Five matchups that will define Vikings vs. Cowboys

Minnesota will have to deal with skillful players on both sides of the ball

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By Sam Ekstrom

EAGAN — The objective on Sunday should be fairly simple for the Minnesota Vikings: Slow down Dallas’s offense, capitalize on their vulnerable defense.

Easier said than done, of course.

In what shapes up to be a shootout between two of the league’s top five offensive units in total yards, there are five fascinating matchups that stand out. Let’s dig in after hearing from Vikings coaches and players on Wednesday.

Trevor Diggs vs. Justin Jefferson

The modern-day NFL record for interceptions in a season is 13, set by Oakland’s Lester Hayes in 1980, but Dallas’s Trevon Diggs is on pace to break it after his first six games.

Stefon Diggs’ younger brother has seven picks, at least one in every game so far. He’s been tasked primarily with opponents’ top receivers this season, so the expectation would be to see him lining up across from Justin Jefferson.

Getcha popcorn ready.

Diggs didn’t play against the Vikings last year while Adam Thielen and Justin Jefferson combined for over 200 yards, but his inclusion on Sunday should make things tougher on the Vikings passing attack.

“The thing with him is you don’t know where he’s always going to be, number one, and then the thing that I’ve been impressed with, with him is when the ball is in the air, he goes and gets it,” head coach Mike Zimmer said. “It’s not like if a receiver is running a crossing route and then the receiver slows down a little bit, he doesn’t slow down. He’s going to try to get in front of him to intercept it. He’s got great hands, but he accelerates to the ball very well.”

It’s also worth pointing out that interceptions don’t paint the entire picture of Diggs’ performance this season. His overall PFF grade is only average, 37th out of 68 full-time starters. He’s repeatedly been dinged for poor tackling and run defense, while his six penalties are tied for most among corners. Diggs has also permitted a catch of 35 yards or more in five straight games.

While the interceptions are game-changers, Diggs isn’t a perfectly-polished product in his second season. Jefferson should still receive his fair share of targets, assuming the Vikings aren’t spooked to throw in Diggs’ direction.

“I think there's respect for him,” said Kirk Cousins. “You can't deny what he's accomplished. He's a great player. I remember going back to his days at Alabama with Stefon being here, I talked with Stefon about his brother and knew he was a great player, gonna be a player in the league, so there's respect for him. You always understand that going into a game.”

Randy Gregory vs. Christian Darrisaw

With Demarcus Lawrence out, the Cowboys are rolling with a robust pass-rushing rotation. Most of the names you may not be familiar with — Tarell Basham and Chauncey Golston among them — but you’ve probably heard of Randy Gregory and know him for his inability to stay on the field and out of trouble.

After seemingly turning a corner in 2020 in a part-time role, Gregory picked up where he left off in 2021 and has turned into Dallas’s top edge rusher through six games. Zimmer called him “disruptive” during his press briefing on Wednesday.

That’s an appropriate word to use considering Gregory is the third-ranked defensive end on Pro Football Focus with 22 pressures and four sacks. His position as chiefly a right defensive end should pit him against rookie Christian Darrisaw, who has impressed the Vikings so far with his quiet focus.

“He is such a calm presence, such a chilled personality that during the Carolina game I didn’t even know he was out there,” Cousins said. “He’s just kind of there, but he’s quiet, he’s not saying much, he’s just doing his job and not making it about him. It’s funny because the first person I saw after we scored was him and I realized, ‘Oh, yeah, he’s out here,’ like I hadn’t even noticed him all day, which in a way is a good thing, right?”

The Vikings rookie has only allowed a single pressure through the first 69 pass-blocking snaps of his career and received rave reviews from his coaches and teammates, but let’s keep in mind: He’s only started one game.

Gregory is finally turning into the player he was long expected to be, and he’s the Cowboys’ biggest threat on the defensive line.