Dallas entered Sunday night sporting the NFL’s top offense by yards per game and passing yards per game and the fourth-best scoring offense. Dak Prescott has been a legitimate MVP candidate.

The Cowboys were in desperate need of a victory over Minnesota to keep their playoff hopes alive.

And they scored nine points in the second half.

Welcome to the Brian Flores experience.

The Vikings’ offensive struggles have masked the general excellence of Minnesota’s defense. But it was on full display on the bright lights of national television Sunday night.

Prescott was under constant duress, particularly in the second half. He was pressured on 48% of his drop backs, the highest number of his career. Minnesota’s defensive coordinator dialed up one blitz after another, and the pressure negated the downfield threats of star receivers George Pickens and CeeDee Lamb.

And dink and dunk didn’t get it done.

The performance of Prescott isn’t an indictment of the quarterback, who has been stellar all season. This is what Flores is doing to quarterbacks, even those playing at a high level.

The last passing touchdown Minnesota surrendered came on Nov. 9 against Baltimore. That’s five straight games without allowing a scoring strike.

Minnesota’s defense has allowed just six total touchdowns in that span, and three of those followed the offense’s turnovers.

When the offense has been a disaster, the defense has held down the fort to keep games from getting out of hand (see: Seattle). When the Vikings manage to actually move the ball, they win games. Because the unit on the other side is seemingly always doing its job.

Flores’ unit never quit this season, even when the offense gave it 1,000 reasons to do so.

The coordinator came to Minnesota in 2023 and took over a defense that was horrendous the year prior and immediately elevated it to competent. Then it was opportunistic. Now, it’s just plain good.

Frankly, it’s very similar to the trajectory he had Miami on during his three years as head coach of the Dolphins.

Flores identifies the strengths of his unit and the weaknesses of the opposition and concocts the best possible plan to achieve success. And he’s not afraid to experiment with schemes others don’t dare to dabble with in the process.

That’s a man some organization is going to tab to lead its football team this offseason. The results are undeniable. Even in an age where offensive minds are prioritized, creativity and discipline are traits that translate to all three phases of the game. Flores’ defenses in Minnesota have possessed those year after year.

Should a job open such as Cincinnati — which is already armed with a franchise quarterback and all-pro weapons — who better than Flores to come in and correct not only the defense, but the organizational mindset needed to bring the Bengals back to prominence.

With Minnesota officially eliminated from playoff contention on Sunday, teams with openings can hire Flores at their earliest desire the second the clock strikes midnight on Minnesota’s regular season

If Flores could fix this Vikings’ defense, he could fix anything.

Congratulations to whatever organization welcomes Flores in with his hammer and wrench to patch its holes and fix its flaws. The man does quick, effective work.

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ARLINGTON, Texas — There wasn’t anything for the Vikings to play for against the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday night at AT&T Stadium. Any hopes of making the playoffs went out the window a few hours before kickoff when the Chicago Bears beat the Cleveland Browns.

That didn’t stop quarterback J.J. McCarthy from putting together the best game of his career while leading the Vikings to a 34-26 victory. He completed 15 of 24 passes for 250 yards and a pair of touchdowns through the air while adding another touchdown on the ground.

It was exactly the type of performance the Vikings needed to see from their young signal caller.

It had gone so far off the rails for McCarthy at different points this season that it was fair to wonder if he was going to be able to get the train back on the tracks.

The fact that he showed improvement last weekend in a win over the Washington Commanders was notable. The fact that he followed it up with an even better showing this weekend in a win over the Cowboys was proof of progress.

Maybe the most impressive part of McCarthy’s outing was how he responded after throwing an interception on his first pass of the game.

The ability to bounce back in the immediate aftermath is a microcosm of the mental toughness McCarthy has displayed amid his recent turnaround. It’s also a reason to believe he could be the face of the franchise the Vikings so desperately want him to be.

After receiving the opening kickoff, the Vikings ran the ball once, then opted to have McCarthy let it rip. With star receiver Justin Jefferson open near the sticks for what would’ve been a first down, McCarthy’s pass got tipped near the line of scrimmage, then intercepted by defensive tackle Quinnen Williams.

It looked like the Cowboys had stalled out on the ensuing possession until they dialed up a fake field goal, with holder Bryan Anger blindly flipping a ball over his shoulder to kicker Brandon Aubrey, who picked up the first down with his legs.

That earned the Cowboys a new set of downs and paved the way for running back Javonte Williams to plunge into the end zone to make it 7-0.

You couldn’t have scripted a worse start for the Vikings and it looked like the game might get out of hand after they stalled out on the next drive.

The tide turned when punter Ryan Wright flipped the field on special teams, paving the way for the defense to force a punt before the offense finally got itself going with a couple of chunk plays.

