It was a game Minnesota wasn’t given a chance to win.
At least they can say they gave themselves a chance for a W Sunday, almost pulling off a big upset, but in the end coming up short against the Dallas Cowboys in a 27-23 final from Texas.
Minnesota led by three after Blair Walsh pushed an extra point right on the go-ahead touchdown midway through the fourth quarter. With 2:44 left in the game Dallas QB Tony Romo then kicked it into high gear, finding Dez Bryant on a key 34-yard completion to get Dallas within field goal range, and finding Dwayne Harris over the middle four plays later for a game-winning, seven-yard touchdown.
The contest ended with Christian Ponder leaving a desperation hail mary pass towards the end zone woefully short.
Romo threw for 337 yards and two touchdowns, while Cowboys’ tight end Jason Witten led all receivers with 102 yards.
Ponder turned the ball over twice, an interception and a fumble, with the fumble coming in the Vikings’ endzone. It was recovered by the Cowboys for a touchdown, their fourth defensive TD of the year.
Adrian Peterson was the bright spot for the Vikings offense, rushing for 140 yards and an incredible touchdown (below), while also racking up 37 receiving yards.
In addition to Walsh’s missed extra point in the fourth quarter, earlier in the game Minnesota coaches didn’t give him the chance to come in and put points on the board.
Trailing 3-0 early in the second quarter, the Vikings had a 4th-and-1 on the Cowboys 16, what would’ve been a 33-yard field goal, but they opted to go for it, handing the ball to Adrian Peterson. He was stuffed, and the Vikings came away empty. Had those three points been on the board and the extra point been made, the score would’ve read 27-27 after Dallas’ touchdown with 35 seconds remaining.
Alas, things went the other way, and the Vikings drop to 1-7 on the year, while Dallas becomes the only NFC East team with a winning record, improving to 5-4 on the season.
The Vikings are back just four days from today, playing their only Thursday night game of the year at home against Robert Griffin III and the Washington Redskins.
