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Anyone plan on watching this game tonight?
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http://www.upi.com/Sports_News/NFL/...redictions-preview-pick-to-win/3161480614241/
Minnesota Vikings vs Dallas Cowboys: Predictions, preview, pick to win
Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer will not coach against Dallas after new surgery to repair a detached retina in his eye.
By The Sports Xchange
FOX Sports
MINNEAPOLIS, Dec. 1 (UPI) -- KICKOFF: Thursday, 8:25 p.m. ET, U.S. Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, Minn. TV: NBC, Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth, Michele Tafoya.
SERIES HISTORY: 23rd regular-season meeting. Series tied, 11-11. Vikings are 5-7 against the Cowboys at home in the regular season, but this is the first meeting at new U.S. Bank Stadium. The Cowboys won the last meeting, a 27-23 decision in Dallas in 2013. The teams have met seven times in the playoffs. Dallas leads the series, 4-3.
The last postseason meeting came in January 2010. The Vikings won 34-3 in what remains their last playoff victory. The teams split two NFC Championship games, the Vikings winning 27-10 in 1973 and the Cowboys winning 23-6 in 1977. But Minnesotans are still complaining about the 1975 divisional playoff contest at old Met Stadium. They're still upset about Drew Pearson pushing off on the historic Hail Mary touchdown catch from Roger Staubach in that 17-14 loss to Dallas.
KEYS TO THE GAME: Minnesota Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer will not coach Thursday night against Dallas after a third eye surgery in 30 days to repair a detached retina in his right eye.
Special teams coach Mike Priefer will serve as head coach as the Vikings host the Dallas Cowboys. General manager Rick Spielman said the Vikings will reassess the coaching role Friday. Zimmer had a torn retina in his right eye repaired following an Oct. 31 game at Chicago.
This will be the NFL's first 2016 game in December and historians will note that the Cowboys have only two winning Decembers over the last 14 years -- 3-2 in 2012 and 4-0 in 2014. Since the 1995 Super Bowl season, the Cowboys are 34-47 in December.
But that was all before Dallas had running back Ezekiel Elliott, the rookie phenom who dominates games and leads the league with 1,199 yards rushing. This keeps fellow rookie QB Dak Prescott in comfortable down-and-distance situations behind the best offensive line in football.
The Cowboys enter this game riding a franchise-best 10-game winning streak with a chance to clinch a playoff berth. If the Cowboys beat the Vikings and if the Washington Redskins (6-4-1) lose or the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-5) lose or tie, Dallas is in the playoffs.
Conversely, the Vikings, who began the season 5-0 behind replacement quarterback Sam Bradford, have lost five of their last six games to fall out of realistic playoff contention. Their future Hall of fame running back, Adrian Peterson, is still on IR (knee surgery), although he ran on the side during practice Tuesday; the offensive line is down to its third and fourth tackles, and No. 1 center Joe Berger is out (concussion) so second-year, undrafted hopeful Nick Easton debuts as a starter. It will be Minnesota's sixth OL combination in 12 games.
On the positive side, leading WR Stefon Diggs (67 catches for 747 yards), who sat out last week with a knee injury, returned to limited practice Tuesday, was listed as questionable Wednesday but is expected to give it a go Thursday..
The Vikings' defense is 14th in the league against the run (yielding 100.2 yards a game); but, if it can slow down Elliott, the offense may have a chance to keep pace with the Cowboys. The Dallas defense is inexperienced at defensive back and does not have a takeaway in four games, with only 10 all season. The Cowboys rank 28th in sacks (20) and 30th in pass defense (280.4 ypg).
And there is this: Bradford won his last meeting with the Cowboys. Of course, that was with the Philadelphia Eagles last November, when the Cowboys were on the way to a 4-12 finish. Bradford completed 25 of 36 passes for 295 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions in a 33-27 win.
MATCHUPS TO WATCH:
--Vikings KR Cordelle Patterson vs. the Cowboys' special teams. The Vikings don't have much offense, so they count on big plays from special teams. Patterson leads the NFL with a kick-return average of 31.3 yards and has a return of 100-plus yards for a score. Marcus Sherels is one of two returners who have brought back punts for scores. The Cowboys must tackle, but kicker Dan Bailey and punter Chris Jones must be wary of their placement of the ball.
--Vikings TE Kyle Rudolph vs. Cowboys LBs Damien Wilson and Sean Lee. Rudolph isn't the receiving threat that Washington TE Jordan Reed is, but he is becoming a bigger part of the offense and a more comfortable target for QB Sam Bradford. The Cowboys will mix coverages on Rudolph if he begins to hurt them, but they should start out with a lot of Cover-2 with linebackers and safeties responsible for the seams.
Lee leads the Cowboys with 124 tackles, including 20 against the Redskins last week. Rudolph will be challenged to shake Lee's quickness and sound tackling on the shorter passes the Vikings have been throwing regularly.
