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Dallas Cowboys quarterback Cooper Rush made 24 of 40 pitches for 325 yards, two touchdowns and one interception in winning his first career NFL start
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Cooper Rush threw a touchdown pass to Amari Cooper in the last minute to lead the Dallas Cowboys to a surprise 20-16 victory over the Minnesota Vikings in his first career NFL start on Sunday Night Football.
History of the game
Rush was starting quarterback in place of injured Dak Prescott and he was extremely impressive, hitting 24 of 40 pitches for 325 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. Prescott tested his strained right calf before the game, but it was determined he was unfit to play.
Prior to his departure on Sunday night, Rush, 27, had thrown just three total assists in his NFL career, all in 2017, but his accomplished performance as a starter helped Dallas (6-1) win. a sixth consecutive victory. .
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After Greg Joseph kicked in a 24-yard field goal – his third of the night – to once again see Minnesota advance with just two minutes and 51 seconds left, Rush then pushed the Cowboys 75 yards out on the field in eight. games, topped off with the winning touchdown throw at Cooper.
Kirk Cousins completed 23 of 35 passes for 184 yards and a touchdown for the Vikings (3-4), who were edged 419 yards to 278 in offense by Dallas.
Statistics leaders
Cow-boys
- Passes : Cooper Rush, 24/40, 325 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT
- Rushing : Ezekiel Elliott, 16 courses, 50 verges
- Receive: Amari Cooper, eight catches, 122 yards, 1 TD
- CeeDee Lamb, six catches, 112 yards
- Cedrick Wilson, three catches, 84 yards, 1 touchdown
Vikings
- Passes : Kirk Cousins, 23/35, 184 yards, 1 TD
- Rushing : Dalvin Cook, 18 courses, 78 verges
- Receive: Adam Thielen, six catches, 78 yards, 1 touchdown
- Tyler Conklin, five catches, 57 yards
- Justin Jefferson, two catches, 21 yards
Rating summary
Summary of scores
| FIRST QUARTER | |
|---|---|
| Cowboys 0-7 Vikings | Kirk Cousins passes 20 yards to Adam Thielen (extra point) |
| SECOND QUARTER | |
| cow-boys 3-7 Vikings | Goal of 38 yards by Greg Zuerlein |
| Cowboys 3-10 Vikings | Greg Joseph’s 45-yard field goal |
| THIRD QUARTER | |
| Cow-boys 10-10 Vikings | A 73-yard pass from Cooper Rush to Cedrick Wilson (extra point) |
| Cowboys 10-13 Vikings | Greg Joseph 40-yard field goal |
| Cow-boys 13-13 Vikings | Land of 39 verges by Greg Zuerlein |
| FOURTH TRIMESTER | |
| Cowboys 13-16 Vikings | 24-yard field goal Greg Joseph |
| Cow-boys 20-16 Vikings | Cooper Rush passes five yards to Amari Cooper (extra point) |
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Key games
Cousins and the Vikings struck first in the game as their quarterback threw a 20-yard touchdown pass to Adam Thielen in the game’s first practice.
Rush immediately looked confident to lead the Cowboys 50 yards onto the field in his first heat, but Greg Zuerlein missed the resulting 43 yard field goal. Rush would then be eliminated on his next possession.
Dallas eventually got on the board thanks to their kicker’s boot, as Zuerlein managed from 38 yards midway through the second quarter, but Joseph then restored Minnesota’s seven-point lead with one of his own 45. yards before halftime.
The second half then started off with a bang as Rush threw his first career touchdown pass on the third game after the break. Hitting Cedrick Wilson in stride towards midfield, the receiver then did the rest to complete a superb 73-yard touchdown to tie the game.
Unfortunately, that was to prove to be a rare bright, offensive spark in an otherwise sloppy second half. The Vikings nudged again via a field goal from Joseph, only for Zuerlein to respond with one of his own after a 35-yard throw from Wilson to CeeDee Lamb.
Xavier Woods, who fell with Rush’s interception in the second quarter, sacked the backup quarterback in the fourth quarter with Anthony Barr recovering the football, although the Vikings failed to add points to the figure. ‘business.
Joseph would later give another basket to give the Vikings a late 13-10 lead, but ultimately it would be Rush who would have the final say.
He would find Ezekiel Elliot for a key 15-yard completion on the 3rd and 11th of Minnesota’s 20-yard line to earn another set of lows and, rather than having to attempt a field goal, perhaps try to force the overtime, Rush then found Cooper in the end zone for the next game winner.
The Cousins and Vikings would end up with 51 seconds on the clock but, aside from a 13-yard finish at Thielen, they would fail to move the ball a considerable distance as the Cowboys clinched a memorable road victory.
And after?
The Cowboys (6-1) are back in Dallas next Sunday, hosting the Denver Broncos (4-4), while the Vikings (3-4) travel to Baltimore for a meeting with the Ravens (5-2) .
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