Adam Thielen scored a pair of touchdowns, but it wasn’t enough as the Minnesota Vikings saw their three-game winning streak end with a 31-28 loss to the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday afternoon.
Sunday’s game got off to an auspicious start for the Vikings as Kirk Cousins was stripped on a sack by Darren Wilson. After the Cowboys recovered the fumble, Dallas cashed in with a six-yard connection from Andy Dalton to Ezekiel Elliott to give the Cowboys a 6-0 lead.
After the Vikings blocked the extra point, they had a quick answer. A 12-play, 75-yard drive ended with a Dalvin Cook one-yard touchdown to give Minnesota a 7-6 lead.
Despite the advantage, the Vikings battled through several special teams errors and penalties in the first half. The Cowboys were opportunistic, adding a CeeDee Lamb touchdown reception from Dalton and a 19-yard field goal from Greg Zuerlein to go take a 16-7 lead into the half.
The Vikings came out with a different attitude after the break, with a two-yard touchdown from Kirk Cousins to Adam Thielen bringing the Vikings within 16-14. The Vikings took the lead early in the fourth quarter on a one-handed grab by Thielen to put Minnesota ahead 21-16.
The rest of the game went back and forth as Tony Pollard ripped off a 42-yard touchdown to bring the lead back to Dallas. With the Cowboys adding a two-point conversion, the Vikings went to work with Cousins finding Justin Jefferson on a 39-yard touchdown reception to give Minnesota a 28-24 lead.
After both teams exchanged stalled drives, the Cowboys drove down the field and Dalton found a wide-open Dalton Schultz to give Dallas the lead. After a fourth quarter that included 29 points and four lead changes, the Vikings couldn’t find an answer and saw their winning streak come to an end.
The Vikings will face the Carolina Panthers next Sunday at U.S. Bank Stadium..
