Atlanta Falcons vs. Minnesota Vikings: Complete Week 4 Preview for Minnesota
Boy have things changed in the two-plus weeks since the Minnesota Vikings whipped the St. Louis Rams in the season opener.
Coming off that convincing 34-6 win, everything was wine and roses in Vikings territory. The new coaching regime was the talk of the town and spirits were as high as could be after that win continued a streak that had begun with a perfect 4-0 preseason.
Sure, the optimism around the Twin Cities was still a bit measured. Everyone knew the Rams were terrible and that the Vikings were facing the most difficult part of their schedule in the coming weeks.
Then, like a boxer who never sees the punch coming, the Vikings franchise was floored.
Adrian Peterson was indicted on child-abuse charges. The team deactivated him, activated him and then put him on the exempt list in a series of events and press conferences that you never would have believed unless you'd seen it all with your own eyes.
Surreal to say the least.
Since then, the Vikings have scored one touchdown in losing their next two games, and lost their starting quarterback, tight end, right guard and best linebacker to injury.
Deep breath.
Things don't get much easier from here either as the Vikings face gunslingers in Matt Ryan, Aaron Rodgers and Matthew Stafford over the next three weeks.
And yet, there's still a sense of unmitigated anticipation surrounding the Vikings.
The Teddy Bridgewater era is upon us.
It's probably sooner than the Vikings' coaches or brass wanted it to happen, but Matt Cassel's broken foot leaves them no choice. Bridgewater will be the Vikings starting quarterback for the foreseeable future.
Bridgewater enters the fray with Minnesota struggling to run the ball and now without their starting tight end, Kyle Rudolph, who will miss at least six weeks, according to Jon Krawczynski of the Associated Press.
"Kyle Rudolph having surgery tomorrow. Wanted to get it done as soon as possible to start rehab. Hope is to get him back for last 8 gms
— Jon Krawczynski (@APkrawczynski) September 23, 2014"
That was the bad news on the injury front on Tuesday. On Wednesday it kept getting worse.
"""Matt Cassel and Brandon Fusco are done for the season. Here is the story with stats and more: http://t.co/kfo6qiezMv
— VikingUpdate.com (@VikingUpdate) September 24, 2014"
Bridgewater has shown nothing but calm and poise in his time with the Vikings, so the moment won't be too big for him. He'll make his first start against an Atlanta Falcons defense that is susceptible, ranking 27th in the league through three weeks.
Minnesota's defense, which has played well in losses to both New England and New Orleans, gets no rest as the Falcons offense ranks first in the NFL and has scored a league-high 103 points through three games.
Considering the events of the last three weeks, the expectation level for the Vikings has taken a nose dive, and that might not be a bad thing.
The Teddy Bridgewater era begins in earnest Week 4 against the Falcons.
Vikings Week 3 Recap
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On the last play of the third quarter last Sunday in New Orleans, Drew Brees faced 3rd-and-13 from his own 32-yard line. The Vikings trailed just 13-9 at the time and, with momentum in their favor, were probably going to get the ball back with pretty good field position if they were to stop the Saints from converting.
With that in mind, the Vikings sent a jailbreak blitz at Brees with both Captain Munnerlyn and Robert Blanton reaching the veteran QB at about the same time, nine yards behind the line of scrimmage.
Munnerlyn wrapped his arms around Brees, all but killing the play, but not hearing a whistle, he pulled Brees backward and slammed him to the turf. The referees flagged Munnerlyn, but not Brees, who got up angrily and shoved Blanton in the back.
Instead of 4th-and-22 from their own 23-yard line, the Saints now had a first down at their own 47.
New Orleans scored a backbreaking touchdown seven plays later.
Football games obviously aren't won or lost on one play, but anyone watching the Vikings 20-9 loss to the Saints pretty much knew the game was over after that play.
It was a rough outing for Minnesota on the heels of one of the roughest weeks in franchise history. Playing without star running back Adrian Peterson, who's on the exempt list for the foreseeable future, the Vikings had the tall task of trying to be the first team to beat the Saints in New Orleans under Sean Payton in 18 games.
