Dak Prescott and Cowboys reveal Kirk Cousins and Minnesota Vikings as top NFL frauds

The Dallas Cowboys were favorites for a reason against the “best” team in the NFC, and it starts with the quarterback.

Not the one who plays for the Cowboys.

It’s the original OG (Other Guy).

Whatever you think of Dak Prescott, he’s better than Kirk Cousins.

On Sunday. Monday. Tuesday. Wednesday. Thursday. Friday. Saturday.

And again on Sunday.

The Minnesota Vikings entered their game on Sunday at home against the Cowboys tied with the Philadelphia Eagles for the best record in the NFC at 8-1, and people were buying the Minnesota Cooper Rush.

The Vikings are frauds, and all the Cowboys did was reveal that football truth.

One week after making history in blowing a fourth-quarter, 14-point lead in Green Bay to lose in overtime, the Cowboys played arguably their best game ever under coach Mike McCarthy.

The Cowboys defeated the Vikings 40-3.

These types of games, and outcomes, don’t happen much in an NFL season. For any team.

Especially the Cowboys.

This was a Jimmy Johnson-era beatdown of an opponent.

It was so bad CBS analyst Tony Romo shared stories about the late John Madden from his first year as the starting quarterback of the Cowboys, in 2006. To Romo’s credit, the anecdotes were far more interesting than a game that looked like a preseason snore.

The Cowboys are now 1-1 in their annual “Thanksgiving Day” stretch; three games in 12 days.

Their game on Thanksgiving against the New York Giants will be for second place in the NFC East, and likely for the services of free agent receiver Odell Beckham.

If the Cowboys play the way they did against Minnesota every week (they won’t), all things are possible.

Sunday was the best of the Dallas Cowboys.

Every aspect of the offense worked.

Prescott was nearly perfect. He completed 22 of 25 passes for 276 yards with two touchdowns before taking to the bench to allow Cooper Rush some game time action.

The return of running back Ezekiel Elliott from his knee injury resulted in two touchdowns. He will never be the same player from his first three years in the league, but he still has value.

Running back Tony Pollard went over 100 yards, receiving. In there was a 68-yard touchdown catch in the third quarter on a perfect pass from Prescott down the right sideline.

The defense, which in previous weeks ran an escort service for opposing running backs, didn’t give the Vikings anything.

Kicker Brett “Money” Maher hit field goals of 54 and 60 yards in the second quarter.

Even Jerry Jones was brilliant.

The worst development from Sunday’s game was the status of linebacker Micah Parsons, who limped off the field late in the third quarter after the Cowboys’ seventh sack of Cousins.

The team said he had a left knee injury, and he came back into the game. No clue why; the game was a blowout.

He looked to be walking fine off the field after the game.

Parsons is the rare defensive player who may be as valuable as some quarterbacks. He had two sacks, forced one fumble, and had five quarterback hits against the Vikings.

Midway through the third quarter, the Cowboys had out-gained the Vikings 365 to 101.

Sunday is what the Cowboys can do.

But some of what they did on Sunday was made possible by a Vikings team that is not as good as their record would have you believe.

The Vikings are your classic modern-era NFL team that enjoys a bloated record on the backs of a few wins that should have been losses.

This is a team that finished 8-9 last year; the Vikings are one of those NFL teams that misses the playoffs the previous season to making it the next and do nothing once they get there.

The Vikings will make the playoffs this season, and win the NFC North where they are currently the only team with a winning record.

They have major league toys in running back Dalvin Cook and receiver Justin Jefferson, but their QB scares no one.

Kirk Cousins is a good pro who is by all accounts a great guy, and he ain’t got it.

When the People Who Hate Dak Prescott Fan Club convene every week in someone’s mom’s basement, they need to watch this game.

There is a difference.

Whatever you think of Dak Prescott, he’s better than the OG (Other Guy).

And the Dallas Cowboys are a lot better than the “best team” in the NFC.

Now, if the Cowboys could only play like this every week ....