The Warmup: Playoff Edition
It’s official: The Dallas Cowboys 13-year playoff victory drought is OVER! Last weekend the Cowboys did what only few other teams have done in the NFL, they defeated an opponent for the third time in one season. Dallas claimed their third win over division foe Philadelphia Saturday night allowing them to advance to the next round of the NFL Playoffs.
The Cowboys will be headed to Minnesota to take on Brett Favre and the second-seeded Vikings in one of the loudest stadiums in the country. The Vikings showed a little weakness headed toward the end of their schedule, but they ended nicely with an absolute rout of the New York Giants to finish off the regular season.
The Cowboys continued to fire on all cylinders in the third meeting with the Eagles, and they will have to keep up the pace if they are going to beat a Minnesota team who has yet to lose a game at home this season. With Favre at Quarterback, and it being this late in the season… you really don’t know what you’re going to get?
The point of view I am taking is that this game will come down to one stat. That stat has everything to with the defense… but it is offensive: The number of yards rushing that Adrian Peterson will have when the game is over. This, in my mind, will be the statistic that will tell the story of how this game turned out. The lower the number, the better the chances for Dallas to come out on top.
There are many important factors to think about besides the one facet of the game that I will be focusing on, and here’s a few more stats to look for Sunday afternoon:
- The run/pass ratio from Minnesota
- The turnover margin (especially Favre, he throws INTs this time of year)
- The number of sacks by Dallas
This game is all about whether or not Dallas can continue to feed off that intensity on the defensive side of the ball that has just destroyed everything in its path the last month. I say this because on the offensive side of the ball, Dallas matches up well and I believe they will score points. Minnesota was exposed by Chicago and Carolina late in the season first with Carolina’s dominant running; then Jay Cutler lighting up the secondary on Monday Night Football… JAY CUTLER!?
This matchup is all about the Dallas defense taking on a potent Minnesota offense… but limiting the rushing attack, and getting to a QB that can be gotten to could be the way to win. We will find out in only a few days fellow Dallas fans.
GO COWBOYS!
