Dak Prescott embraces a must-win finish for Cowboys, starting with visit from Vikings

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Dak Prescott feels the weight of the Dallas Cowboys having to win all of their remaining four games for their best chance to make the playoffs — and, he says, not in a bad way.

“It's not heavy,” the star quarterback said Thursday. “Even if I feel it, and obviously I think about it a lot, I say that to say that I want that. That’s unfortunately the situation that we’ve put ourselves in, and that’s the only way that we can get out of it.”

The Cowboys (6-6-1) are coming off a loss to Detroit but still have postseason hopes going into Sunday night's home game against Minnesota (5-8) because NFC East-leading and defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia is on a three-game losing streak.

Dallas revived the playoff talk by winning three consecutive games before the 44-30 loss to the Lions on Dec. 4, a surge sparked by the the trade for standout defensive tackle Quinnen Williams during the open week.

Prescott's crew will need help. A 4-0 finish combined with the Eagles splitting their final four games would get the Cowboys in. One Dallas loss would require Philadelphia to lose at least three times. The Eagles have a slightly easier schedule.

“A hundred percent, I think about it all the time and often. At different times, I feel great about it, and different times, it’s, ‘Aw ... I hope those guys lose,’” Prescott said, stopping a couple of letters into an expletive while explaining those times when he doesn't feel so great about the chances. “It’s something that I love and I’m embracing at this point because it’s the only way out.”

The Vikings made the playoffs last year after rookie J.J. McCarthy's season-ending knee injury in the preseason, thanks to a resurgent Sam Darnold.

Minnesota stuck with the McCarthy plan at QB this year, letting Darnold leave in free agency and leading to plenty of rough patches in the first year as the starter for the 2024 first-round pick and national championship winner from Michigan.

McCarthy had by far his best game in last week's 31-0 victory over Washington with a pair of career firsts: three touchdown passes and no turnovers. His passer rating was 129.2 coming off an average of 51.3 in his previous five starts.

“That’s something I expect every week, to go out there and execute at a high level, but it’s about being consistent,” McCarthy said. “That’s the true measure of performance is consistency and making sure we can do it over and over again.”

Though the Vikings defense has largely thrived again this season when fully healthy, ranking eighth in yards per game allowed, seventh in yards per play allowed, fourth in sacks per pass attempt and third in red-zone TD rate, one glaring insufficiency has been takeaways. After tying for the NFL lead with 33 last season, the Vikings are tied for 20th with just 14.

Last week against Washington, Minnesota intercepted two passes and recovered a fumble while finally playing with the lead the entire time to force the opponent into must-pass situations. Harrison Smith, the 14-year veteran safety, had one of the interceptions and is the NFL’s active leader with 38, which is fourth in club history.

Smith praised the pregame speech from coach Kevin O’Connell, who urged the Vikings to reflect on how they would’ve felt in high school about playing in the NFL. He was trying to bring joy to a team on a four-game losing streak.

“That hit home with a lot of guys,” Smith said, his voice cracking. “Just getting a chance to play in the NFL, it’s fun.”

Regardless of their playoff hopes, the Cowboys are finishing their first season under coach Brian Schottemheimer, who spent 25 years as an NFL assistant before getting his first chance to run a team.

Dallas traded star pass rusher Micah Parsons to Green Bay a week before the season, getting defensive tackle Kenny Clark and two first-round picks. Then came the trade for Williams from the New York Jets to try to boost a struggling defense.

There's a part of the Cowboys wondering what the first full season with Williams will look like, and viewing this December as a preview. That's assuming George Pickens returns at receiver to complement CeeDee Lamb, a pairing that has shined but is under scrutiny after Pickens was criticized over what appeared to be some half-hearted routes against the Lions.

“We are trying to establish something, establish a culture, finish strong,” Clark said. “If we are who we say we are, we've got to just keep playing, finish out the season and see what happens at the end of the season.”

O’Connell as the play-caller has long produced one of the highest percentages of passing plays in the league, but as McCarthy’s rocky development unfolded he has relied more on the run. In part because of a comfortable early lead, the Vikings had a 56% running play ratio against Washington that was their highest in four seasons under O’Connell.

Jordan Mason and Aaron Jones combined for 128 yards on 25 carries, an average of 5.1 per attempt. Not coincidentally, the Vikings had their entire expected starting offensive line intact for an entire game for the first time all season. The Vikings enjoyed a 19-play, 98-yard drive that took 12:01 off the clock in the first half, the longest in the NFL in four years.

“Any time that you can move the ball like that, it opens up the whole offense,” right guard Will Fries said. “So for us to be able to continue to have success, we’ve got to keep the run game going. We’ve got to be able to lean on defensive lines and front sevens.”

AP Pro Football Writer Dave Campbell in Minneapolis contributed to this report.

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Dallas Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer looks at a playbook during the first half of an NFL football game against the Detroit Lions Thursday, Dec. 4, 2025, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

Minnesota Vikings safety Harrison Smith (22) runs with the ball after intercepting a pass during the second half of an NFL football game against the Washington Commanders, Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy (9) looks to pass during the first half of an NFL football game against the Washington Commanders, Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Matt Krohn)

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott, left, tries to hold on to the ball as Detroit Lions defensive end Al-Quadin Muhammad (96) makes a hit during the second half of an NFL football game Thursday, Dec. 4, 2025, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

Minnesota (5-8) at Dallas (6-6-1)

Sunday, 8:20 p.m. EST, NBC.

BetMGM NFL odds: Cowboys by 6.

