9:52 PM ET
Todd ArcherESPN Staff Writer
- Covered NFL since 1997, Cowboys since 2003
- Previously covered Bengals and Dolphins
- Lives successful Dallas country with his woman and 2 children
MINNEAPOLIS -- Things tin alteration successful a hurry successful 7 days.
Last week, Dallas Cowboys proprietor and wide manager Jerry Jones utilized the connection "frustrated" implicit and implicit again aft an overtime nonaccomplishment astatine the Green Bay Packers. On Sunday, pursuing a 40-3 win against the Minnesota Vikings, Jones said helium believes the Cowboys are Super Bowl contenders.
"A resounding yes. Yes. Unequivocally," Jones said. "I deliberation we've had adversity. We precise easy could person much adversity ... Yes, I deliberation if we usage the acquisition of what we're having successful the season, past we're going to beryllium playoff ready. But I definite bash deliberation that what I spot retired present close present is the squad similar that you could spell get a Super Bowl with."
At 7-3, the Cowboys are 2 games down the 9-1 Philadelphia Eagles successful the NFC East, and Dallas throttled the lone different squad successful the league with much wins -- the 8-2 Vikings -- with its largest roadworthy triumph successful squad history. The New York Giants besides are 7-3, but the Cowboys bushed them earlier successful the season, and they volition big New York connected Thanksgiving for the archetypal vacation matchup against their part rivals.
"I excessively thought this crippled was going to archer america what we are," Jones said. "I don't cognize that we're that. I truly don't. But I cognize this, that we're not a squad that doesn't respond erstwhile it's wounded. Everybody thought against the Packers that we underplayed, and I deliberation you saw what happened erstwhile we got retired present contiguous and the squad each came together. We'll physique from this."
The past clip the Cowboys had specified a resounding roadworthy triumph was successful 1995, beating the Giants 35-0 successful the play opener. Those Cowboys would spell connected to triumph the Super Bowl. In 1971, the Cowboys bushed the Eagles 42-7 successful Philadelphia and would spell connected to triumph the Super Bowl.
"This week was a connection week," said linebacker Micah Parsons, who had 2 of the Cowboys' 7 sacks connected Sunday. "It says what we're susceptible of erstwhile we enactment our caput to it."
The Cowboys volition person assistance connected the mode with the instrumentality of Pro Bowl near tackle Tyron Smith successful December. He is adjacent to returning to signifier from a torn hamstring successful grooming campy that required surgery.
Jones besides confirmed that free-agent wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. volition sojourn with the Cowboys aft the Giants' game, though Jones didn't person a circumstantial day set. The Cowboys implicit the past fewer weeks person flirted with Beckham, who is rehabbing from a torn ACL suffered successful the Super Bowl portion with the Los Angeles Rams.
Jones would not get into what helium wants to spot from Beckham too his health.
"Certainly, it's clip for america to beryllium down and visit," Jones said.
Sunday's triumph against the Vikings could not person been a amended recruiting video for the Cowboys.
Dak Prescott completed 88% of his passes (22-of-25), which was 3rd champion successful squad history. Tony Pollard became the archetypal Cowboys moving backmost with 100 receiving yards and 50 rushing yards successful the aforesaid crippled since Emmitt Smith successful 1993. Pollard and Ezekiel Elliott became the archetypal brace of Cowboys moving backs with 2 touchdowns successful the aforesaid crippled since 1980 (Tony Dorsett, Robert Newhouse).
The Dallas defence had 7 sacks, its astir successful a crippled since 2008, and ended the Vikings' 92-game streak with a touchdown, which had been the longest successful the league.
"We had a bully week. I deliberation it's ever rewarding arsenic a shot squad erstwhile your process lines up with your performance," Cowboys manager Mike McCarthy said. "We wanted to travel successful present and play a implicit game. We did. We had each the respect for these guys. They've been highly productive connected film, and we knew we needed to play astatine a precocious level contiguous -- and we did."
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