Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports
A closer look at the film of the Cowboys at Vikings game.
A quick look at a few plays from the Cowboys and Vikings game reveals that doing the little things right adds up.
Setting the tone early
Ahead of Sunday’s game against the Minnesota Vikings, there was a lot of talk from the leaders of this defense and how they needed to respond against the run. The two most vocal on the subject were Micah Parsons and Jayron Kearse, the latter describing the mood of the defense as “angry”.
Angry would be a good way to characterize the rushing style of Vikings running back Dalvin Cook. Given their recent struggles, Dallas was going to have to meet the challenge that is the Vikings’ running game head-on. With a little help, Leighton Vander Esch did just that.
Vikings center Garrett Bradbury (#56) and left guard Ezra Cleveland (#72) are trying to double-team defensive tackle Carlos Watkins, lined up over Bradbury. Left tackle Christian Darrisaw’s (#71) job is to drive Dorance Armstrong, who is lined up in the B gap, out of the play and create a hole for Dalvin Cook.
