Cowboys at Vikings score: Cooper Rush rallies Dallas to sixth straight win with Dak Prescott sidelined

Rush connected with Amari Cooper on a game-winning touchdown in the final minute

The decision to sit Dak Prescott in Week 8 went exactly how you'd expect as they battled the Minnesota Vikings, but not for the entire game. Cooper Rush fought through his own nervous mistakes early on and got help from key offensive weapons and a stout evening by the defense en route to a 20-16 upset at U.S. Bank Stadium. For even without Prescott and having lost All-Pro left tackle Tyron Smith to an ankle injury during the game, the Vikings still couldn't stop the Cowboys top playmakers from making plays, and that was ultimately the tale of the game. 

It was a contest that saw the Vikings enter as favorites once news of Prescott's likely absence took hold, but that didn't account for the grit that's been put on display by a Cowboys team that is no stranger to adversity. It arrived time and again throughout the matchup with the Vikings, as it has in weeks prior, but Dallas stared it down and now own a 6-1 record -- creating that much more distance atop the NFC East and helping them move up in the conference by virtue of losses suffered by the Arizona Cardinals and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. 

In an NFL week owned by backup QBs, Cousins and the Vikings found themselves victimized by the one from Dallas.

Why the Cowboys won

It certainly wasn't always pretty for Rush, the team's longtime backup who was given the nod as Prescott rests a strained right calf on Sunday, but instead it was quite the opposite. Rush couldn't orchestrate a touchdown in the first quarter at U.S. Bank Stadium, and his first drive of the game ended with a missed 43-yard field goal attempt by kicker Greg Zuerlein, but Dallas didn't get down on themselves. They'd fight back with a successful 38-yarder by Zuerlein and used an uneven outing by Cousins to stay within striking distance until they could locate the big play or two they'd need to prove the Vegas oddsmakers wrong.

They'd get their chance to open the third quarter, striking with a 73-yard toss and catch to Cedrick Wilson for a touchdown on their first possession of the second half. The only answer the Vikings could muster was a field goal later in the third session, but Zuerlein again tied the game with a 39-yard field goal of his own -- having clearly regained his composure after the miss early in the game. And so the stage was set for this fight to go to the wire, and that's something the Cowboys are no strangers to. With the game on the line in the waning minutes, they showed the Vikings who's the Super Bowl contender and who still wishes they were.

Rush missed on 16 of his 40 attempts and threw an interception -- narrowly missing on tossing two more -- but he kept his composure and his 325 passing yards and two touchdowns were as meaningful as you'll see in a fight this closely contested.

Why the Vikings lost

Cousins applied pressure early with a 20-yard touchdown toss to Adam Thielen to start the game, and although he missed a couple spots with untimely inaccurate throws, the Vikings entered the second quarter with momentum and control of the contest. They'd double down on the latter when Rush threw a pass intended for tight end Blake Jarwin to open the second quarter but was instead intercepted by former Cowboys safety Xavier Woods -- a bit of poetic justice for the veteran who joined the Vikings in free agency this past offseason. Still, the Vikings were failing to pull away going into halftime, and that allowed the Cowboys to hang around and make things difficult going into the second half and, ultimately, for the remainder of the game. 

Rush would make the Vikings pay for their inability to establish a definitive lead in the game. Another strong defensive performance by Randy Gregory helped keep the pressure on Cousins, and it led to Cousins being outplayed by Rush in a game that saw the Vikings score only one touchdown, and that's as much of a credit to the Cowboys' defense as it is an indictment on Cousins and an offense that isn't short on playmakers. And to know they also lost to a team that was absent Prescott and that also lost Smith to an ankle injury, well, let's just say it's going to be a long week in Minneapolis. 

Cousins finished with only 184 passing yards and a touchdown, along with the ire of a wildly frustrated Justin Jefferson. 

Turning point 

Things were simply not going well for the Cowboys' offense, and it felt like the second half would be much of the same, even though the Vikings only had a three-point lead going into the third quarter. But with the aforementioned strike to Wilson, their belief in themselves to pull out the upset skyrocketed, and Minnesota suddenly looked like it could be had for an upset.

As it turned out, that's exactly what happened.

Play of the game 

Cooper officially entered the chat labeled "Catch of the Year" with a pinball grab to help save the day for Dallas, and while that's easily the best highlight of the day, the play of the game goes to Ezekiel Elliott for breaking four tackles on third-and-11 to set Rush and Cooper up for a go-ahead touchdown. By taking the game off of the foot of Zuerlein and also avoiding OT -- where the Cowboys might've lost -- Elliott walks away with his cape blowing in the wind after changing in a phone booth before this play. 

You like that?

Coop du juor

OK, this week we'll add another section because that's just how great of a catch this was by Cooper. 

Seriously, wow.

Rush Hour

"I waited a long time for [my first start]. Everyone stuck together and we got it done." -- Cooper Rush 

What's next

The Cowboys will try to continue their winning ways when they play host to the Denver Broncos, while the Vikings try to figure out what went wrong as they reload for a visit to Baltimore to take on Lamar Jackson and the Ravens.

[Oct 31, 2021 at 11:35 pm ET · Jared Dubin]

The Vikings are now 3-4, and three games back of the Packers. They're basically locked into chasing a wild card spot, and behind the eight ball on that score.

[Oct 31, 2021 at 11:35 pm ET · Jared Dubin]

So, the Cowboys move to 6-1 and maintain a huge NFC East lead. They have the same record as the Cardinals, Packers, and Rams, with whom they'll presumably battle it out for the bye in the NFC. 

[Oct 31, 2021 at 11:33 pm ET · Jared Dubin]

Wow. What a win by the Cowboys. Wow. 

[Oct 31, 2021 at 11:33 pm ET · Jared Dubin]

Vikings need a Hail Mary on this play. 

[Oct 31, 2021 at 11:31 pm ET · Jared Dubin]

Trevon Diggs just limped off the field. Not a good sign for the Cowboys. Rookie Kelvin Joseph, playing what I believe is his first game, comes in here. 

[Oct 31, 2021 at 11:28 pm ET · Jared Dubin]

The Vikings now need a touchdown on this drive. Field goal does nothing for them. Kirk Cousins has 51 seconds and no timeouts, and needs to go 75 yards to the end zone.

[Oct 31, 2021 at 11:27 pm ET · Jared Dubin]

Amari Cooper has been in and out of the game with some sort of hamstring issue, and he comes in and beats Cam Dantzler on the goal line fade route. Wow. 

[Oct 31, 2021 at 11:26 pm ET · Jared Dubin]

What a drive by Cooper Rush. Wow. That was impressive.

[Oct 31, 2021 at 11:26 pm ET · Jared Dubin]

AMARI COOPER TOUCHDOWN!!!!

[Oct 31, 2021 at 11:25 pm ET · Jared Dubin]

WOW ZEKE! Broke a bunch of tackles on his way to the goal line. Wow. 

[Oct 31, 2021 at 11:23 pm ET · Jared Dubin]

This is a very intriguing third-down play. This would be a 40-plus-yard field goal here, and it's third-and-16. A field goal is no guarantee of overtime, though, with more than a minute left.

[Oct 31, 2021 at 11:21 pm ET · Jared Dubin]

Cowboys catch a break with a hands to the face penalty on Harrison Smith trying to cover Blake Jarwin off the line of scrimmage. Now first down inside the red zone. They need to not get conservative here. Try to win the game, not tie it. 

[Oct 31, 2021 at 11:17 pm ET · Jared Dubin]

Cooper again. All of a sudden the Cowboys are within scoring range just ahead of the two-minute warning.