Vikings vs. Falcons countdown

By foxsports
Published

Back in 1982, during a strike-shortened season, the Vikings fended off the Falcons, 30-24, in a January game deemed part of that season's "Super Bowl Tournament."

In 2015, Minnesota essentially begins its playoff "tournament" this Sunday, when it visits Atlanta.

This week's 12 p.m. contest is the first of five for the Vikings in the remainder of the season against NFC playoff contenders. After visiting the Georgia Dome to take on the 6-4 Falcons, the Vikings (7-3) will host the Seahawks (5-5) and visit the Cardinals (8-2) in succession. The 2015 regular season ends with games against the Giants (5-5) and the rival Packers (7-3).

As a result, the Vikings, 3-2 on the road this season, will be especially eager to get back in the win column this weekend. The Falcons are equally hungry, having lost three straight.

The Vikings have won three consecutive road tilts for the first time since 2009. The last time Minnesota won four in a row away from home was in 1998. Let's take a closer look at this Sunday's showdown, in which the Vikings are one-point underdogs.

3 THINGS TO WATCH

-- Can Adrian Peterson promptly bounce back? Last Sunday's 30-13 loss to Green Bay represented a rare blemish on All Day's resume this season, as the 30-year-old Vikings star rushed for just 45 yards and had a key, late-game fumble. Thus, you can expect Peterson to run with fury this week. He currently leads the NFL with five games this season with 100 or more rushing yards. In two career games against Atlanta -- which boasts the NFL's best run defense this season -- Peterson has averaged 89.5 yards with no TDs. You can bet he's hell-bent on rectifying that and Peterson will get plenty of opportunities to dent the scoreboard on Sunday.

-- Can Minnesota's defense get up off the canvas? The Vikings, who still rank second in the league in points per game allowed (18.4) were humbled down the stretch last Sunday, in their one-sided loss to the rival Packers. Aaron Rodgers seemed to have all day to scan the field for his receivers, a luxury the Vikings simply can't grant to Falcons QB Matt Ryan this week. The Purple and Gold are yielding just 224.6 passing yards per outing, but Ryan, who has the second-most passing yards in the NFC this season (2,982) likes heaving it deep, so safety Harrison Smith and company will have to have their heads on a swivel. It would help if the Vikings' pass rush re-emerged, with the likes of defensive end Everson Griffen (6.5 sacks) making their presence felt.

-- Can Stefon Diggs get a steady supply of passes? The rookie from Maryland seems like Minnesota's only sure thing as a receiver these days, with Mike Wallace and Charles Johnson completely disappearing in recent weeks. Since making his NFL debut in Week 4, Diggs is 10th in the league in receiving yards (573). In that same stretch, Diggs has caught 12 passes for 20-plus yards -- tied for second-best in the NFL. It's early in his career, but this much is already clear: Diggs needs -- and deserves -- lots of touches in the passing game.

2 THINGS TO REMEMBER

-- Devonta Freeman's status looms large in this one. The Falcons' breakout running back has missed practice time this week, as part of the NFL's concussion protocol. Freeman, who leads the NFL with nine rushing scores in 2015, left last week's game against the Colts after just three carries. Freeman, a 5-8, 206-pound bowling ball of a runner, has 764 yards this season. If he can't go on Sunday, rookie Tevin Coleman (231 yards, one rushing TD in 2015) would be next in line to carry the load for Atlanta.

-- This game could prove to have NFC playoff implications down the line. Last Sunday's loss to Green Bay suddenly puts Minnesota in a much more tenuous position with regard to the NFC's playoff picture. The Vikings enter play this week sitting in the No. 5 spot in the postseason order, just one spot ahead of the Falcons. Conference wins are key in playoff positioning -- especially when they come against a team you're competing with to make the postseason. Thus, it would behoove the Vikings to play with a sense of urgency this week.

1 KEY MATCHUP

Vikings secondary vs. Julio Jones

Xavier Rhodes, Terence Newman and the rest of Minnesota's defensive backs had better be well-rested on Sunday, because trying to contain Atlanta's receiving star requires an all-day effort. The 6-foot-3 Jones leads the NFL in both receptions (89) and receiving yards (1,189) and has six receiving scores. If the Vikings had a hard time containing 31-year-old James Jones last week, slowing the 26-year-old Julio Jones might be a tall order. Expect Atlanta's star to see a ton of targets.

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