Who kicks off on Sunday Night Football tonight in Week 8? The Dallas Cowboys (5-1) head to the “Land of 10,000 Lakes” to take on the Minnesota Vikings (3-3). Despite having a week off since their last game, Cowboys QB Dak Prescott is a game-time decision against the Vikings. Can Minnesota end Dallas’ five-game win streak? Keep reading below for all the information you need regarding the start time, channel, and live stream options for Sunday Night Football, as well as a preview and prediction.
What channel is Sunday Night Football tonight?
- Channel: NBC
- Time: 8:15 PM ET
- Sunday Night Football Live streams:
- NBC Sports App
- Hulu Live TV
- FuboTV
- YouTube TV
- Locast (select markets)
- AT&T TV
- NFL Mobile App
What to expect from tonight’s Cowboys vs. Vikings game?
Prescott’s potential absence changes the entire landscape of this game. Can backup QB Cooper Rush keep things rolling for the Cowboys if he misses?
Cooper Rush may start his first game tonight on Sunday Night Football
The Cowboys’ backup signal-caller has only thrown 3 passes so far in his five-year NFL career, all of which came in 2017. While fans might not see the NFL’s No. 1 ranked offense in full force, they should see the No. 2 ranked rushing attack.
Dallas is rushing for 164.3 yards per game this season with their two-back complement of Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard. WRs CeeDee Lamb and Amari Cooper should still find ways to produce and affect the game, but the Cowboys will lean more on the ground tonight on Sunday Night Football.
The Vikings’ defense isn’t the greatest this season, holding their opponents to under 20 points just three times so far. Whether Prescott plays or not, this game will be won or lost on the matchup between the Cowboys’ defense vs. the Vikings’ offense.
Minnesota’s surprising offense
While Minnesota’s defense has had its struggles, the offense has been on fire. Kirk Cousins and Co. have scored 30+ points in three games this season. Cousins is playing lights out, completing 166 of 239 passes for 1,769 yards, 13 touchdowns, and 2 interceptions. Minnesota has paired that with their own fearsome backfield duo in Dalvin Cook and Alexander Mattison.
While the passing attack is contributing to the scoring far more for the Vikings than rushing with a TD ratio of 13:2, Cousins will go toe to toe with an early 2021 Defensive Player of the Year candidate. CB Trevon Diggs has intercepted a pass in every game for the Cowboys this season. He returned 2 of those picks for touchdowns and has 11 additional passes defensed. The Cowboys excel at stopping the run, but outside of turnovers, they are giving up 381.2 passing yards per game.
If the secondary can tighten up for Dallas, they stand a chance at winning a close one on Sunday Night Football tonight. However, if WRs Adam Thielen and Justin Jefferson are able to find the holes for Cousins to throw to, the Vikings could open things up. The question will be whether Rush and the Cowboys’ offense can keep up if Prescott’s out. I believe Dallas rallies together and pulls out a close one in Week 8.
Prediction: Cowboys 23, Vikings 17
Sunday Night Football Schedule: September
- Chicago Bears at Los Angeles Rams – September 12
- Final: Rams 34, Bears 14
- Kansas City Chiefs at Baltimore Ravens – September 19
- Final: Ravens 36, Chiefs 35
- Green Bay Packers at San Francisco 49ers – September 26
- Final: Packers 30, 49ers 28
October
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers at New England Patriots – October 3
- Final: Buccaneers 19, Patriots 17
- Buffalo Bills at Kansas City Chiefs – October 10
- Final: Bills 38, Chiefs 20
- Seattle Seahawks at Pittsburgh Steelers – October 17
- Final: Steelers 23, Seahawks 20 (OT)
- Indianapolis Colts at San Francisco 49ers – October 24
- Final: Colts 30, 49ers 18
- Dallas Cowboys at Minnesota Vikings – October 31
November
- Tennessee Titans at Los Angeles Rams – November 7
- Kansas City Chiefs at Las Vegas Raiders – November 14
- Pittsburgh Steelers at Los Angeles Chargers – November 21
- Cleveland Browns at Baltimore Ravens – November 28
December
- San Francisco 49ers at Seattle Seahawks – December 5
- Chicago Bears at Green Bay Packers – December 12
- New Orleans Saints at Tampa Bay Buccaneers – December 19
- Washington Football Team at Dallas Cowboys – December 26
January
- Minnesota Vikings at Green Bay Packers – January 2
- Week 18 TBD – January 9