***TNF IN THE SWAMP - DAL @ MINN***

***DALLAS COWBOYS @ MINNESOTA VIKINGS***

Tonight we have a rare big time matchup on Thursday Night Football and the SwampMan is pumped. As the season embarks down the final stretch, the playoff picture is starting to take form and games such as tonight are becoming more and more meaningful. The Cowboys are sitting comfortably with an astounding 10-1 record at the moment, so barring a complete meltdown, they pretty much already know they will be in the playoff mix one way or another. Their mission now is to concentrate on fending off those pesky Giants who are now nipping at their heels for the top spot in the NFC East. The Vikings on the other hand, have endured a miserable run since their bye back in week 6, going 1-5 after a 5-0 start to the season. After getting swept on Thanksgiving and officially losing their position in the NFC North against their rival the Detroit Lions, every game from here on out now comes with the infamous "must-win" tag. The pressure is on for the Purple People Eaters and their potential playoff run starts tonight with an extremely tough task when they host a red hot Cowboys squad. Luckily for the Vikes, the game is in Minnesota where they have a brand new stadium that rocks with the best of them as we've witnessed in previous Prime Time games there in wins against the Packers and Giants earlier this year.

Tonight's matchup will be extremely interesting. When breaking it down and simplifying the game, it is a matter of strength vs strength and weakness vs weakness. The mighty Cowboys offense led by the Rookie duo of QB Dak Prescott and RB Ezekial Elliot versus the stout Minnesota defense, and the struggling Minnesota offense versus an average Cowboys defense. This makes for a truly toss-up of a game, but when factoring in the home field advantage and stakes for each team this game, I am going to go ahead and favor the Vikings in this spot. The last time we saw this team, they failed to avenge their previous loss to the Lions and only defeat at home this year and choked the game away when QB Sam Bradford threw an interception during the final moments of the game, sealing a victory for the Lions in Detroit on Thanksgiving. Yes, after watching that it does make it difficult to back the Vikes with a short number against a powerhouse such as the Cowboys but I believe the Cowboys haven't seen a defense as tough as Minnesota's can be on the road yet this season. They have been fortunate enough to only face weaker defenses on the road thus far, excluding the Redskins in week 2 who in my opinion were still trying to get it together at that point. After that, it was the Niners, Packers, Browns, and Steelers, all defenses we now know aren't too great to say the least. At home tonight and on the big stage I think this Vikings defense will be extremely motivated and will bring their A game. They have all the pieces necessary to slow down both the Dallas run and passing game and I believe they will be locked in to do so tonight. Prescott has been nothing short of stellar in his Rookie campaign, playing as confident and composed as a Rookie QB can possibly be. One of the obvious reasons for his success is because he is behind the best offensive in the game and they do a great job of keeping his jersey clean. In my opinion, that o-line will face its toughest challenge yet tonight and I expect the Vikes to find ways to get some pressure on Prescott, making it difficult to operate and throw into the tight windows of the Purple jerseys in the secondary led by CB Rhodes and the ball hawking Safety Harrison Smith. Rhodes is establishing himself as one of the best CBs in the league and will be locked onto WR Dez Bryant in an effort to eliminate him from the passing game. Vikings LBs Greenway and Barr are standout backers who can stuff the run, effectively blitz to pass rush, and sit back in coverage to help the underneath throws to Dak's security blankets; TE Jason Witten and WR Cole Beasely.

The big unknown for me lies in QB Sam Bradford. I have never been big on this guy and it is no secret that the Minnesota makeshift offensive line has been atrocious due to severely being hit with injuries. They will now be without their starting center which doesn't help matters much for Bradford but up against a team that isn't much of a pass rushing threat, Sammy Sleeves may have the time necessary tonight to let it rip. They have said that they want to throw deeper downfield more often after being heavily criticized on the constant dink & dunk passing game and with WR Stefon Diggs possibly back in action tonight, they can certainly find success against the subpar Dallas secondary similar to how we saw QB Kirk Cousins and the Redskins do on Thanksgiving. The opportunities will be there, the only question is will Bradford be able to take advantage. Although I am cringing while typing this, I think he answers the bell if for tonight only and successfully finds his guys to put some points on the board tonight. Minny WR Cordarrelle Patterson has finally taken the initiative to apply himself to be more than just a special teams kick returner, and in Diggs absence has started to solidify himself in the Viking offense. He has true playmaker potential if he can be mature enough to rise to the occasion. Now with Diggs back in the mix, the reliable TE Kyle Rudolph, and the emergence of WR Adam Thielen, this passing game could be dangerous if Bradford were to get the time in the pocket necessary. If hitting on all cylinders, the Vikes have the speed at WR to completely take advantage of this Dallas defense and exploit them heavily through the air.

Lastly, I have to mention the sudden situation for the Vikings with Head Coach Mike ZImmer having to undergo some emergency eye surgery yesterday and not being able to lead his team tonight. Special Teams Coordinator Mike Priefer will take over the reigns tonight and while this is an obvious obstacle for Minnesota, I don't think it will effect them as much as one would think. Offensive Coordinator Pat Shurmur and Defensive Coordinator George Edwards are still in control of their respective responsibilities and I kind of believe Zimmer's sudden absence could provide an extra spark for this team, not that it is needed. Knowing how badly their HC wants to be there and the fact that he will be home watching on TV rooting them on I would think will serve as a little extra motivation tonight. If Zimmer were to miss additional time and games, that could be a real problem but just for tonight and on the short week, I think the game plan is already in place and Priefer has said that he and Zimmer have been talking all day going through the different scenarios and situations. I know we saw a similar example of this previously with Broncos Head Coach Kubiak having to miss a short week Prime Time TNF game in San Diego and Denver lost, but I think this can't be used to compare to tonight's scenario. In fact I feel like it is the opposite situation. Denver at the time was viewed as a much better team than the stumbling Chargers, and it was a road game. At that time especially, the Chargers were desperate for a win and to break their awful luck with a streak of close losses. Tonight the Vikings are home, and are in the position of the that same desperate, hungry dawg. Could I be completely wrong on this? Of course, but I like the Vikings too much in this spot to get the job done. They are too good of a team to continue their bad play and I firmly believe may end up winning the division.

How about some more bold predictions from the Swamp? I feel as if the Cowboys could stumble down the stretch with a tough final stretch of games left on their schedule. They are facing some solid defenses with the Giants up next on the road, a hungry and suddenly surging Bucs team, and after a PT spot with Detroit who is no slouch and playing for their playoff lives as well, they end with the Eagles on the road who by that time would love nothing more than some revenge and possibly spoiling division title hopes for their rival to end the season. Man oh man, it is going to be interesting and if the Giants beat the Boys next week on SNF, NYG would own the tie breaker and could end up stealing the division! Could tonight's Dallas in Minny matchup be a possible preview of WildCard weekend?! Only time will tell but in my opinion a little humble pie could do the young Cowboys some good come playoff time. Alright, enough of my long-winded rambling, I apologize as I can get carried away with predicting the future in the Swamp! This is surely the biggest game yet at the new stadium and it will be a playoff like atmosphere tonight which will provide some extra juice for Minny. I believe they will give maximum effort on all sides of the ball here and overwhelm Dallas who might be caught possibly looking ahead to their big rivalry rematch with the GMen on SNF next week, the only team to beat them thus far. That all being said, I'm rockin' with the Purple People Eaters who will be looking the part in their Color Rush uniforms to hold down home fort tonight and begin a push for the postseason with a big confidence building team win. SKOL BABY! VIKINGS+3