The drive ended with McCarty rolling to his left and delivering a strike to Jalen Nailor to help the Vikings pull even at 7-7.

On the heels of the Cowboys getting a touchdown from running back Malik Davis to make it 14-7, the Vikings then showed the type of response that they have lacked for much of this season.

It started with McCarthy finding Jordan Addison over the top for a 58-yard gain. It continued when McCarthy fooled everybody, kept the ball on a naked bootleg and showboated into the end zone to tie the game at 14-14.

After both teams traded field goal, the Vikings and the Cowboys went into halftime tied 17-17.

Though the Vikings struggled to move the ball coming out of the locker room, the Cowboys couldn’t find the end zone themselves, settling for a couple of field goals to make it 23-17.

That left the door open for McCarthy, and he finally led a sustained drive to put the Vikings in front. He rode the roller coaster along the way with a mixture of perfectly placed passes and bafflingly errant misses.

There was a particular stretch in which McCarthy missed Jefferson running wide open over the middle, then followed it up by dropping a dime to Nailor. It culminated with fullback C.J. Ham finding pay dirt to put the Vikings in front 24-23.

After a missed field goal by the Cowboys on the other end, the Vikings made a statement, taking complete control when McCarthy found Nailor for another touchdown to stretch the lead to 31-23.

In the final minutes of the game, Will Reichard nailed a clutch field goal to put the Vikings in front 34-23.

A desperation field goal from the Cowboys finalized the score at 34-26. After the Vikings recovered the onside kick, McCarthy trotted back onto the field, and rightfully got to take a knee and run out the clock.

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Which 5G phone is best?

Technology marches ever onward, with the latest and greatest phones of today rocking 5G connectivity. It offers less latency and interference — meaning it’s more efficient — and it’s faster. There’s been a noticeable increase in the amount of 5G phones available since its launch in 2019, which has thankfully driven prices down. Now there’s a 5G phone for everyone on anyone’s budget.

That said, if you want the best, take a look at the Apple iPhone 17 Pro. It has an excellent camera and comes in a mix of colors and data storage options.

What to know before you buy a 5G phone

What is 5G?

5G is, to use appropriate jargon, the fifth generation of a technology standard for broadband cellular networks. Think of it like the upgrade from high definition to 4K TVs — it’s essentially the same but incrementally better. 5G phones have to be built with a special chipset and modem to access it.

Operating system

5G phones use either an Android OS or iOS.

Android OSs are developed by Google and used by most phone manufacturers outside of Apple. Google and Samsung are the biggest names in 5G Android phones, but plenty of other brands have been making 5G phones since it became available.
iOS is Apple’s proprietary operating system and is only found on Apple’s line of iPhones. Current Apple phones that are 5G capable are the 12 and 13 product lines and the latest version of their budget SE line.

What to look for in a quality 5G phone

Camera

Many 5G phones are similar in most ways that count, except for one area that manufacturers still try to one-up the others in: the camera. Today, the best 5G phone cameras use three lenses on the back and one on the front, with better camera lenses having higher megapixel counts.

Screen

Screen quality is broken down by size and resolution.

Size: 5G phones have screen sizes roughly 4 1/2-7 inches long, measured diagonally. What’s quality comes down to intended usage and personal preference. For example, if you plan on streaming movies and TV shows, you should consider a larger screen. However, others may think a half-foot-long phone is too big to be comfortable.
Resolution: 5G phone resolutions are a little more complex than your TV, as the pixel counts aren’t as standardized and many use confusing brand-specific resolution names. The simplest way to gauge resolution is what quality video can it record, which does use standardized resolution names: high definition (720p), full HD (1080p) and 4K (1440p).

Data storage

Most phones have a set amount of data they can store and don’t have the ability to add more later using secure digital cards. Cloud storage can mitigate how much storage you need, but it’s still a good idea to have more than you expect you need. Most 5G phones offer at least 100 gigabytes of storage, with 250GB and 500GB being equally common. A handful offer 1 terabyte, which is 1000GB, or 2TB.

Battery

5G taxes a phone’s battery more than previous generations of connection, so despite most 5G phones having better batteries the average battery life has stayed relatively constant — roughly 8-12 hours on a full charge.

How much you can expect to spend on a 5G phone

5G phones typically cost $400-$1,200. Budget phones can be found for $400-$600, but they won’t have much in the way of features. Better phones cost $600-$800 while the most advanced models start around $800.

5G phone FAQ

Do I need to upgrade to a 5G phone right away?

A. No. The previous generation — 4G LTE — is more than enough for many users. In fact, as more users migrate over to 5G networks, the 4G LTE network will slightly improve due to the reduced traffic. However, you won’t see improvements as great as upgrading to 5G.

