season total. Justin Jefferson is also good to go despite battling a toe issue.