Vikings-Cowboys recap: Game balls, numbers to know, and what's next

There were plenty of accolades to go around for Dallas, which brought several Vikings streaks to an end.

By Star Tribune staff Star Tribune

November 21, 2022 — 12:07am

GAME BALLS

RB Tony Pollard: He was the Cowboys' leading rusher and receiver, the Vikings having no answer for him no matter how he got the ball. He gained 80 yards on 15 carries and 109 yards receiving on six catches with two touchdowns, including a 68-yard backbreaker early in the third quarter that made it 30-3.

LB Micah Parsons: He got the first of the Cowboys' seven sacks, forcing a Kirk Cousins fumble on the third offensive play of the game. He finished with two sacks, one tackle for a loss and five QB hits before leaving with a knee injury.

K Brett Maher: Many Cowboys deserve recognition, including Dorance Armstrong Jr. (two sacks, two tackles for a loss) and Dak Prescott (22 of 25, 276 yards, two TDs). But their place-kicker hit one 60-yard field goal at the end of the first half and then did again a few minutes later after a video review and was 4-for-4 (or 5-for-5, if you will) on the the day.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

39: Games in a row Cousins had thrown a touchdown pass before Sunday, a streak that dated to Sept. 27, 2020. It was the longest active streak in the NFL and the sixth longest all time.

6: Vikings-Cowboys games in a row that had been decided by four points or fewer, dating to the Vikings' 34-3 divisional playoff win in the 2009 season.

-2: The Vikings' point differential this season, after a blowout loss followed seven consecutive one-score wins.

9%: The Vikings' third-down conversion rate (1-for-11).

71%: The Cowboys' third-down conversion rate (12-for-17).

0: Number of sacks left tackle Christian Darrisaw had allowed before Sunday, when he gave up two before exiting his second straight game with a concussion.

JEFFERSON WATCH

Held to three catches for 33 yards after his career-best game last week in Buffalo, Justin Jefferson needs 55 more yards to pass Randy Moss' NFL record for most yards in a receiver's first three seasons. He needs to average 129.6 yards over the next seven games to reach his goal of a 2,000-yard season.

UP NEXT

vs. New England, Thursday, 7:20 p.m.

The Vikings host a Thanksgiving game for the first time and welcome Bill Belichick to U.S. Bank Stadium for the first time. The Patriots come to Minnesota at 6-4 after beating the Jets 10-3 with a punt return TD with less than 10 seconds left on Sunday. The Vikings have beaten Belichick only once in six meetings since he became Patriots head coach, in 2000. The Vikings are 6-2 in Thanksgiving games.