Do I need a special phone plan to take advantage of a 5G network?

A. That depends on your carrier. For example, most carriers include a standard 5G connection with your data plan. But, Verizon offers a special ultra-wideband tier of service only accessible with costlier data plans.

Are 5G phones safe?

A. Yes, 5G phones and 5G connections are just as safe as previous generations of both phones and services. It does not spread anything but improved performance.

What’s the best 5G phone to buy?

Top 5G phone

Apple iPhone 17 Pro

What you need to know: If you’re a fan of Apple, this is their latest feature-packed iPhone.

What you’ll love:It has a 6.3-inch Super Retina XDR display and 48-megapixel fusion telephoto, main (wide) and fusion ultrawide camera lenses. Its battery can last for up to 22 hours, and the body uses a durable ceramic shield.

What you should consider: Apple phones are among the most expensive. You can’t upgrade your data storage after the fact. Apple products require specially made accessories.

Top 5G phone for the money

Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G

What you need to know: While it’s a quality phone overall, its camera is where it really shines.

What you’ll love: It has an 8-megapixel telephoto lens, a 12-megapixel wide and ultrawide lens and a 32-megapixel front-facing lens. It has a 30x zoom that doesn’t lose resolution and an EngageZoom Lock to reduce camera shake while zoomed. It can recharge up to half its battery in only 30 minutes.

What you should consider: It doesn’t offer upgradable storage after purchase. Some customers had issues with the speakerphone function being too quiet. It doesn’t include a wall adapter for charging.

Worth checking out

Google Pixel 10

What you need to know: The popular Pixel 10 is the latest generation of Google’s flagship phone, with AI integration.

What you’ll love: It’s twice as durable as the Pixel 8. It has a 48-megapixel wide lens, plus a 13-megapixel ultrawide lens, 10.8-megapixel Dual PD telephoto camera and a 10.5-megapixel front lens. It also has built-in Gemini integration.

What you should consider: This phone is known to get hot on the back.

Prices listed reflect time and date of publication and are subject to change.

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Minnesota got vengeance for one of its worst losses of the season on Sunday.

Three weeks after kicking away a late lead in Sacramento, the Timberwolves closed the door on the Kings at Target Center for a 117-103 victory.

Minnesota has now won seven of its last eight games. The last two have come short-handed. Anthony Edwards (foot soreness) and Mike Conley (Achilles tendinopathy) each missed both Sunday’s tilt and Friday’s win over the Warriors).

The Wolves (18-9) played most of the second half against Sacramento without Rudy Gobert. The center logged seven points and 12 rebounds in 20 minutes before exiting early in the third quarter due to what the team said were personal reasons.

Minnesota was unimpressive early and trailed the Kings (6-20) at the break. And the lead was just one early in the final frame before the Wolves finally hit their closing gear with a 26-10 run that quickly moved the game out of reach.

Timberwolves coach Chris Finch lauded the improvement his team has shown down the stretch of games of late. The Sacramento collapse from three weeks prior was one of a few of that sort in a short span.

The Kings threatened a rally again late Sunday, as a pair of triples trimmed a 12-point Wolves lead to six with 2 minutes, 22 seconds to play. But Minnesota responded in short order. Naz Reid hit a triple on the other end, then Donte DiVincenzo got a steal he turned into a layup on the other end to quickly boost the lead back to 11 and effectively play the game on ice.

“Just playing with intensity, playing with a little bit more effort and desire,” Naz Reid said in his on-court, postgame television interview.

Bones Hyland, who got his second straight start, scored nine of his 18 points in the final frame. Reid scored eight in the quarter, while Julius Randle had seven and Donte DiVincenzo had five.

That’s the balance Minnesota has flashed over each of its last two wins. The Wolves have five guys drop 17-plus points on Friday. Five players scored 18 or more on Sunday. That included double-doubles for Randle (24 points and 10 rebounds) and Reid (20 points and 11 rebounds), while Jaden McDaniels had 21 points and DiVincenzo and Hyland scored 18 apiece.

Hyland played only four minutes in Friday’s win over Golden State before a knee bruise ended his starting opportunity in the first quarter. He recovered in time to start again Sunday and logged 36 minutes in the win.

“Last game, it was such a bummer. … That one, I couldn’t walk. It was hurting bad,” Hyland said in his postgame television interview. “I wanted to be out there.”

Yes, the balance is part of Minnesota’s way of compensating for the absence of Edwards’ scoring, but Reid seemed to indicate it’s the type of egalitarian offense the Wolves can produce even when their best player returns.

“Even when he is in the game, we’ve got a bunch of guys who can go,” Reid said. “I think it just speaks to the talent that we have. … We have talent all across the board.”

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