MINNEAPOLIS — Kirk Cousins started hot in his return to U.S. Bank Stadium, helping the Atlanta Falcons score first in Sunday’s anticipated matchup with the Minnesota Vikings, who employed the big-money quarterback for more than a half-decade. Cousins’ homecoming went much better for his old team, however, as the Vikings picked him off twice and got a career-high five touchdown passes from Sam Darnold, cruising to a 42-21 victory that keeps them among the top contenders in the NFC playoff race.
Atlanta had spurts of explosive offense on the road, with Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier each breaking off key runs, and both Darnell Mooney and Ray-Ray McCloud corralling deep balls from Cousins. The Vikings secondary made up for it with a pair of picks, however, and Kevin O’Connell’s attack did the rest, averaging more than 8 yards per play deep into the fourth quarter, with both Jordan Addison and Justin Jefferson hauling in seven passes for 130+ yards and two scores. Darnold, in particular, was sharp as ever, keeping his eyes downfield despite some occasional heat from Raheem Morris’ defensive front.
Here are some major takeaways from Sunday’s showdown:
Play of the game
Sam Darnold had himself a showcase performance, and his 52-yard bomb to Jefferson was especially spicy, considering he shook away several pass rushers before launching it deep:
The Vikings finally look like a real contender
Seven of Minnesota’s previous eight wins were one-score decisions, and many of them came against iffy opponents (i.e. the entire AFC South). Sunday was a different story, with the club finally breaking away in crunch time, and O’Connell’s offense never really taking its foot off the gas. The Falcons might just be another mediocre opponent (more on that below), but the fact the Vikings left with such a convincing win, with both sides of the ball stepping up with splash plays, suggests this group is actually a better representative of its impressive 11-2 record than many realized.
Sam Darnold’s little turnover spree earlier this year feels like a distant memory, and he’s now been playing top-10 ball for much of his Vikings debut. Throw in the talent at his disposal out wide, plus Brian Flores’ unit’s undying penchant for timely takeaways, and maybe NFC North rivals like the Detroit Lions and Green Bay Packers have real reason to worry about their purple foes down the stretch. After all, thanks to their sixth straight win on Sunday, the Vikings are still just a single game back from the Lions for the conference’s No. 1 seed.
The Falcons look like toast in the South
To be clear, the NFC South is ugly enough that Atlanta can’t be fully written off as potential division champions, even considering their latest defeat. But the Falcons, who flashed against the rival Tampa Bay Buccaneers on multiple occasions, are sinking in large part because of their commitment to Cousins. Yes, the quarterback had a few nice touch passes on his old stomping grounds, but he also had two more picks — both of which could’ve benefited from his usual passing velocity from the pocket. That means he’s up to eight picks and zero touchdowns in the Falcons’ 0-4 stretch; while he’s clearly still capable of shepherding drives, the finishing touch — the “it” factor — just hasn’t been there, and it may well derail their chances of making any kind of real run.
Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier and Drake London and Darnell Mooney have all been respectable weapons at certain times, but the offense as a whole has struggled too often when it counts. And that’s saying nothing of Raheem Morris’ defense, which got torched on the back end while up against the Vikings’ pass catchers. Even standout veterans like Jessie Bates looked lost in coverage. Barring a drastic turnaround, this group appears headed for a second-place finish in an ugly division.
What’s next
The Vikings (11-2) will stay at home to host a Monday night matchup with the rival Chicago Bears in Week 15. The Falcons (6-7) will look to avoid a fifth straight defeat when they travel to play the Las Vegas Raiders, who fell to the Buccaneers on Sunday.
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