Cowboys vs. Vikings live updates: Can Dallas bounce back in prime time to keep slim playoff hopes alive?

Dak Prescott and J.J. McCarthy face off on 'Sunday Night Football'

ARLINGTON, Texas -- "Sunday Night Football" between the Minnesota Vikings (5-8) and the Dallas Cowboys (6-6-1) in Week 15 is a de facto playoff game. 

The Vikings will be officially eliminated from playoff contention if defeated, and for a Cowboys squad that now has just an 11.9% chance to reach the postseason according to CBS' SportsLine model, Dallas is essentially in the same place as their opponent. 

Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott feels the burden of needing to win Dallas' final four games to maintain the team's shrinking chances to reach the playoffs even when he's relaxing at home. 

"That's a good question. It's not heavy," Prescott said Thursday. "Even if I feel it — and obviously I think about it a lot — I say that to say that I want that. That's unfortunately the situation that we've put ourselves in, and it's the only way that we can get out of it.

"It's not like, 'Oh my God, I can't believe this is on me,' or that it's stressful," he continued. "This is just the avenue that we have to go, and the only way we can get out of this is handling our business. Whether we're cheering on other teams to lose or not, more importantly, we've got to come in each and every day and focus on the now. Just be present, and when you're able to do that, you'll be OK with the result at the end of the day."

The weight on Prescott won't be as heavy as it was in the Cowboys' 44-30 Week 14 loss at Detroit. Wide receiver CeeDee Lamb will return 10 days after suffering a concussion against the Lions, and cornerback Trevon Diggs (knee) said Friday that he expects to play Sunday night after being sidelined the last seven games for physical and intangible reasons. Diggs is officially listed as questionable to face Minnesota quarterback J.J. McCarthy, who ranks as the worst in the NFL in completion percentage (56%), touchdown-to-interception ratio (9-10, 0.9) and passer rating (67.4) this season among 34 qualified quarterbacks.

Where to watch Cowboys vs. Vikings

• Date: Sunday, Dec. 14 | Time: 8:20 p.m. ET
• Location: AT&T Stadium (Arlington, Texas)
• TV: NBC
• Follow: CBS Sports App
• Odds: Cowboys -5.5; O/U 48.5 (via DraftKings Sportsbook)

[Dec 14, 2025 at 8:35 pm ET · Garrett Podell]

Williams punches the Cowboys into the end zone from a yard out to put them up 7-0 after each team's first drive. 

[Dec 14, 2025 at 8:29 pm ET · Garrett Podell]

Dallas All-Pro kicker Brandon Aubrey caught the pitch back from holder Bryan Anger, and Aubrey took off for a gain of six to convert for a first down. He slid down just past the sticks in order to avoid taking a hit on the play. The Cowboys are pulling out all the stops early in primetime. 

[Dec 14, 2025 at 8:27 pm ET · Garrett Podell]

DT Quinnen Williams records the second interception of his seven-year career thanks to Minnesota Vikings QB J.J. McCarthy's pass being deflected at the line of scrimmage. The #DallasCowboys begin their first drive at the Minnesota 35.   

[Dec 14, 2025 at 8:22 pm ET · Garrett Podell]

The Minnesota Vikings and QB J.J. McCarthy will start with the football. 

[Dec 14, 2025 at 8:15 pm ET · Garrett Podell]

Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores presents a strength-on-strength matchup with his relentless blitz packages. Minnesota sends five or more pass rushers on a league-high 49.2% of opponent dropbacks, per TruMedia. The next-closest team, Atlanta, is at 40.4%.  

When blitzing, the Vikings allow a 58% completion rate (ninth-lowest in the NFL) and just 6.2 yards per attempt (fifth-lowest). Prescott has been one of the league's best quarterbacks against pressure, ranking third in completion percentage (68.5%) and passing yards (1,137) versus the blitz this season.  

Dak Prescott vs. the blitz (2025 season)		NFL Ranks
Completion percentage	68.5%	3rd
Pass Yards	1,137	3rd
Pass TD	9	T-8th
Passer Rating	106.4	11th
Expected points added (EPA) per dropback	0.21	8th

[Dec 14, 2025 at 8:00 pm ET · Garrett Podell]

The Dallas Cowboys announced CB Trevon Diggs will not be activated and is ruled out for Week 15 vs. the Minnesota Vikings on "Sunday Night Football." This comes despite Diggs saying he felt ready to play and expected to play when talking to him after practice yesterday.  

Cowboys do not activate Trevon Diggs for 'Sunday Night Football' despite CB feeling ready to make return

Garrett Podell

[Dec 14, 2025 at 7:45 pm ET · Garrett Podell]

Dallas disconnect: Cornerback Trevon Diggs (knee) feels ready to return from IR, but the Dallas Cowboys are asking for a little more from Diggs. QB Dak Prescott is serving as a middle man between the two sides. Here's what's going on with Diggs and what's next.  

