Vikings smash Cowboys’ playoff hopes as JJ McCarthy leads way to victory

The Minnesota Vikings may be eliminated from the playoffs, but the Dallas Cowboys technically weren’t heading into their Sunday night matchup 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 though they’re not technically eliminated, the Cowboys’ playoff chances are hanging by a thread now.

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Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy (9) celebrates after a touchdown during the first half against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium on Dec. 14, 2025.  (Kevin Jairaj/Imagn Images)

It was an inauspicious start for the Vikings in this contest, as J.J. McCarthy very first pass attempt was an interception, as it was tipped at the line by a blitzing Donovan Wilson and Quinnen Williams looked up and hauled it in.

Dak Prescott and the Cowboys’ offense had tremendous field position for their opening drive, and though it took 11 plays to go 35 yards, Javonte Williams was able to nail it into the end zone for the 7-0 lead.

It also wouldn’t have happened without a fake field goal, as Brandon Aubrey, one of the most trusted legs in the NFL, ran for a first down on fourth-and-4 from the Minnesota 29-yard line. However, Aubrey would come up in a not so good way later in this game.

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The Vikings were finally able to get something going after the field was flipped on their third drive when Aaron Jones was pushed out of bounds on an 18-yard reception, and the Cowboys were called for a horse collar tackle, tacking on 15 yards. On the very next play, McCarthy fired a touchdown pass to Jalen Nailor — his first of two scores in this one — to tie the game at seven apiece.

The second quarter brought about a wave of offense on both sides, as Dallas responded with Malik Davis rushing one in from a yard out, while McCarthy capped a 75-yard drive with a perfectly executed fake handoff on Dallas’ one-yard line for a walk-in touchdown.

On the ensuing 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 nailed one, Aubrey had some redemption before halftime, as both teams tallied 17 points.

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott (4) looks to throw during the first half against the Minnesota Vikings at AT&T Stadium on Dec. 14, 2025. (Kevin Jairaj/Imagn Images)

In the second half, the Cowboys ended up with a 23-17 lead thanks to two more Aubrey field goals, but seven points is what they were hoping for. McCarthy helped make it happen with a big pass to Nailor to set up the Vikings in the red zone.

After Justin Jefferson, who struggled in this one despite the targets, not hauling in a touchdown pass, C.J. Ham buried a one-yard touchdown to make it 24-23 after the extra point.

Prescott tried to match his second-year counterpart, but the Cowboys stalled on Minnesota’s 41-yard line. At 59 yards out, it’s well within Aubrey’s range, but he missed yet again. All four of his field goal misses this season have been from 50 yards and beyond.

Now, with the ball near midfield, the Vikings had a chance to further their lead and they got just what they needed. On 1st-and-goal from the Dallas four-yard line, McCarthy found Nailor again and he celebrated as the Vikings went up 31-23.

The Cowboys would turn the ball over on downs on the ensuing drive, and the Vikings saw Aaron Jones pick up multiple first downs to not only keep the clock running, but force Dallas to use all their timeouts. 

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In the box score, McCarthy was 15-of-24 for 250 yards with two touchdowns and one interception, as Jordan Addison’s 58-yard catch was among some of his great throws.

For the Cowboys, Prescott was 23-of-38 for 294 yards, though he never threw a touchdown pass. CeeDee Lamb led all receivers in this game with 111 yards on six catches, but George Pickens was kept quiet for the second straight game. He had just three catches for 33 yards.

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