Cowboys (8-8) at Vikings (10-6)

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Posted: Saturday January 08, 2000 12:02 AM

Edges Cowboys   Vikings Two of the best QBs in the NFL face off. Aikman's production over his career speaks for itself. QB   Jeff George gets the nod because of the weapons he's playing with. Smith went down fighting in the last game against Minnesota, and willed his team into the playoffs over the past few weeks. RB   Smith is another 1,000-yard back but doesn't have revenge on his mind as Smith does. Two of the best offensive lines in the NFL, both massive and full of current and former Pro Bowl players. OL   Erick Williams at right tackle gives Dallas the edge over Korey Stringer. Vikings backups Jake Reed and Matt Hatchette could start for Cowboys. Rec   Vikings have the best receivers in the NFL. Carter and Moss have combined for 170 receptions for 2,654 yards and 24 touchdowns. Neither group is great. Not been able to do much with their defensive lines because of injuries. Leon Lett is back inside with Chad Hennings, a nice pair of players. DL   Edge to Minnesota mainly because of the seven sacks last week and the reemergence of John Randle. If Randle comes to play the way he has the last two weeks, edge goes to Minnesota. Dallas corps led by impressive Dexter Copley, but MLB Randall Godrey and LOLB Darren Hambrick are simply average. LB   Vikings get the edge because of MLB Ed McDaniel, who had 120 tackles this year, inside and emerging star Dwayne Rudd at ROLB. Complete secondary edge to Dallas. Sanders will match up with one of the two great Minnesota receivers and will try to take him out of the game. Darren Woodson is a fine safety. DB   Packers G.M. Ron Wolf calls Robert Griffin the "best defensive back in the conference who didn't make the Pro Bowl." But Griffin is forced to cover up now because backup Anthony Bass is now a starter and safety, and Bass can only play the deep middle. We are looking at the two most dangerous punt returners in the NFL in Moss and Sanders. If one does something great, the other will take it personally and respond. The one who fields the last punt is the one who'll create the edge for his team. ST   Vikings K Gary Anderson missed the biggest kick of his life -- and the only one he missed all season -- last year in the NFC Championship game. Anderson won't miss like that again, especially at home. Kicking edge goes to Minnesota, but it won't come down to the kicking game. After the Cowboys lost to a Vikings team they had on the ropes back in November, team owner Jerry Jones met with his team and 'motivated' them. So coach Chan Gailey is under a lot of pressure, and goes into the game with far fewer weapons than Dennis Green has at his disposal. Coach   The Vikings defense has been suspect all year, but Green and offensive coordinator Ray Sherman have the Vikings offense back where it was last year with plenty of big-play strike potential.

Pat Kirwan, who spent 12 years in the NFL as a coach, scout and personnel administrator, is an NFL analyst for CNN/SI. He previews each of this weekend's wild-card playoff matchups.

The Cowboys will win if: They establish the run game and keep the Vikings offense off the field. And if the Dallas defense, with seven in the box, is able to stop Vikings running back Robert Smith.

The Vikings will win if: They don't give up any big runs to Emmitt Smith. Last time the two teams met, Smith burned Minnesota for 140 yards on 13 carries before he got hurt. ... if they can put some pressure on Troy Aikman. Last week the Vikings had seven sacks, thanks mostly to the reemergence of tackle John Randle.

The key matchups: Vikings cornerback Jimmy Hitchcock vs. Cowboys wide receiver Rocket Ismail. This is a very dangerous matchup that the Vikings likely can't win. All eyes will be on Dallas cornerback Deion Sanders vs. Minnesota wide receiver Randy Moss, a premier defensive back on a premier receiver. But a matchup that may be more important in the red zone is Vikings safety Robert Griffith on Dallas tight end David Lafleur. Lafleur only has 35 receptions, but seven of those are for touchdowns.

Don't be surprised if: The Vikings have some very big runs early in the game by Smith, since Dallas is faced with the dilemma of handling Carter and Moss, too. The last time these two teams met, Smith didn't play. Dallas was able to double-cover the Vikings receivers and handle backup running back Leroy Hoard. If Smith breaks off some big runs early, Minnesota can force Dallas into an eight-in-the-box defense, and then let Moss and Cris Carter come alive.

X factor: Randle had no sacks the last time the two teams played and early in the season was not a factor for the Vikings. He is, however, starting to play like the Randle of old and will be lining up on Everett McIver. ... Dallas is only 1-7 on the road. Don't expect that to change. They'll have a hard time in Minnesota. ... The Vikings have a significant edge in terms of depth. Veteran Randall Cunningham comes off the bench at QB. The Vikings' backup running back is Hoard and Jake Reed is their third-string receiver. If there's an injury in this game on the Minnesota side, the Vikings can bring a quality player off the bench at almost any offensve skill position. If it's on the Dallas side, an injury will have much greater impact. ... One plus for Dallas is young receiver Jason Tucker, who in the last two weeks has caught 18 footballs. Minnesota doesn't really know how to play him yet, and the Vikings have a weakness in the secondary.

Prediction: Vikings win the game convincingly because of their balanced offense and Dallas' inability to score fast enough to keep up. Vikings have the deep-threat receivers who score quickly, and a running back who can go the distance and score quickly, too. I see Minnesota winning fairly easily.

 

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