What's going on with Trevon Diggs? Inside the Cowboys' hesitation to bring back their star CB

Garrett Podell

[Dec 14, 2025 at 7:30 pm ET · Garrett Podell]

Wide receiver CeeDee Lamb has cleared concussion protocol, and he will return for "Sunday Night Football" 10 days after being concussed. Here's why he's not worried, how the protocol went for him and more. 

 "I don't dwell on it," Lamb said. 

Cowboys' CeeDee Lamb clears concussion protocol, not dwelling on re-injury risk for 'Sunday Night Football'

Garrett Podell

[Dec 14, 2025 at 7:15 pm ET · Garrett Podell]

George Pickens registered his fewest receiving yards (37) since Week 1 at the Philadelphia Eagles (30) in Week 14 at the Detroit Lions, and there were some perceived effort concerns. However, Brian Schottenheimer, Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb have zero concerns about Pickens going forward. Here's why. 

Cowboys' George Pickens' first lapse of 2025 causes Dallas teammates, coaches to rally around WR

Garrett Podell

[Dec 14, 2025 at 7:08 pm ET · Garrett Podell]

Dallas LT Tyler Guyton (ankle) misses his third game in a row. Nate Thomas, a 2024 seventh-round pick, will make his third straight start. 

[Dec 14, 2025 at 7:00 pm ET · Garrett Podell]

Dallas' 2025 squad is tracking toward becoming the third team in NFL history to average 29 or more points per game scored and allowed in a season. The other two such teams are the 1950 New York Yanks and the 2000 St. Louis Rams, who went 10-6 and lost in the wild card round that year. 

Cowboys offense vs. defense ranks this season	Offense	Defense
PPG	3rd (29.3)	31st (29.7)
YPG	1st (394.9)	29th (378.6)
Pass YPG	1st (275.5)	Last (255.2)

[Dec 14, 2025 at 6:45 pm ET · Garrett Podell]

Aaron Jones returns to AT&T Stadium hoping for another massive Texas homecoming. Jones will be making his AT&T Stadium debut as a Minnesota Viking on Sunday, but the El Paso native has plenty of history against his hometown team after four matchups as a Green Bay Packer. 

He has more than 100 rushing yards and at least one touchdown in all four of his career games against his childhood team, joining Pro Football Hall of Fame running back LaDainian Tomlinson as the only other player in NFL history to begin his career with four such games in a row against a single opponent, including the postseason, per OptaStats. Tomlinson's victim was the Cleveland Browns.

The last time Jones visited AT&T Stadium was in the Packers' 48-32 wild-card round romp of the Cowboys in the 2023 season. He went off for playoff career highs of 118 yards and three touchdowns on 21 carries, an efficient 5.6 yards per carry. Jones' production that day tied the NFL all-time record for rushing touchdowns in a road playoff game, rushing touchdowns in a wild-card round game and rushing touchdowns in a Packers postseason game. 

Aaron Jones' career vs. Cowboys (4 games)	Stat	Per Game Average
Carries	83	20.8
Rushing yards	488	122.0
Rushing first downs	31	7.8
Rushing touchdowns	9	2.3

[Dec 14, 2025 at 6:30 pm ET · Garrett Podell]

The 2022 NFL Offensive Player of the Year has just 15 yards receiving in the last two games combined, and Jefferson has gone a career-long eight consecutive games without a 100-yard game. Jefferson is the NFL's all-time receiving yards per game leader (91.6), but he is averaging a career-low 62.3 receiving yards per game in 2025. His previous career-low was 87.5 his rookie year in 2020. 

[Dec 14, 2025 at 6:15 pm ET · Garrett Podell]

McCarthy had the best start of his young career in a 31-0 win over the Washington Commanders: 163 yards and three touchdown passes on 16 of 23 passing. However, he still has a long way to go as he entered Week 15 ranked dead last in the NFL in completion percentage (56%), touchdown-to-interception ratio (9-10, 0.9) and passer rating (67.4) this season among 34 qualified quarterbacks.   

[Dec 14, 2025 at 6:00 pm ET · Garrett Podell]

A week after being shut out 26-0 against the Seattle Seahawks, the Minnesota Vikings skunked the Washington Commanders 31-0 for the franchise's largest shutout win since a 34-0 defeat of the Detroit Lions all thew ay back in 1980. That makes the Vikings to be the first team to be shut out one week and then shut out an opponent the following week. Minnesota is also just the fifth team since the 1970 AFL/NFL merger to accomplish the feat. 

Teams to be shut out one week & shut out opponent next week	Season
Vikings	2025
Broncos	1992
Packers	1991
Bears	1979
Lions	1977