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News | Minnesota Vikings – vikings.com

10 Vikings-Cowboys Numbers of Note: Dallas Offense Leads NFL on 3rd Down

EAGAN, Minn. — The Vikings (6-3) are preparing for their second straight road game and hoping to bounce back against a tough NFC opponent after losing a tough one to Kansas City on Sunday.

The Vikings will face the Cowboys (5-3) for the 31st all-time meeting between the two franchises. Minnesota is 11-12 against Dallas in the regular season and 3-4 in the postseason.

Under Vikings Head Coach Mike Zimmer, Minnesota has played Dallas just once. The Vikings lost to Zimmer's former team on Thursday Night Football on Dec. 1, 2016, but Zimmer underwent emergency eye surgery and missed that game.

This weekend's contest will mark the teams' seventh meeting in a prime-time game and third on Sunday Night Football, a stage they haven't shared since September 1995. The Vikings are 4-2 in prime-time games against the Cowboys.

Look back at photos over the course of time featuring games between the Vikings and the Cowboys.

Here's a look at 10 numbers of note heading into Sunday's matchup:

6 – The Vikings have lost two consecutive games to the Cowboys (2013 and 2016) by a combined total of just six points.

1 & 2 – Dallas and Minnesota rank first and second in the NFL, respectively, in passing yards per play. Dak Prescott and the Cowboys currently are averaging 8.42 yards per play through the air, compared to Kirk Cousins and the Vikings averaging 8.31. The next closest, interestingly, are the Chiefs with 8.15.

6.5 – Cowboys defensive end Robert Quinn leads the team with 6.5 sacks in just six games. He also has three passes defensed and three tackles for loss, often causing a problem for opposing offenses. This season is Quinn's first in Dallas after spending seven seasons with the Rams and 2018 in Miami.

50 – The Cowboys top the NFL with a 50-percent conversion rate on third downs offensively. Their red-zone percentage is 60.7, which is right around the middle of the pack at 15th in the league.

741 – Through eight games, Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott has 741 rushing yards, placing him at No. 6 in the NFL. His six touchdowns are tied with six other backs for fourth place.

894 – Even after a slower rushing performance (71 yards) against the Chiefs in Week 9, Vikings running back Dalvin Cook leads the league with 894 yards on the ground. His 5.1 yards per carry is tied for seventh in the NFL.

37 – At 37 years old, Cowboys tight end Jason Witten will be the second-oldest active player between the two teams on Sunday, behind Dallas' 38-year-old long snapper L.P. Ladouceur. Witten, an 11-time Pro Bowler, spent 2003-17 with the Cowboys before hanging up his cleats. He came out of retirement for the 2019 campaign, however, and through eight games has 34 catches for 321 yards and two touchdowns.

62.5 – The Vikings have successfully converted five of their eight fourth-down attempts this season. The 62.5-percent average is tied for ninth in the NFL with Denver.

69.6 – Midway through his fourth season, Prescott is 190-of-273 passing for 2,380 yards, 15 touchdowns and eight interceptions with a passer rating of 102.5. Prescott's 69.6 completion percentage is fifth-best in the NFL. His touchdown total is tied for sixth behind Cousins' 16.

4 – Dallas has just four interceptions on the season thus far, two being nabbed by DB Xavier Woods. Vikings safety Anthony Harris has three of Minnesota's eight picks.

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