Vikings snap count analysis and notable PFF grades against Cowboys

J.J. McCarthy was the story, but the Vikings had plenty of standout performances on Sunday night.

Dec 14, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; Minnesota Vikings linebacker Jonathan Greenard (58), linebacker Eric Wilson (55) and linebacker Andrew van Ginkel (43) celebrate after a play during the first half against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium. | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

For the first time all season, the Vikings have stacked two good performances together. Their 34-26 upset win over the Cowboys on Sunday night marked their first winning streak of the season, if two straight victories qualifies as such.

The story of the night was J.J. McCarthy's highly-encouraging performance, but there were key contributions from a number of Vikings players in all three phases. Let's dive into the snap counts and notable PFF grades from this one.

Vikings offensive snap counts vs. Cowboys (out of 55)

• LG Donovan Jackson: 55
• RG Will Fries: 55
• QB J.J. McCarthy: 55
• C Ryan Kelly: 55
• LT Justin Skule: 55
• WR Justin Jefferson: 53
• RT Brian O'Neill: 45
• TE T.J. Hockenson: 44
• WR Jordan Addison: 35
• TE Josh Oliver: 34
• RB Aaron Jones: 32
• WR Jalen Nailor: 28
• RB Jordan Mason: 20
• FB C.J. Ham: 16
• RT Blake Brandel: 11
• TE Ben Sims: 9
• WR Tai Felton: 1
• WR Myles Price: 1
• TE Ben Yurosek: 1

O'Neill exited with an ankle injury in the fourth quarter and was replaced by Brandel, who had previously taken one goal line snap as an extra offensive lineman.

The Vikings leaned on heavier packages in this game, as seen by Addison being out-snapped by Hockenson and playing one more snap than Oliver. Ham also remained involved, but so did Nailor when Kevin O'Connell went with three receivers. The personnel balance was effective.

Top 5 PFF grades on offense (min. 20 snaps)

1. McCarthy — 89.7
2. Nailor — 86.0
3. Hockenson — 82.4
4. O'Neill — 74.3
5. Kelly — 70.6

Addison, Mason, and Fries finished just outside of this list. McCarthy's elite grade supports the idea that this was the best game of his career. He pushed the ball downfield (average depth of target: 11 yards), was credited with three big-time throws, and did not record a turnover-worthy play for the second consecutive week. The Cowboys' defense is bad, but this was high-level QB play.

J.J. McCarthy's PFF grades in his eight starts. | Pro Football Focus

Nailor and Hockenson were McCarthy's two most productive targets; both players helped out their quarterback with a couple difficult contested catches. This was a strong day for Kelly and the right side of the Vikings' offensive line. Skule and Jackson on the left side struggled a bit, receiving the two lowest grades on offense, but neither one was a disaster on a night where McCarthy wasn't sacked once.

Vikings defensive snap counts vs. Cowboys (out of 70)

• LB Blake Cashman: 70
• CB Byron Murphy Jr: 70
• S Harrison Smith: 70
• S Josh Metellus: 69
• LB Eric Wilson: 68
• CB Isaiah Rodgers: 67
• OLB Andrew Van Ginkel: 60
• DT Jalen Redmond: 56
• DT Jonathan Allen: 52
• OLB Jonathan Greenard: 44
• OLB Dallas Turner: 37
• CB Fabian Moreau: 31
• DT Javon Hargrave: 25
• DT Levi Drake Rodriguez: 22
• DT Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins: 17
• S Jay Ward: 11
• LB Ivan Pace Jr: 1

Greenard and Hargrave left early with injuries, and Rodgers also got a little banged up very late in the game. Moreau saw a season-high in snaps as CB3. Rodriguez returned from injury and re-entered the defensive tackle rotation. Theo Jackson was healthy, but he only saw time on special teams as Ward held onto his minor role.

Pace played 40-plus snaps in each of the first five games of the season, then saw between 13 and 17 in the next four. Over the last four weeks, he's seen a total of 16 defensive snaps. He's basically just a core special teamer and depth option at this point. That's what happens when Wilson emerges as one of the best players on the defense.

Top 5 PFF grades on defense (min. 20 snaps)

1. Greenard — 90.5
2. Moreau — 79.6
3. Wilson — 78.7
4. Redmond — 72.5
5. Rodgers — 68.3

Murphy, Hargrave, and Smith weren't far below Rodgers, grade-wise. Ingram-Dawkins would've made the top five if he played a couple more snaps. Greenard had himself quite the night, with seven pressures and two half-sacks on just 24 pass-rush snaps before he aggravated his shoulder injury. Wilson had five pressures on 13 pass-rush snaps and is up to 31 pressures this season, which leads all off-ball linebackers in the NFL. Van Ginkel had six pressures.

All three of the Vikings' cornerback graded out well. At defensive tackle, Redmond's consistency continues to be remarkable.

PFF gave extremely poor grades to Cashman (34.1) and Allen (27.6) in this one.