3 Bold Predictions for Vikings at Cowboys
Down in Texas, the Minnesota Vikings will face a high-octane offense furnished by the Dallas Cowboys and a defense that has many, many holes. Dak Prescott and friends are expected to win by five or six points, but the purple team will hope to win consecutive games for the first time this season. These are bold predictions for the event.
From a multi-touchdown night for J.J. McCarthy to a timely spark from Myles Price and a long-overdue Justin Jefferson explosion, Dallas feels like the perfect stage for the Vikings to finally swing big.
Minnesota has four games to go and desperately needs more improvement from quarterback J.J. McCarthy, who has less than a month to prove he has the juice for the 2026 QB1 job.
Bold Predictions for the Vikings’ Showdown in Dallas
Getting the bold stuff on paper before Cowboys-Vikings in Week 15.
1. J.J. McCarthy Sprials 3 More TDs
McCarthy encountered the woelfulest of woes through his first six starts, aside from some clutch moments, basically struggling to complete simple passes and refusing to feed his playmakers the ball. The youngster’s struggles came to a head at Lambeau Field in Week 12, and to add injury to insult, he sustained a concussion.
But last weekend, McCarthy flipped his own script, playing a spotless game with no turnovers for the first time and connecting for 3 touchdowns, distributed among tight ends T.J. Hockenson and Josh Oliver.
In Week 15, under the lights of primetime, McCarthy will do it again. He’ll dime three touchdown passes — or throw two and run one. Folks will begin to see that he has turned the corner into an effective quarterback.
The Athletic‘s Alec Lewis noted on Week 15 and McCarthy this week, “What I’m watching? J.J. McCarthy’s decisiveness. Who are we kidding? Nothing matters more Sunday night and over the last four games than McCarthy’s play. Last week was a positive step. He looked less bothered by the speed of the game. That’s all well and good in a home matchup with the Commanders. Can it continue in prime time on national television against the Cowboys?”
“The Dallas defense is not exceptional. But the unit has more talent than Washington’s. Quinnen Williams, Kenny Clark and Osa Odighizuwa can be forces on the interior. Edge rushers Donovan Ezeiruaku, Dante Fowler Jr. and Jadeveon Clowney are capable. McCarthy must remain poised in the pocket, and if he can make quick decisions and place the ball accurately downfield, it would be another big step in the right direction.”
2. The Return TD for Myles Price Finally Happens
We’ve authored this bold prediction several times this season, so forgive us if it sounds redundant.
Price is overdue for a return touchdown, either a kick or a punt. He has the juice for it. And when his monster returns have occurred in games this season, a dumb penalty has wiped them out.
That will change at Dallas, as Price will take a kick or punt to the house — with no damn yellow laundry on the turf to ruin everything.
The Cowboys feature the league’s 13th-best special teams per DVOA; Price’s home run task won’t be easy, but he will get it done.
3. Justin Jefferson Utterly Explodes
It’s time. It’s just time.
Jefferson can only be held down so long, and with No. 1 on this list in play — another big McCarthy outing — the phenom wideout will prosper.
Jefferson has 208 receiving yards in the last six games. In some “regular” stretches of his career, he easily had 600 yards in the same span. McCarthy and Jefferson just have not synchronized.
McCarthy said this week about his connection with Jefferson: “I think the more experience (we get versus) certain looks will help. He sees the game completely different than I do, from his perspective. And being able to see what he does on tape on the back side of things and me coming to the sideline, seeing something on the iPad and saying ‘Hey, maybe if we throttle this down right here and KOC calls it again, that’s gonna be a nice void right there for you to sit and catch that ball.'”
“But it’s just growing along the way. We’re seeing new defenses, going against new players, new coaches, and there’s gonna be more obstacles that come. And it’s just how good is our relationship and communication to be able to overcome those and prepare us for future obstacles.”
That will change on Sunday night, and while Jefferson won’t pop off for Randy Moss‘ 1998 Thanksgiving stat line, he’ll hit 100 yards and notch 2 touchdowns.
That individual box score for Jefferson didn’t seem like a bold prediction a couple of months ago.
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