Against the spread: Vikings 5-7; Cowboys 7-6.

Series record: Cowboys lead 19-15.

Last meeting: Cowboys beat Vikings 40-3 on Nov. 20, 2022, in Minneapolis.

Last week: Vikings beat Commanders 31-0; Cowboys lost to Lions 44-30.

Vikings offense: overall (28), rush (24), pass (30), scoring (26).

Vikings defense: overall (8), rush (22), pass (4), scoring (124).

Cowboys offense: overall (1), rush (16), pass (1), scoring (3).

Cowboys defense: overall (29), rush (20), pass (32), scoring (31).

Turnover differential: Vikings minus-12, Cowboys minus-8.

RB Jordan Mason. With a career-high six touchdown runs and a team-leading 630 yards rushing, Mason has been well worth the late draft pick the Vikings sent to San Francisco to acquire the 26-year-old last spring. Mason is averaging more than 6 yards per attempt over the last five games and should continue to be a prominent part of the game plan down the stretch.

WR George Pickens. He faced questions about his effort in the loss to the Lions after what appeared to be several instances of half-hearted route-running. Although it appears CeeDee Lamb will play even after suffering a concussion against Detroit, there will be a focus on Pickens. He is third in the NFL with 1,179 yards receiving despite the Lions limiting him to 37 yards.

QB J.J. McCarthy vs. Dallas' pass defense. The best game of what is essentially McCarthy's first season came against the Commanders. The second-year pro who missed all of his rookie year with a knee injury had his most touchdown passes with three in his first game without a turnover. McCarthy had a 129.2 passer rating in his seventh start after averaging 51.3 in his previous five games. Now he faces the NFL's worst pass defense. The Cowboys have struggled in the secondary most of the season trying to implement first-year defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus' zone-heavy scheme.

Vikings: They fielded their expected starting lineup on both offense and defense last week for the first time this season and reported no significant injuries during the Washington game.

Cowboys: It appears Lamb will play after sustaining a concussion against the Lions. He was a full practice participant Thursday, when he also talked to reporters. ... DE Jadeveon Clowney was a game-time decision in the loss to Detroit, so the extra time off should bode well for his return after missing just that game with a hamstring injury. ... LT Tyler Guyton is probably at least another week away from returning from a sprained ankle that has sidelined him two games.

The Cowboys have won five of the past six meetings, but the only loss was at home, 28-24 in 2019. Dallas is 13-7 on the road against Minnesota, but just 6-8 in Texas. ... The Vikings have lost four consecutive Sunday night road games since that 2019 victory over the Cowboys. They also lost their last Sunday night meeting with Dallas, 20-16 at home in 2021 when Cooper Rush started in place of injured star quarterback Dak Prescott for the Cowboys.

The Vikings are 1-7 on the road and 5-10 overall in prime time under coach Kevin O’Connell. Over the last 20 seasons, the Vikings are 9-28 on the road and 24-42 overall in night games. ... The Cowboys trail NFC East-leading Philadelphia by 1 1/2 games with four to play after their three-game winning streak was stopped by Detroit. The Eagles have lost three in a row. ... McCarthy's completion percentage is 56%. The only lower percentage among quarterbacks with at least one start is Cleveland rookie Shedeur Sanders (52.4%). … WR Justin Jefferson has just four catches for 15 yards over the last two games. He needs 134 yards receiving to pass Randy Moss for the most by a player over his first six NFL seasons. ... The Vikings have at least two sacks in 24 of 31 games since the start of the 2024 season, second most in the league behind Denver (28). ... The Vikings have allowed 2.24 yards per play in the red zone this season, the second-fewest in the league. They rank third in red zone touchdown rate. ... Prescott can set a franchise record with a fourth consecutive 300-yard passing game. The NFL leader in yards passing is facing a defense that has held opponents to 250 yards or fewer through the air in 12 of 13 games, and allowed an average of just 112 yards over the past three games. ... RB Javonte Williams clinched his first 1,000-yard season last week. The fifth-year back is seventh in the NFL with 1,022 yards. ... Lamb has at least 100 yards receiving in five of his nine games, not counting a loss at Chicago when he injured an ankle the only time he touched the ball, on a designed running play out of the backfield. He didn't finish his fifth 100-yard effort. Lamb had seven catches for 110 yards when he suffered the concussion against the Lions. ... DE Donovan Ezeiruaku is second among rookies with nine tackles for loss. ... DE Sam Williams is the only player in the NFL with two blocked kicks and a blocked punt this season. ... K Brandon Aubrey is the first in league history with at least 100 field goals in his first three seasons.

All three of McCarthy’s touchdown passes last week went to tight ends — two to Josh Oliver and one to T.J. Hockenson. The Vikings are trying to simplify the offense through McCarthy's struggles and quick or underneath throws seem to be part of the plan. Hockenson could be poised for a strong finish in what has so far been a career-worst season and would be worth a pickup in a league where a frustrated owner sent him to the waiver wire.

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Minnesota Vikings running back Jordan Mason (27) scores a touchdown during the first half of an NFL football game against the Washington Commanders, Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

Dallas Cowboys wide receiver George Pickens (3) reaches but is unable to pull a catch as Detroit Lions cornerback D.J. Reed defends during the first half of an NFL football game Thursday, Dec. 4, 2025, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy (9) reacts after running back Jordan Mason, foreground left, scored a touchdown during the first half of an NFL football game against the Washington Commanders, Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Matt Krohn)

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott works out prior to an NFL football game against the Detroit Lions Thursday, Dec. 4, 2025, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)