There’s always a tension between how fans and their favorite team view the upcoming opponent. You’re not wrong if you see Sunday night’s showdown against the Dallas Cowboys as a measuring-stick game for the Minnesota Vikings. It is, even if Dak Prescott does not play. Andy Dalton beat them last year. However, if they can beat the Cowboys, Minnesota stands a chance against their next three opponents and can put themselves in the thick of the playoff race. But if they get blown out, why would we expect them to beat the Baltimore Ravens, Los Angeles Chargers, and Green Bay Packers?
That’s not how the Vikings see it, though. The Carolina Panthers game was a measuring stick. So were the Arizona Cardinals in Week 2 or the Detroit Lions in Week 5. To be fair, we view the Cincinnati Bengals a lot differently now than when Minnesota played them in Week 1. The Vikings got off the schneid against the Seattle Seahawks, but Seattle probably isn’t going to make the playoffs this year. Hell, Detroit almost left US Bank Stadium with a win. Minnesota tends to play conservatively, so they make every game interesting. But it’s not just that. We don’t know how good anyone is until November.
Andre Patterson has an excellent analogy for how the Vikings see each game.
“You put everything you’ve got into the Dallas Cowboys, and when that game is over, you focus on the next guy, but you can’t look ahead,” he said on Wednesday, chuckling. “If me and you are getting into a fight, I’m not looking at everybody in the room. I’m looking at you, right? I’m trying to knock your head off.”
Patterson shares the defensive coordinator role with Adam Zimmer and is an avuncular figure in the Vikings family. A former high school science and physical education teacher, Patterson comes off as a warm, chummy person — a stark contrast to Mike Zimmer’s gruff demeanor. He’s not the kind to threaten anyone. Rather, he seeks to educate and develop an understanding between the football team he works for and the outside world.
“You see what I’m saying? So it’s the same thing right now,” he said, continuing his fight analogy. “That’s what this is about; it’s a fight every single Sunday. You can’t worry about who you are fighting next week. I’m fighting the Dallas Cowboys today. That’s what my focus is.”
As a safety perched behind the Vikings defense, Harrison Smith will have a bird’s eye view of Dallas’ arsenal of weapons. He echoed a similar sentiment about the upcoming game.
“They’re all good measuring sticks,” said Smith. “Even when you play teams that don’t have great records. The NFL is a dog fight every week.”
Even if Dak is limited or can’t go, the Cowboys are flush with talent on offense. CeeDee Lamb and Amari Cooper are capable of burning a Vikings secondary without Patrick Peterson. Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard will apply pressure to a run defense that has been a bit shaky. And Dallas’ play in the trenches has always been the envy of fans here, who’ve routinely seen defenses around the league turn Minnesota’s offensive line into Swiss cheese.
Dallas’ offensive firepower will likely force the Vikings out of their comfort zone. To the delight of fans from Littlefork to Luverne, this won’t be the Browns game. Minnesota is going to have to open things up to win. That shouldn’t be a bad thing. Justin Jefferson and Adam Thielen are capable receivers. Dalvin Cook had the bye week to convalesce his ailing ankles. Kirk Cousins might be playing the best football of his career.
You know how they say it’s good for a car to open up a bit on the highway after being stuck in traffic? Minnesota’s pistons could use an extended run, and there’s a little horsepower pent up inside the engine. Zimmer has been hesitant to shift out of second gear, but they’re going to have to redline to beat Dallas.
Think the Arizona game, not the Cleveland one. Exciting, right? We always think of these ugly games as a fight, a backyard brawl. Two dudes slugging it out behind Plums after a few too many. Well, the Cardinals game was a donnybrook, too, only it looked like two heavyweights tossing haymakers back and forth. Nobody pays to watch a bar fight, but Lance Armstrong, Vince Vaughn, and Michael J. Fox sit ringside for Fury-Wilder III.
The Vikings know they’re in for a fight on Halloween night. For everyone’s sake, let’s hope they come out swinging.