It wasn't to be.
The Saints began the game hitting on all cylinders, scoring touchdowns on their first two possessions, and it looked like it was going to be a blowout.
The Vikings settled down, though, and the defense began to rattle Brees and keep the Saints' high-powered offense in check.
Unfortunately for Minnesota, their own offense sputtered for most of the day, under both starting quarterback Matt Cassel, and rookie Teddy Bridgewater, who took over for the injured Cassel in the second quarter.
The Minnesota running game was awful without Peterson, gaining just 27 yards on 15 attempts.
While Bridgewater played quite well in his debut, completing 12 of 20 for 150 yards, Minnesota's offense continued to stall in the red zone and could only convert three field goals on the day.
Sunday's game took a pretty significant toll on the Vikings injury-wise as well, as they lost Cassel, Kyle Rudolph, Brandon Fusco and Chad Greenway—all starters—during the game.
The Vikings fell to 1-2 on the year but now return home with Bridgewater at the helm. It might be a bit earlier than Minnesota had hoped for, but the future is now for the Vikings.
News and Notes
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The Rookie Grabs the Reins
From the moment the Vikings traded second- and fourth-round picks to the Seattle Seahawks to move back into the first round and draft quarterback Teddy Bridgewater, this moment has been coming.
It's just here a little earlier than anybody thought it would be.
Alas, Matt Cassel was placed on the injured reserve list on Wednesday, ending his season.
We'll never know how long the Vikings would have waited to give Bridgewater a shot to start, but that's a moot point now, as he'll be the starter for the rest of the season.
Adam Himmelsbach, who covered Bridgewater while he played at Louisville, writes in the Courier Journal that Bridgewater might be exactly what the Vikings, and the NFL, need at this point in time.
"Cassel broke bones in his foot and will be sidelined indefinitely. So this feels like the dawn of the Bridgewater era — not just as the quarterback, but as the face of this franchise in turmoil. Peterson is one of the best running backs of all-time, but there is a very real possibility he won't play another game for the Vikings this season, or ever again.
Maybe the city now turns its lonely eyes to Teddy.
And if you're listening, Minnesota, Teddy Bridgewater is exactly what your team and your city need right now. He is the perfect antidote to an image problem. He will make a difference with his arm and his ability to disarm. When he talks about how fortunate he is to be there, he will truly mean it.
"
There's no doubt that Bridgewater brings a boost of energy to the Vikings' offense. No offense to Cassel, but it's hard to be fully invested in a guy that everyone knows is just a fill-in while the quarterback-to-be gets ready.
Watching Cassel play has been akin to watching the understudy perform while the star does warmup exercises back stage.
No more. The curtain has come up on the Teddy Bridgewater era in Minnesota.
Help Wanted: A Running Back Who Can Get More Than Two Yards
That headline might sound like a bit of an exaggeration. It's not.
In the two games the Vikings have played since Adrian Peterson was put on the "you're grounded" list, Minnesota has run 31 rushing plays and gained 65 yards.
That's a whopping 2.09 yards per pop.
Cordarrelle Patterson has lost seven yards since the first game of the season and he still leads the team in rushing.
Matt Asiata has done a majority of the running in those two games, rushing for 71 yards on 25 carries. He has very little burst and won't make many people miss. Asiata has value as a football player, he's just not lead running back material.
Behind Asiata the Vikings have rookie third-round pick Jerick McKinnon and Joe Banyard.
Minnesota loved McKinnon's blend of speed and power at the combine; he ran a 4.41 40-yard dash and did 32 reps in the bench press. He wasn't given a ton of carries in the preseason, but he flashed some ability on a few plays. He's surprisingly been given only four carries in Peterson's absence, and has only rushed for six yards.
Banyard was called up from the practice squad after week one. He made the team after a sensational final preseason game where he rushed for 111 yards in the first half.