WEDNESDAY INJURY REPORT
COWBOYS
--OUT: CB Morris Claiborne (groin), LB Justin Durant (hamstring), T Chaz Green (back), S J.J. Wilcox (thigh)
--QUESTIONABLE: S Barry Church (forearm), DE Jack Crawford (foot), DE David Irving(illness), DE Demarcus Lawrence (back), LB Sean Lee (illness), DT Terrell McClain (thigh), T Tyron Smith (back, hip)
VIKINGS
--OUT: C Joe Berger (concussion), DT Sharrif Floyd (knee), CB Marcus Sherels (rib).
--DOUBTFUL: CB Mackensie Alexander (groin)
--QUESTIONABLE: WR Stefon Diggs (knee), CB Terence Newman (neck).
PLAYER SPOTLIGHT: Vikings NT Linval Joseph. For the Vikings to have any chance of competing with the Cowboys, they must stop running back Ezekiel Elliott and Dallas' dominant offensive line. To do that, Joseph has to play like he did last season before a turf toe injury sidetracked what was shaping up to be an All-Pro type of season.
If Joseph doesn't set the tone in the middle of the defense against standout center Travis Frederick, the entire defense could crumble behind him. Elliott would run free and quarterback Dak Prescott could take advantage of favorable down and distances.
Joseph, a former Giant, has played the Cowboys six times, and his four sacks against the Cowboys are the most against a single opponent. He also has 17 tackles, three tackles for loss and a forced fumble against Dallas.
FAST FACTS: Cowboys QB Dak Prescott leads NFL rookies in passing yards (2,835), TDs (18) and rating (108.6). ... Dallas WR Dez Bryant has 49 TD catches since 2012, most in the NFL. ... Dallas TE Jason Witten ranks second all-time among TEs with 1,072 receptions and 11,768 yards. ... Dallas DE DeMarcus Lawrence has seven sacks in the past seven road games. LB Sean Lee is second in the NFL with 105 tackles. ...
Vikings QB Sam Bradford has thrown for 1,261 yards, seven TDs and no interceptions in five games at home. ... Vikings TE Kyle Rudolph's five TD catches are tied for the lead among NFC tight ends. ... Minnesota S Harrison Smith seeks a 12th consecutive game with six tackles, and his 390 tackles since 2012 are second among NFC safeties.
PREDICTION: This could be a trap game for the Cowboys, wedged between a pair of NFC East battles -- last Thursday's 31-26 shootout over Washington and a Dec. 11 visit to the surging New York Giants. While that might set the stage for a dramatic prime-time show, the Vikings' offense (294.9 ypg) has not shown the ability to keep up with Dallas (407.6 ypg).
OUR PICK: Cowboys, 32-24.
--Frank Cooney
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http://www.upi.com/Sports_News/NFL/...redictions-preview-pick-to-win/3161480614241/
Minnesota Vikings vs Dallas Cowboys: Predictions, preview, pick to win
Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer will not coach against Dallas after new surgery to repair a detached retina in his eye.
By The Sports Xchange
FOX Sports
MINNEAPOLIS, Dec. 1 (UPI) -- KICKOFF: Thursday, 8:25 p.m. ET, U.S. Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, Minn. TV: NBC, Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth, Michele Tafoya.
SERIES HISTORY: 23rd regular-season meeting. Series tied, 11-11. Vikings are 5-7 against the Cowboys at home in the regular season, but this is the first meeting at new U.S. Bank Stadium. The Cowboys won the last meeting, a 27-23 decision in Dallas in 2013. The teams have met seven times in the playoffs. Dallas leads the series, 4-3.
The last postseason meeting came in January 2010. The Vikings won 34-3 in what remains their last playoff victory. The teams split two NFC Championship games, the Vikings winning 27-10 in 1973 and the Cowboys winning 23-6 in 1977. But Minnesotans are still complaining about the 1975 divisional playoff contest at old Met Stadium. They're still upset about Drew Pearson pushing off on the historic Hail Mary touchdown catch from Roger Staubach in that 17-14 loss to Dallas.
KEYS TO THE GAME: Minnesota Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer will not coach Thursday night against Dallas after a third eye surgery in 30 days to repair a detached retina in his right eye.
Special teams coach Mike Priefer will serve as head coach as the Vikings host the Dallas Cowboys. General manager Rick Spielman said the Vikings will reassess the coaching role Friday. Zimmer had a torn retina in his right eye repaired following an Oct. 31 game at Chicago.
This will be the NFL's first 2016 game in December and historians will note that the Cowboys have only two winning Decembers over the last 14 years -- 3-2 in 2012 and 4-0 in 2014. Since the 1995 Super Bowl season, the Cowboys are 34-47 in December.
But that was all before Dallas had running back Ezekiel Elliott, the rookie phenom who dominates games and leads the league with 1,199 yards rushing. This keeps fellow rookie QB Dak Prescott in comfortable down-and-distance situations behind the best offensive line in football.
The Cowboys enter this game riding a franchise-best 10-game winning streak with a chance to clinch a playoff berth. If the Cowboys beat the Vikings and if the Washington Redskins (6-4-1) lose or the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-5) lose or tie, Dallas is in the playoffs.
