How they match up

Sunday, Jan. 9

DALLAS (8-8) at MINNESOTA (10-6)

11::35 p.m., FOX

OPENING LINE -- Vikings by 7.

RECORD VS. SPREAD -- Cowboys 8-8; Vikings 3-10.

SERIES RECORD -- Cowboys lead 13-9.

LAST TIME MET -- Vikings beat Cowboys 27-17 on Nov. 8 at Minnesota.

POSTSEASON RECORDS -- Cowboys 32-20. Vikings 15-21.

RECORD VS. COMMON OPPONENTS -- Cowboys 3-1. Vikings 3-1.

LAST WEEK -- Cowboys beat Giants 26-18. Vikings beat Lions 24-17.

COWBOYS OFFENSE -- RUSH (6T), PASS (24), OVERALL (16)

Rolled up 437 total yards, 188 rushing. Averaging 128.2 per game, third in NFC. QB Troy Aikman was 23-for-32 for 288 yards and 2 TDs. RB Emmitt Smith had 22 carries for 122 yards. WR Jason Tucker had 4 catches for 122 yards, including 90-yard TD. WR Raghib Ismail had 7 catches for 62 yards and 1 TD.

VIKINGS OFFENSE -- RUSH (14), PASS (5), OVERALL (3)

Gained 379 total yards. Averaging 362.1 per game, third in NFL. QB Jeff George was 14-for-24 for 275 yards with 1 TD. WR Randy Moss, NFC leader with 1,413 yards receiving, had 5 catches for 155 yards with 67-yard TD. RB Robert Smith had 22 carries for 97 yards with 1 TD. WR Cris Carter had 3 catches for 52 yards. RB Leroy Hoard had 41 yards and 1 TD on 7 carries.

COWBOYS DEFENSE -- RUSH (6T), PASS (13), OVERALL (9)

Yielded 380 total yards. Had been allowing 297.3 per game. S George Teague had 3 tackles, 1 INT and 2 passes defensed. LB Dexter Coakley and S Charlie Williams each had 5 tackles. DT Leon Lett had 3 tackles and 1 sack. LB Dat Nguyen, CB Duane Hawthorne and CB Deion Sanders each had 4 tackles. CBs Kevin Mathis and Kevin Smith, out last week, practiced and may play.

VIKINGS DEFENSE -- RUSH (14), PASS (30), OVERALL (27)

Allowed just 16 yards rushing. Had been allowing 106.7 per game. DE Duane Clemons had 4 tackles, 2 1/2 sacks and 1 fumble recovery. DT John Randle had 2 sacks and 1 forced fumble. DE Chris Doleman had 5 tackles and 1 1/2 sacks. DB Robert Tate had 6 tackles and 1 INT. S Robert Griffith had 4 tackles and 1 sack. Allowed 16 TDs in 26 red zone attempts (34.8 percent), second in NFC.

SPECIAL TEAMS -- Cowboys K Eddie Murray had 4 FGs (20, 21, 27, 40 yards). KR Tucker returned 2 kicks for 93 yards. Vikings K Gary Anderson had a 44-yard FG, but missed a 52-yarder. He missed 11 FGs this season after missing none last year.

KEY MATCHUP -- CBs Sanders and Smith vs. WR Carter and Moss.

STREAKS, STATS AND NOTES -- Cowboys lead Vikings 4-1 in playoff games. ... Cowboys lead NFL with most playoff games (52) and wins (32). ... Aikman has 4 career 300-yard postseason passing games, tied for third most. ... RB Emmitt Smith is career NFL playoff leader with 18 TDs rushing and is tied for most 100-yard games (7). ... Teague ranks third with 160 career playoff INT return yards.