When the Minnesota Vikings invade AT&T Stadium on Sunday night, the top priority of the Cowboys defense has to be stopping Justin Jefferson. Despite a down year for the team, the two-time first-team All-Pro is nevertheless in the league’s top 10 in targets and top 15 in both receptions and receiving yards.
Opposite him, Jordan Addison is no slouch, either. The third-year man is top-25 in yards per catch and currently has more touchdowns on the season than Jefferson. Also, the Vikes use their tight ends better than most teams; T.J Hockenson and Josh Oliver have a combined seven scores.
Suffice it to say, the Minnesota pass-catchers are going to get their opportunities; the trick is keeping the damage to a minimum.
That’s easier said than done for a Cowboys secondary that has given up the most passing yards and passing touchdowns through 13 games and nabbed only five interceptions on the year.
The best chance for Dallas to keep Jefferson, Addison, and the tight ends from hurting them on the back end, therefore, may be to attack quarterback J.J. McCarthy on the front end.
McCarthy is, for all intents and purposes, still a rookie after missing all of 2024 due to a preseason knee injury. Though he has struggled in seven game appearances as a pro, his Week 14 performance was perhaps his best yet. McCarthy had his first three-touchdown game in the Vikings’ 31-0 blowout of the dreadful Commanders, completing a personal-best 69.6% of his throws and ending the day without an interception for the first time.
But overall, the 22-year-old can be considered the weak link in the offense designed by head coach Kevin O’Connell, a former NFL quarterback, and offensive coordinator Wes Phillips, a onetime Dallas assistant and son of former Cowboys head coach Wade Phillips.
McCarthy has been sacked on over 11% of his pass attempts, a figure that’s second-highest in the NFL. His interception percentage (5.5%) is the worst in the league, and his passer rating (67.4) and QBR score (27.5) are the lowest among all qualified passers in 2025.
The message seems clear: get to McCarthy, and good things are probably bound to happen.
Even for a Cowboys defense that has spent much of the season underperforming, that has been a strong suit. True, Dallas has notched just 29 sacks on the year, a total that ranks a mediocre 18th. But the Cowboys are No. 1 in the NFL in hurries, QB knockdowns, and pressures.
They can consistently affect the passer, even if he’s not still holding the ball when the play ends.
The midseason addition of interior tackle Quinnen Williams has unquestionably raised the level of play along the entire defensive line, with 2025 newcomers Kenny Clark, Solomon Thomas, Jadeveon Clowney, James Houston, and Donovan Ezeiruaku all continuing to jell as a unit (along with Osa Odighizuwa, Dante Fowler, and Sam Williams) as the season has gone on.
UFL standout Perrion Winfrey is still waiting to make his Cowboys debut and join that D-line crew. And Clowney, who ranks second on the team in sacks, could return Sunday after missing the Week 14 loss to Detroit with a hamstring injury.
Members of the Dallas defense took the Lions loss personally, with Williams telling reporters afterward, “We’re way better than [giving up] 44 points.”
Now well-rested after a mini-bye, still fighting to keep postseason hope alive, and facing an inexperienced and struggling quarterback, this week could be the perfect opportunity for the Cowboys’ defensive line to prove it.
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This article originally appeared on Cowboys Wire: Cowboys defense looks to rebound vs league-worst QB in key categories
