Viktor
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- Mar 19, 2019
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2. Up-and-down on 3rd downs | By Eric Smith
Dallas’ success on third downs on both sides of the ball was a key storyline, as the Cowboys entered Week 10 as one of the NFL’s best teams on both sides of the ball on the crucial down.
Dallas’s offense, which came into the game converting 50 percent of their third downs, had plenty of success against Minnesota. The Cowboys converted nine of 15 tries on the down, including five successes on third-and-7 or longer. At one point, Dallas was 9-for-12 on third downs, with the Cowboys passing on each of the dozen plays.
But the Vikings defense stood up when it mattered most, as Minnesota denied Dallas chances to convert on its final three third-down tries.
The Cowboys defense entered Week 10 second in the NFL having limited opponents to a conversion rate of 27.1 percent on third downs.
The Vikings had plenty of success there, converting eight of 14 tries (57.1 percent).
Stefon Diggs had three catches for 49 yards on third downs, including a spectacular one-handed grab that was initially ruled incomplete.
Kirk Cousins was also money on the critical down, completing 7 of 9 passes for 80 yards and a touchdown.