If any of the Dallas Cowboys opponents during the stretch that runs from Week 12-17 could be said to be a sure win, it might just be the Minnesota Vikings.
The Vikings had a magical season last year. Had they been in any other division, they’d have hosted a home playoff game.
Over the offseason, however, they jettisoned their starting quarterback, Sam Darnold.
They will, apparently, hand the keys to J.J. McCarthy, who missed his entire rookie season with an injury. Sam Howell, a former starter with Washington, is in line to be his backup.
Assuming McCarthy fares better in 2025, he does have a solid supporting cast on offense and a good defense.
But can he duplicate the effort Darnold gave Minnesota in 2024?
Darnold had a career year with 4,319 yards, along with 35 touchdowns against just 12 picks. That was a big reason why the Vikings went 14-3 last year.
To be certain, McCarthy has great receivers to hit in Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison.
He also has Aaron Jones in the backfield to hand the ball off to and we know how he plays against Dallas.
Still, this is, among those six games, the most winnable for Dallas. Especially as they will be playing it at home.
Skol Away
The Cowboys are 19-15 all-time against Minnesota. But the Vikings do hold an 8-6 record against Dallas in the Cowboys’ home stadiums.
In a way, along with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Minnesota is one of Dallas’ biggest non-divisional rivals.
Like the Steelers, it has more to do with the teams’ respective playoff history.
The Vikings have been a playoff opponent seven times, dating back to the first postseason meeting in 1971. That game ended with a 20–12 Cowboys’ win in Minnesota.
The Vikings got revenge in 1973, beating Dallas 27-10 in the NFC Championship game at Texas Stadium.
Their next meeting, in 1975, was the Hail Mary game and Vikings fans are still mad about that result.
![ORG XMIT: S11A73571 Dallas Cowboys receiver Drew Pearson (88) catches Roger Staubach's "Hail Mary Pass" during the 1975 NFC Divisional Playoff game against the Vikings. Nate Wright (43) said there was no interference on the play. [ AP file photo ] # 22 is Paul Krause 11062011xSPORTS](https://insidethestar.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/04/beyond-the-clock-cowboys-undrafted-wonder-drew-pearson-scaled.jpg "This might be the Cowboys’ easiest opponent down the stretch - 2025 Dallas Cowboys Schedule, Dallas Cowboys, Hail Mary")
Dallas is 4-3 against Minnesota in the playoffs. The Vikings have won the last two playoff games, however.
The Cowboys will come into this game having won the last three meetings, including a 40-3 blowout win in Minnesota in 2022.
By The Numbers
In Week 15 games, the Cowboys are 26-21 overall. They are 12-9 when those games are played at home.
The only other time the two teams have met on this week in any season, Dallas rolled to a 37-20 win in Minnesota back in 1993.
Lincoln Coleman scored a touchdown for Dallas in that game.