On Wednesday, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, the Vikings tried out Dion Lewis, who rushed for 171 yards in two years with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2011-2012. Lewis has more wiggle than anyone the Vikings have, but he's small and doesn't have breakaway speed.
At any rate, the Vikings have to find a way to get the semblance of a running game going, especially now with a rookie starting at quarterback.
Asiata now has enough of a sample size that the Vikings know what they have with him. It's time to find out if either McKinnon or Banyard can be a back that at least threatens a defense and doesn't allow them to pin their ears back and go after Bridgewater.
Minnesota shouldn't be afraid to utilize Cordarrelle Patterson more out of the backfield either. He's the best runner on the team and getting him moving with the ball in his hands can scare any defense to death.
The Vikings have only run two slow-developing reverses over the last two games, one to Patterson and one to Jarius Wright. They've gone for a combined minus-12 yards. Reverses are always hit-or-miss in the NFL, but that doesn't mean you can't find other ways to get the ball to Patterson.
Vikings' Secondary Has To Have a Big Day
Without question the strength of the Atlanta Falcons is their passing game. Quarterback Matt Ryan is second in the NFL with 965 passing yards and fourth-year man Julio Jones has turned himself into one of the best receivers in the NFL.
"NFL WR Leaders (Yards) 1 Julio Jones 365 2 Jordy Nelson 351 3 Emmanuel Sanders 334 4 Calvin Johnson 329 5 J Maclin/A Brown 296
— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) September 24, 2014"
The Falcons are 2-1 on the year and the secret to beating them is pretty simple; slow down their passing attack.
In their victories over the Saints and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the opposing defenses were able to defend just two passes each. The Cincinnati Bengals thumped the Falcons, and they did it by defending 12 passes and intercepting three.
While the Vikings defense did a pretty good job in defending both Tom Brady and Drew Brees in losses, they were unable to generate any turnovers and defended only five passes combined in the two games. Both the Vikings interceptions on the season came in the win over the St. Louis Rams.
The Falcons will put the ball in the air a lot on Sunday afternoon, so it's incumbent on the Vikings' secondary to make some plays.
Along with Jones, Atlanta boasts a deep threat in Devin Hester and has dangerous receivers in both Roddy White and Harry Douglas. NFL.com's Jeff Darlington wrote an excellent profile on the bond between Jones and White this week.
While it's obviously important for your secondary to play well every week, a matchup with the Falcons makes it mandatory. Harrison Smith, Robert Blanton, Xavier Rhodes, Captain Munnerlyn and whoever else is on the field for the Vikings in pass defense, has to be on their toes and ready to make plays on the football once it's in the air on Sunday.
Injury Report
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| Player | Position | Injury Status |
| Chad Greenway | LB | Questionable |
| Kyle Rudolph | TE | Out |
| Josh Robinson | CB | Questionable |
| Linval Joseph | DT | Probable |
| Harrison Smith | S | Probable |
| Brandon Watts | LB | Questionable |
| Michael Mauti | LB | Probable |
| Rodney Smith | WR | Probable |
All injury reports courtesy of Mike Wobschall at Vikings.com
Of course the big injury news for the Vikings this week was the bad news that both quarterback Matt Cassel and guard Brandon Fusco were placed on Injured Reserve and will miss the rest of the season, according to Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press.
Cassel broke his foot against the Saints and Fusco tore a pectoral muscle.
Linebacker Chad Greenway is nursing a broken rib as well as a broken bone in his hand. Zimmer stated this week that he probably shouldn't have played Greenway against the Saints, according to Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press. He also notes that Greenway will try to find a way to play this coming Sunday.
Cornerback Josh Robinson is battling the same hamstring injury that kept him out for much of training camp. He practiced on Thursday, but was limited.
Defensive tackle Linval Joseph also practiced Thursday in a limited fashion as he tries to fully heal the shoulder he had offseason surgery on.
Safety Harrison Smith returned to practice on Thursday as a full participant after being limited on Wednesday. Smith is battling a balky knee, but will be good to go on Sunday.
Rookie linebacker Brandon Watts is still trying to fully heel his knee injury and has only practiced as a limited participant. He probably won't be active again on Sunday.
