Cowboys–Vikings rivalry explained
| Cowboys–Vikings rivalry |
| Team1: | Dallas Cowboys |
| Team2: | Minnesota Vikings |
| Team1logo: | Dallas Cowboys Wordmark.png |
| Team2logo: | Minnesota Vikings wordmark.svg |
| First Contested: | September 24, 1961
Cowboys 21, Vikings 7 |
| Mostrecent: | November 20, 2022
Cowboys 40, Vikings 3 |
| Nextmeeting: | 2025 |
| Total: | 34 |
| Series: | Cowboys, 19–15 |
| Regularseason: | Cowboys 15–12 |
| Postseason: | Cowboys, 4–3 |
| Largestvictory: | Vikings, 54–13 |
| Currentstreak: | Cowboys, 3 (2020–present) |
| Section Header: | Post–season history |
The Cowboys–Vikings rivalry is a rivalry between the Dallas Cowboys and Minnesota Vikings.[1] [2] [3] [4] The overall series is led by Dallas 19–15. The Cowboys and Vikings have played seven times in the playoffs, making this one of the most played playoff series in league history (the Vikings' most common playoff opponent and the fourth-most for the Cowboys after the 49ers, Rams, and Packers). The Cowboys lead the playoff series 4–3.[5] CBS Sports named the rivalry among the best in the 1970s.[6]
Meetings
- In 1975, the Dallas Cowboys traveled to the Twin Cities for a Divisional playoff game. The Vikings looked to have the game wrapped-up with a late lead 14–10. However, Roger Staubach threw a 50-yard touchdown pass to Drew Pearson in what became known as the Hail Mary game.[7] [8]
- In January 1983, future Hall of Fame running back Tony Dorsett rushed for an NFL-record 99-yard touchdown in a Monday Night Football game in Minnesota. This occurred despite the Cowboys have only 10 players in the game, as fullback Ron Springs was on the sidelines. The Vikings won the game.[9]
- In 1989, the Minnesota Vikings and Dallas Cowboys were part of the Herschel Walker trade, the largest player trade in NFL history.[10] [11] [12] [13] In this trade, the Vikings received Herschel Walker and three picks from the Cowboys in exchange for eight picks given to the Cowboys. The Vikings felt it was the last piece needed to make a Super Bowl run. Instead, the trade catapulted the Cowboys to three Super Bowl wins in the 1990s; the Vikings won none with Walker. It is thus considered one of the worst trades in NFL history.[14]
- The 1996 NFC Wild Card Round saw the defending Super Bowl champion Cowboys defeat the Vikings 40–15.
- In 1998, the Minnesota Vikings played the Dallas Cowboys on Thanksgiving. Randy Moss, a rookie wide receiver who the Cowboys had passed over due to legal issues in college, famously had three touchdowns in a 46–36 thriller.[15] [16]
- In the 1999 playoffs, the Cowboys traveled to the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome for a key wild-card playoff game. The Vikings won 27–10.[17]
- In the 2009 playoffs, Dallas traveled to the Metrodome for the NFC Divisional playoff game with the Minnesota Vikings. The Vikings defeated the Cowboys 34–3. Late in the game, Cowboys player Keith Brooking was seen arguing with Vikings coaches because he believed the Vikings were running up the score. Cowboys head coach Wade Phillips also believed Minnesota's late-game aggression was uncalled for.[18]
- In 2022, the Cowboys travelled to U.S. Bank Stadium and blew out the Vikings 40–3. Minnesota quarterback Kirk Cousins was sacked a career-high seven times, and this was the largest road win in Dallas Cowboys' history. The game was so lopsided that CBS Sports switched to a "more competitive" game, this being the Bengals-Steelers, for their national broadcast with five minutes left in the third quarter.[19] [20] [21] [22] [23] [24]
Season-by-season results
|-| rowspan=2|| style="| Cowboys
