Dak-less Cowboys Trail Vikings At Half 10-3

The Dallas Cowboys entered the Sunday Night Football matchup with the Minnesota Vikings with questions.

Could quarterback Dak Prescott make a go of it? No. Can Cooper Rush play football? Yes. Can the defense hold the Vikings offense in check long enough for Rush to find his rhythm and lead the Cowboys to victory? That remains to be seen.

The Cowboys' defense allowed an early scoring drive by Kirk Cousins and the Vikings offense, aided by a defensive pass interference call on Superman himself, Trevon Diggs. Diggs remains without an interception, so the Cowboys' five-game winning streak is not only on the line, so is Diggs' interception streak.

Cousins & Co. began the game with a seven-play, 75-yard drive that took 3:11 off the clock, culminating in a 20-yard touchdown pass from Cousins to receiver Adam Thielen.

The Cowboys tried to answer with a scoring drive of their own, but Cowboys kicker Greg Zuerlein missed a 43-yard field goal that would've put Dallas on the board.

The next Cowboys possession was even worse, resulting in an interception thrown by Rush to former Cowboys safety Xavier Woods.

The Dallas defense appears back in form after allowing the early touchdown, holding Minnesota to a four-and-out after the score and a three-and-out after the interception before the Cowboys were able to score on a Zuerlein 38-yard field goal that ended a 12-play, 60-yard drive that took 6:25 off the clock.

A special teams mistake in the form of a defensive offsides call on a Minnesota punt gave the Vikings new life and a first down at their own 30-yard line, on a drive that later featured a 32-yard completion to Thielen on a fouth-and-one play. Minnesota ran the clock down to the two-minute warning just one play later before kicking a Joseph 45-yard field goal making the score 10-3.

Dallas got the ball back with just 1:44 left in the second quarter but could only go 10 yards on five plays before punting.

Without Prescott under center, the running back tandem of Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard are being featured, with Elliott rushing for 37 yards on 10 carries and Pollard running for 25 yards on six carries in the half.

Rush is 10-of-17 for 110 yards and one interception on the night and will be looking to throw his first career NFL touchdown and get the Cowboys back in the game in the second half.

Dallas will have the first possession of the second half.