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The Minnesota Vikings could be eliminated from the playoffs, but the Dallas Cowboys were technically not heading into their Sunday night showdown at AT&T Stadium.
The Cowboys’ chances are now at rock bottom after falling to the Vikings, 34-26, on Sunday night.
The Vikings are now 6-8 on the season, while the Cowboys fell to 6-7-1. And while they’re not technically eliminated, the Cowboys’ chances of making the playoffs hang in the balance.
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Minnesota Vikings quarterback JJ McCarthy (9) celebrates after a touchdown during the first half against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium on December 14, 2025. (Kevin Jairaj/Image Images)
It was an inauspicious start for the Vikings in this contest, as JJ McCarthy’s first pass attempt was an interception, as Donovan Wilson deflected it at the line and Quinnen Williams looked up and caught it.
Dak Prescott and the Cowboys offense had tremendous field position for their first drive, and although it took 11 plays to go 35 yards, Javonte Williams was able to nail it into the end zone for a 7-0 lead.
It also wouldn’t have happened without a fake field goal, as Brandon Aubrey, one of the most reliable legs in the NFL, ran for a first down on fourth-and-4 from the Minnesota 29-yard line. However, Aubrey would appear in a not-so-good way later in this game.
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The Vikings were finally able to do something after the field turned on their third series when Aaron Jones was pushed out of bounds on an 18-yard reception, and the Cowboys were called for a horse-collar tackle, tacking 15 yards. On the next play, McCarthy threw a touchdown pass to Jalen Nailor, the first of two scores on this one, to tie the game at seven apiece.
The second quarter sparked a flurry of offense on both sides, as Dallas responded with Malik Davis running in from one yard out, while McCarthy capped a 75-yard drive with a perfectly executed handoff fake at the Dallas one-yard line for a walk-on touchdown.
On the next drive, Aubrey, who again has one of the most reliable legs in the game, missed just his third field goal attempt of the year, this one from 51 yards out. After Will Reichard scored one, Aubrey had some redemption before halftime as both teams scored 17 points.
Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott (4) looks to throw during the first half against the Minnesota Vikings at AT&T Stadium on December 14, 2025. (Kevin Jairaj/Image Images)
In the second half, the Cowboys finished with a 23-17 lead thanks to two more Aubrey field goals, but seven points is what they expected. McCarthy helped make this happen with a great pass to Nailor to put the Vikings in the red zone.
After Justin Jefferson, who struggled in this one despite the targets, didn’t catch a touchdown pass, CJ Ham buried a one-yard touchdown to make the score 24-23 after the extra point.
Prescott tried to match his second-year counterpart, but the Cowboys stalled at the Minnesota 41-yard line. At 59 yards, he’s within range of Aubrey, but he missed once again. All four of his missed field goals this season have been from 50 yards or longer.
Now, with the ball near midfield, the Vikings had the opportunity to extend their lead and got just what they needed. On first and goal from the Dallas four-yard line, McCarthy found Nailor again and celebrated as the Vikings took a 31-23 lead.
The Cowboys would turn the ball over on subsequent plays, and the Vikings saw Aaron Jones pick up multiple first downs to not only keep the clock running, but also force Dallas to use all of their timeouts.
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On the scoreboard, McCarthy was 15 of 24 for 250 yards with two touchdowns and an interception, while Jordan Addison’s 58-yard reception was among some of his big throws.
For the Cowboys, Prescott was 23 of 38 for 294 yards, although he never threw a touchdown pass. CeeDee Lamb led all receivers in this game with 111 yards on six receptions, but George Pickens was silent for the second straight game. He had only three receptions for 33 yards.
