Grades for Cowboys-Vikings

Here are the top takeaways from Saturday’s Vikings-Cowboys game, including the highest-graded players for each team:

Vikings:

— Though just two were aimed more than 10 yards downfield, rookie quarterback Taylor Heinicke connected on all 12 of his throws. That included a 5-for-5 showing on pressured attempts, as he earned his second consecutive positive game grade.

— Defensive tackle Tom Johnson pushed his preseason-leading pressure total to 12 with a sack, two hits, and a hurry.

— Middle linebacker Gerald Hodges saw just eight snaps of run defense but logged four tackles and three defensive stops in that span, leading inside linebackers this week with a run stop percentage of 37.5.

Top 5 graded players:

QB Taylor Heinicke (+2.4)

LG Brandon Fusco (+1.8)

DE Brian Robison (+1.8)

C Zac Kerin (+1.6)

RT Austin Shepherd (+1.5)

Cowboys:

— Last season tight end Jason Witten had only one negative performance in pass-blocking (Week 2 against Tennessee), but last night he posted a dismal -1.4 rating. Unfortunately his run blocking wasn’t any better (-1.3), as it was an all-around poor performance by one of the league’s standards at the position.

— With backup quarterback Brandon Weeden out because of a concussion suffered during Dallas’ Week 2 game, Dustin Vaughan again saw extensive action against the Vikings. This was certainly a game he’d like to forget, however, as his inaccuracy and decision-making resulted in another brutal grade (-4.6 passing).

— Defensive tackle Davon Coleman was a stud in second-half duty, posting positive grades in every phase of his game on his way to an overall grade of +3.5.  He was as explosive as he was powerful, as Minnesota’s interior line consistently struggled to contain him to the line of scrimmage.

Top 5 graded players:

MLB Jasper Brinkley (+3.7)

DT Davon Coleman (+3.5)

S Barry Church (+3.2)

P Chris Jones (+3.2)

DE Greg Hardy (+3.2)