21–7 | Cotton Bowl| Cowboys
1–0| rowspan=2|Vikings' inaugural season.|-| style="| Cowboys
28–0 | Metropolitan Stadium| Cowboys
2–0|-| | style="| Cowboys
28–17 | Cotton Bowl| Cowboys
3–0| |-| | style="| Cowboys
20–7 | Cotton Bowl| Cowboys
4–0| Final meeting at Cotton Bowl.|-|-| | style="| Vikings
54–13| Metropolitan Stadium| Cowboys
4–1| First start in the series for Roger Staubach.|-! 1971 playoffs! style="| Cowboys
20–12! Metropolitan Stadium! Cowboys
5–1! NFC Divisional Round. Cowboys win Super Bowl VI. Game played on Christmas Day.|-! 1973 playoffs! style="| Vikings
27–10! Texas Stadium! Cowboys
5–2! NFC Championship Game. First meeting at Texas Stadium. Vikings lose Super Bowl VIII.|-| | style="| Vikings
23–21| Texas Stadium| Cowboys
5–3| Vikings lose Super Bowl IX.|-! 1975 playoffs! style="| Cowboys
17–14! Metropolitan Stadium! Cowboys
6–3! NFC Divisional Round (Hail Mary Game). Cowboys lose Super Bowl X.|-| | style="| Cowboys
16–10(OT)| Metropolitan Stadium| Cowboys
7–3||-! 1977 playoffs! style="| Cowboys
23–6! Texas Stadium! Cowboys
8–3! NFC Championship Game. Cowboys win Super Bowl XII.|-| | style="| Vikings
21–10| Texas Stadium| Cowboys
8–4| Cowboys lose Super Bowl XIII.|-| | style="| Cowboys
36–20| Metropolitan Stadium| Cowboys
9–4| Final meeting at Metropolitan Stadium. Final start in the series for Roger Staubach.|-|-| | style="| Vikings
31–27| Metrodome| Cowboys
9–5| First meeting at Metrodome.|-| | style="| Cowboys
37–24| Metrodome| Cowboys
10–5| |-| | style="| Vikings
44–38(OT)| Texas Stadium| Cowboys
10–6||-| | style="| Vikings
43–3| Texas Stadium| Cowboys
10–7| |-|-| | style="| Cowboys
37–20| Metrodome| Cowboys
11–7| First start in series for Troy Aikman. Cowboys win Super Bowl XXVIII.|-| | style="| Cowboys
23–17(OT) | Metrodome| Cowboys
12–7| Cowboys win Super Bowl XXX.|-! 1996 playoffs! style="| Cowboys
40–15! Texas Stadium! Cowboys
13–7! NFC Wild Card Round.|-| | style="| Vikings
46–36 | Texas Stadium| Cowboys
13–8| Thanksgiving game|-| | style="| Vikings
27–17 | Metrodome| Cowboys
13–9||-! 1999 playoffs! style="| Vikings
27–10 ! Metrodome! Cowboys
13–10! NFC Wild Card Round.|-|-| | style="| Vikings
27–15 | Texas Stadium| Cowboys
13–11| Last start in the series for Troy Aikman. Thanksgiving game.|-| | style="| Vikings
35–17 | Metrodome| Cowboys
13–12| |-| | style="| Cowboys
24–14 | Texas Stadium| Cowboys
14–12| Final meeting at Texas Stadium.|-! 2009 playoffs! style="| Vikings
34–3 ! Metrodome! Cowboys
14–13! NFC Divisional Round. Last postseason meeting to date. Final playoff win in Brett Favre's career, as well as his only win against the Cowboys in the playoffs.|-|-| | style="| Vikings
24–21| Metrodome| Tie
14–14| Final meeting at Metrodome.|-| | style="| Cowboys
27–23| AT&T Stadium| Cowboys
15–14| First meeting at AT&T Stadium.|-| | style="| Cowboys
17–15| U.S. Bank Stadium| Cowboys
16–14| First meeting at U.S. Bank Stadium.|-| | style="| Vikings
28–24| AT&T Stadium| Cowboys
16–15| |-|-| | style="| Cowboys
31–28| U.S. Bank Stadium| Cowboys
17–15| |-| | style="| Cowboys
20–16| U.S. Bank Stadium| Cowboys
18–15| |-| | style="| Cowboys
40–3| U.S. Bank Stadium| Cowboys
19–15||-|-| Regular season| style="| | Vikings 7–5| Cowboys 10–5| |-| Postseason| style="| | | Tie 2–2| NFC Wild Card: 1996, 1999
NFC Divisional: 1971, 1975, 2009
NFC Championship: 1973, 1977|-| Regular and postseason | style="| | | |
See also
Notes and References
- News: Dave Roepke . A rich rivalry resumes between Vikings-Cowboys today . 18 February 2023 . Inforum.com . 16 January 2010.
- News: Kevin Lyons . Cowboys renew rivalry with Vikings . 18 February 2023 . . 23 December 1996 . D6 . Newspapers.com.
