Vikings Turn Timid, Cowboys Rewarded for…

EAGAN, Minn. — The Vikings opened Sunday’s game with aggressive plays and downfield passing — there was even an unsuccessful WR pass in the mix.

But final numbers from Next Gen Stats reveal a cloud of timidity settled over Minnesota’s sideline at U.S. Bank Stadium.

Numbers also show that Dallas actually bumped up its aggressiveness with Cooper Rush making his first NFL start in place of injured Pro Bowler Dak Prescott.

Here’s a deeper dive at some “next-day stats” with an eye on the ever-increasing number of Next Gen Stats. References to rankings across the league include all Week 8 games except for tonight’s game between the Giants and Chiefs.

1. Contrast in aggressiveness levels

Next Gen Stats measured Rush’s average intended air yards at 9.5 per pass for the third-highest distance in the NFL in Week 8. That figure exceeds the 7.9 averaged by Prescott in the six games he’s played this season.

Kirk Cousins, meanwhile, averaged 4.2 intended air yards, which ranked 26th out of 27 qualifying passers and was well below his already low average of 6.6 (tied for 32nd out of 34 passers) on the season.