Conversely, the Vikings, who began the season 5-0 behind replacement quarterback Sam Bradford, have lost five of their last six games to fall out of realistic playoff contention. Their future Hall of fame running back, Adrian Peterson, is still on IR (knee surgery), although he ran on the side during practice Tuesday; the offensive line is down to its third and fourth tackles, and No. 1 center Joe Berger is out (concussion) so second-year, undrafted hopeful Nick Easton debuts as a starter. It will be Minnesota's sixth OL combination in 12 games.
On the positive side, leading WR Stefon Diggs (67 catches for 747 yards), who sat out last week with a knee injury, returned to limited practice Tuesday, was listed as questionable Wednesday but is expected to give it a go Thursday..
The Vikings' defense is 14th in the league against the run (yielding 100.2 yards a game); but, if it can slow down Elliott, the offense may have a chance to keep pace with the Cowboys. The Dallas defense is inexperienced at defensive back and does not have a takeaway in four games, with only 10 all season. The Cowboys rank 28th in sacks (20) and 30th in pass defense (280.4 ypg).
And there is this: Bradford won his last meeting with the Cowboys. Of course, that was with the Philadelphia Eagles last November, when the Cowboys were on the way to a 4-12 finish. Bradford completed 25 of 36 passes for 295 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions in a 33-27 win.
MATCHUPS TO WATCH:
--Vikings KR Cordelle Patterson vs. the Cowboys' special teams. The Vikings don't have much offense, so they count on big plays from special teams. Patterson leads the NFL with a kick-return average of 31.3 yards and has a return of 100-plus yards for a score. Marcus Sherels is one of two returners who have brought back punts for scores. The Cowboys must tackle, but kicker Dan Bailey and punter Chris Jones must be wary of their placement of the ball.
--Vikings TE Kyle Rudolph vs. Cowboys LBs Damien Wilson and Sean Lee. Rudolph isn't the receiving threat that Washington TE Jordan Reed is, but he is becoming a bigger part of the offense and a more comfortable target for QB Sam Bradford. The Cowboys will mix coverages on Rudolph if he begins to hurt them, but they should start out with a lot of Cover-2 with linebackers and safeties responsible for the seams.
Lee leads the Cowboys with 124 tackles, including 20 against the Redskins last week. Rudolph will be challenged to shake Lee's quickness and sound tackling on the shorter passes the Vikings have been throwing regularly.
WEDNESDAY INJURY REPORT
COWBOYS
--OUT: CB Morris Claiborne (groin), LB Justin Durant (hamstring), T Chaz Green (back), S J.J. Wilcox (thigh)
--QUESTIONABLE: S Barry Church (forearm), DE Jack Crawford (foot), DE David Irving(illness), DE Demarcus Lawrence (back), LB Sean Lee (illness), DT Terrell McClain (thigh), T Tyron Smith (back, hip)
VIKINGS
--OUT: C Joe Berger (concussion), DT Sharrif Floyd (knee), CB Marcus Sherels (rib).
--DOUBTFUL: CB Mackensie Alexander (groin)
--QUESTIONABLE: WR Stefon Diggs (knee), CB Terence Newman (neck).
PLAYER SPOTLIGHT: Vikings NT Linval Joseph. For the Vikings to have any chance of competing with the Cowboys, they must stop running back Ezekiel Elliott and Dallas' dominant offensive line. To do that, Joseph has to play like he did last season before a turf toe injury sidetracked what was shaping up to be an All-Pro type of season.
If Joseph doesn't set the tone in the middle of the defense against standout center Travis Frederick, the entire defense could crumble behind him. Elliott would run free and quarterback Dak Prescott could take advantage of favorable down and distances.
Joseph, a former Giant, has played the Cowboys six times, and his four sacks against the Cowboys are the most against a single opponent. He also has 17 tackles, three tackles for loss and a forced fumble against Dallas.
FAST FACTS: Cowboys QB Dak Prescott leads NFL rookies in passing yards (2,835), TDs (18) and rating (108.6). ... Dallas WR Dez Bryant has 49 TD catches since 2012, most in the NFL. ... Dallas TE Jason Witten ranks second all-time among TEs with 1,072 receptions and 11,768 yards. ... Dallas DE DeMarcus Lawrence has seven sacks in the past seven road games. LB Sean Lee is second in the NFL with 105 tackles. ...
Vikings QB Sam Bradford has thrown for 1,261 yards, seven TDs and no interceptions in five games at home. ... Vikings TE Kyle Rudolph's five TD catches are tied for the lead among NFC tight ends. ... Minnesota S Harrison Smith seeks a 12th consecutive game with six tackles, and his 390 tackles since 2012 are second among NFC safeties.
PREDICTION: This could be a trap game for the Cowboys, wedged between a pair of NFC East battles -- last Thursday's 31-26 shootout over Washington and a Dec. 11 visit to the surging New York Giants. While that might set the stage for a dramatic prime-time show, the Vikings' offense (294.9 ypg) has not shown the ability to keep up with Dallas (407.6 ypg).
OUR PICK: Cowboys, 32-24.
--Frank Cooney
