Cowboys vs. Vikings Preseason Preview: 5 Things to Watch

After a quality Week 2 preseason outing against the Seattle Seahawks, the Minnesota Vikings are poised to take on some stiffer competition in the Dallas Cowboys, and today I want to look at another five key elements to keep a watch on in this pending matchup.

The third preseason game is almost always the most important, with teams putting heavy focus on the veterans, the pending class of backup and other elemental aspects of what could be the final 52-man roster.

So let's see what's in store for this week's game.

The Offensive Line

The Vikings offensive line is still a work in progress, and the organization needs to settle in on a decision now, before opening day.

Chris DeGeare seems to be at the forefront here, with the Vikings run-blocking being lackluster with DeGeare on the bench.

The idea now is, Anthony Herrera would move to center which is an upgrade over John Sullivan, with the massive Chris DeGeare moving to right guard which would significantly help the ground assault.

But Herrera needs to show that he is fully comfortable off the snap, and that he is healthy enough to assume a full 16-game platoon.

The other element here is what Ryan Cook will do with his time, and whether or not DeMarcus Love can win the job as a "swing left tackle," which is a job the team is also toying around with.

The Secondary

This is an underrated secondary that is far more talented than I think most believe, but if they want to prove to themselves this to be truth evident, this is the team to do it against.

The Cowboys offense is nothing to take lightly—at any given moment this team can explode and rack up more points in a quarter than a very generous slot machine in a casino.

Tony Romo is one of the most consistent NFL quarterbacks in the league, Austin Miles has proven he is as explosive as any receiver in the league and the remaining balance is talented enough to wreak havoc for four quarters.

But the Vikings secondary is not only talented enough to deal with such an attack, they are equally tenacious and aggressive enough to shut down even the best passing games in the league if they put forth the effort and believe in themselves.

I've got to admit, out of everything to watch in this game, this has got to be the best point of interest hands down.

Donovan McNabb

It's put up or shut up time for Donovan McNabb, and everyone and their mother want to see McNabb go more than one series, especially against a formidable team such as Dallas.

The Cowboys were the 10th ranked defense in 2010, and wound up in the middle of the pack in sack totals with 35, so there is reason to believe this Cowboys team will provide a well-rounded challenge for McNabb.

But Donovan McNabb has also had his fair share of success against the Cowboys in his career, earning a 12-8 record as a starter, completing 54.9 percent of his passes for 4,122 yards, 26 touchdowns and 13 interceptions in 20 games.

The usual approach for any given team in preseason is to either provide a single series to their starters or sit them altogether in their final preseason game, so this contest is ultimately more important than any other.

The Defensive Line

The Vikings defense as a whole was ranked eighth in the league last year, but the Vikings ability to get to the quarterback was the one glaring deficiency in 2010.

The Vikings went from the No. 1 team in 2009 for sacks (48), to the 20th ranked team in the league with 31, with what many believe to be no reason whatsoever.

In order for the Vikings defense to fully reach their potential, they MUST get to the QB, and Dallas is the perfect challenge.

The Cowboys were again a middle-of-the-pack team in quarterback protection. But keep in mind that backups play differently than starters which changes the landscape of that ranking.

This is a team (Dallas) that is a near top-10 team in QB protection if they are on their game, but they face a team that is top echelon material in QB sacks if they too are on their game.

Oh yeah, it's on baby diapers!

Establishing the Bench

The Vikings' defensive depth chart played a huge part in earning the No. 8 rank in the league, and the team will inevitably be looking to re-build a comparable, if not better, version of that bench in 2011.

Everyone knows the value of a solid bench, and the Vikings have been used to having one since 2008.

But with a new season comes new faces, and the Vikings do have some players to look at and evaluate.

Among a bevy of players that could be mentioned, Ross Homan, Remi Ayodele (now the new starter at NT), Brandon Burton and Marcus Sherels are the particulars to pay attention to in this contest, as they all have the best chances of becoming impact players if called upon.

Again, out of the list of preseason games, this has got to be the best contest to view if at all possible.

Ask any Cowboys fan and they will tell you just how formidable this team is, but they will also admit the very truth that Vikings fans will admit: we're not quite there yet.

I have a feeling the Vikings will come alive in this one.

I hope you guys enjoyed this writeup, and be sure to check back next week for my analysis on the  final preseason game for the Vikings

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