It's hard to imagine two more different performances a team could put up in back-to-back weeks than what the Dallas Cowboys did in Weeks 10 and 11. Dak Prescott and the Cowboys limped out of Lambeau Field having blown a 14-point fourth-quarter lead to the floundering Green Bay Packers, then posted the largest road victory in franchise history against the previously 8-1 Minnesota Vikings, who had just knocked off a Super Bowl favorite in overtime. Dallas' performance in Minnesota was almost perfect. The offense scored 40 for the second time this year. The defense only took the ball away once and still held the Vikings' offense to 183 total yards and three points. There weren't many glaring issues Sunday afternoon for the Cowboys and their report card for the game reflects that, so let's look at some grades for their Week 11 win over the Vikings.
Dan Quinn: A+
Dallas' defense lost them the game in Green Bay. That hadn't happened in a long time since Dan Quinn took over at the beginning of last season. Matt LaFleur and his staff simply out-schemed Quinn in Green Bay and exploited the Cowboys' defense's biggest weakness: their difficulties stopping the run.
Minnesota's running game is bottom-10 in the league in terms of both total rushing yards and yards per game, but any offense led by Dalvin Cook poses a big problem for a defense that struggles against the run. Dallas' personnel inside the box against the Packers and Vikings, respectively, tells the story of Quinn's adjustment. The players who spent the most time in the box against Green Bay were Leighton Vander Esch, Donovan Wilson, Jayron Kearse, and Micah Parsons. Against Minnesota, Quinn replaced Parsons with Damone Clark. Clark helped set the edge and stop outside runs and Parsons was free to rush the passer.
The Cowboys are at their best when Parsons is in the opponent's backfield. Quinn recognized that and found a way to shore up Dallas' run defense without pulling Parsons off the ball. For that, he gets the highest marks possible for these Week 11 Cowboys grades against the Vikings.
Dak Prescott: A+
Prescott's stat line against the Vikings might not stand out significantly at the end of the year, but it's important to remember that his 276 passing yards and two touchdowns came on just 25 pass attempts and in less than four full quarters of football thanks to the blowout.
The Cowboys had so much success throwing the ball against Minnesota because they established the run first. During the Cowboys' first two drives of the game, Kellen Moore dialed up nine runs compared to seven passes. The result was two trips to the red zone and 10 points.
That turned out to be a microcosm of the rest of the game script.
Dallas finished with 40 rushes and 30 passes overall. As the Cowboys ran the ball effectively and efficiently, Prescott picked his way downfield, throwing strikes to wide-open receivers out of a clean pocket.
Prescott was who Dallas needed him to be against the Vikings. He made sound decisions, hit open receivers, and allowed his team to lean on the run to beat a good Vikings squad on the road. The Cowboys don't need Prescott to be Josh Allen or Patrick Mahomes to win games. He played an excellent game on Sunday to lead Dallas' offense.
Trevon Diggs: A+
Trevon Diggs doesn't shadow receivers often. The only other time he has done it this season was against A.J. Brown in Philadelphia. He shadowed Justin Jefferson in Minnesota, and the results might call for more of the same in the future. Jefferson was only targeted four times when covered by Diggs and only caught two of those targets for 19 total yards.
The Cowboys' pass rush indeed had a large part to play in Jefferson's lack of production Sunday afternoon. It's also true that Jefferson was targeted only once when covered by anyone else other than Diggs, and he caught a 14-yard pass for a first down while being guarded by Damone Clark.
This year's Cowboys secondary is not deep and their depth is being tested even more by injuries. The job that Diggs did Sunday afternoon against the player who might be the best pass catcher on the planet right now is indicative of how valuable he has been for the Cowboys' secondary. Hence, yet another A+ for these Cowboys grades.
Tony Pollard: A+
In 2020, Tony Pollard was drafted in the fourth round out of a mid-major to be a backup running back. In 2022, he is the best skill player the Dallas Cowboys have on their roster. With 189 all-purpose yards and a pair of scores against the Vikings, the Cowboys running back showcased his versatility and explosiveness on a whole new level. This wasn't just a high-volume day for Pollard against the Lions or the Bears. Pollard's performance in Minnesota was his official coming out party as a game-breaker, the centerpiece fixture of the Cowboys' offense in 2022. Plus, this happened with Ezekiel Elliott back in the lineup. One last A+ for this Week 11 edition of Cowboys grades.
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