- News: Jon Krawczynski . Vikings rooting for rival Cowboys . 18 February 2023 . . . 27 December 2007 . 1C, 6C . Newspapers.com.
- News: Cowboys, Vikings renew Rivalry . 18 February 2023 . . 28 December 1975 . C5 . Newspapers.com.
- Web site: Which NFL Teams Have Played Each Other the Most in the Playoffs? . Sportscasting . February 13, 2023 . February 17, 2023 . January 18, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230118233732/https://www.sportscasting.com/which-nfl-teams-have-played-each-other-most-playoffs/ . live .
- Web site: Seven 1970s rivalries that made the NFL 'super': Steelers-Raiders takes top spot. Bryan. DeArdo. CBS. September 17, 2021. November 13, 2021. November 12, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20211112221046/https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/seven-1970s-rivalries-that-made-the-nfl-super-steelers-raiders-takes-top-spot/. live.
- News: 'Hail Mary Pass' highlights Dallas-Minnesota rivalry. The Morning News. Newspapers.com. December 29, 1977. November 15, 2021. November 15, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20211115172525/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/88982430/the-morning-news/. live.
- News: Denne H. Freeman . Vikings, Cowboys recall 'Hail Mary pass' . 18 February 2023 . . . 29 December 1977 . 11 . Newspapers.com.
- Web site: PLAYS; Dorsett Runs For 99 Yards And Record. New York Times. January 5, 1983. February 17, 2023. December 7, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20221207165023/https://www.nytimes.com/1983/01/05/sports/plays-dorsett-runs-for-99-yards-and-record.html. live.
- Web site: NFL 100 Greatest Game Changers: Herschel Walker trade . 2024-02-23 . NFL.com . en-US.
- Web site: Yasinskas . Pat . On the anniversary of the Herschel Walker trade, a look back at the worst NFL deals . 2024-02-23 . USA TODAY . en-US.
- Web site: Townsend . Brad . 2019-10-12 . It's been 30 years since the Cowboys traded Herschel Walker to the Vikings, fueling a dynasty . 2024-02-23 . Dallas News . en.
- Web site: 2019-10-12 . It's been 30 years since the infamous Herschel Walker trade . 2024-02-23 . NBC Sports . en-US.
- Web site: Allen . Nick . Herschel Walker to the Minnesota Vikings: The Best Trade in NFL History . 2024-02-23 . Bleacher Report . en.
- News: Andy Friedlander . Hail Moss . 18 February 2023 . . 27 November 1998 . C12 . Newspapers.com.
- News: Bryan DeArdo . Cowboys-Vikings Throwback Thursday: The story behind NFL's first Hail Mary pass . 18 February 2023 . . 17 November 2022.
- News: Mike Baldwin . Blunder of it all . 18 February 2023 . . 10 January 2000 . 1C, 3C . Newspapers.com.
- Web site: Seifert . Kevin . 2010-01-17 . Cowboys' Brooking: Vikings late score classless . 2024-02-23 . ESPN.com . en.
- Web site: Sutelan . Edward . 21 November 2022 . Cowboys' blowout victory over Vikings, by the numbers: Wildest stats from Dallas' historic win . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20221202191748/https://www.sportingnews.com/us/nfl/news/cowboys-vikings-numbers-stats-win/d8j8je4qrp57crrzhwazmksf . December 2, 2022 . December 2, 2022 . sportingnews.com . en.
- Web site: Igbokwe . Nick . 2022-11-21 . Why did CBS switch the Cowboys vs. Vikings NFL game? . 2024-02-13 . www.sportskeeda.com . en-us.
- Web site: 2022-11-21 . The Vikings were losing so badly that CBS switched games and NFL fans thought it was hilarious . 2024-02-13 . For The Win . en-US.
- Web site: Hladik . Matt . 2024-02-12 . CBS Makes Controversial Decision On Cowboys vs. Vikings . 2024-02-13 . The Spun: What's Trending In The Sports World Today . en.
- Web site: Thompson . Scott . 2022-11-20 . Cowboys beat Vikings so bad CBS cuts broadcast to different game before final whistle . 2024-02-13 . Fox News . en-US.
- Web site: Papke . Grey . 2022-11-21 . CBS makes brutal decision with Cowboys-Vikings broadcast . 2024-02-13 . Larry Brown Sports . en.