Both Michael Mauti and Rodney Smith were full participants in practice this week and will be available on Sunday.
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X-Factors and Matchups to Watch
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Xavier Rhodes vs. Julio Jones
The 6'3", 220 pound Jones is quite simply one of the best players in the NFL.
The sixth-overall pick in the 2011 draft, Jones has gotten better each year in the league and it was no surprise that the Falcons collapse last year came after Jones was lost for the season with foot injury after just five games.
Jones has returned in 2014 with a vengeance and leads the league with 365 receiving yards on 23 receptions.
Jones has a unique combination of size, speed and strength. In other words, he's exactly the kind of receiver the Vikings had in mind when they drafted Xavier Rhodes in 2013.
At 6'1", 215 pounds, with long arms and a physical style of play, Rhodes was thought to be an ideal corner for the Vikings, who are in a division with so many good quarterbacks and receivers.
After progressing nicely in his rookie season, Rhodes is off to a disappointing start in 2014. He's still looking for his first career interception (Bears rookie corner Kyle Fuller already has three picks in three games), and he has zero passes defended on the season.
Rhodes had fits trying to stay with Julian Edelman in the New England game, but might be better suited to take on Jones. And while Jones is nearly impossible to stop one-on-one, Rhodes can be physical with him off the line of scrimmage and he'll get help from Harrison Smith and Robert Blanton on the back end.
As we said earlier, their will be plenty of passes in the air in Sunday's game. It's high time Rhodes went up and got one of them.
Rhett Ellison vs. Paul Warrilow and Juplo Bartu
Paul Warrilow and Juplo Bartu are linebackers who rank first and second on the Falcons in tackles and if you're wondering who the heck they are, you're not alone. The Falcons signed both of them as undrafted free agents in 2013, out of football powers Delaware and Texas State respectively.
Worrilow is tied for the NFL lead with 35 tackles, after leading Atlanta in tackles last year as a rookie, with 127. Bartu was third on the team in tackles last year with 85 and the pair are the perfect testament to "if you're good enough, they'll find a spot for you in the NFL."
Pressed into duty early on last year when the Falcons were ravaged with injuries, both shined all season long and are now poster children for the NFL undrafted free agent.
Like his linebacker foes, Ellison is a guy who didn't garner a ton of attention as a college football player, but has the heart and work ethic to be an excellent football player.
According to Ben Goessling of ESPN.com, Ellison didn't think he'd be drafted either before the Vikings used a fourth-round pick on him last year.
Kyle Rudolph's injury now gives Ellison a chance to work as the Vikings top tight end, and don't be surprised if he doesn't flourish with Teddy Bridgewater throwing him the ball.
Ellison is one of the best blockers on the Vikings roster and he's proved to be more than capable as a receiver.
Look for Ellison to collide with both Warrilow and Bartu on multiple occasions as Minnesota tries to get its stagnant running game back on track.
Cordarrelle Patterson vs. Robert Alford and Desmond Trufant
While the Falcons are off to a bright and shiny 2-1 start, their defense leaves much to be desired. They rank 27th overall in the NFL and 25th against the pass.
Those rankings would be even worse had the Falcons not completely shut down the hapless Buccaneers last Thursday night.
The Falcons doubled-down on cornerbacks in last year's draft, taking Desmond Trufant in the first round and then Robert Alford in the second round.
While Trufant had an excellent rookie season, picking off two passes and defending 17, Alford wasn't too far behind, also grabbing a pair of picks and defending eight passes.
Both are shorter, speed guys, who will be able to keep up with Patterson, but Cordarrelle should have a size and athletic advantage over both.
While Patterson has been good so far in 2014, it still seems like the Vikings need to utilize his talents more. With Kyle Rudolph out for six weeks, the Vikings receivers need to pick up the slack.
One of the many positives Bridgewater showed in the preseason is that he isn't afraid to take shots downfield. The Falcons have already given up six passing plays of over 30 yards in three games.
Sunday's game feels like the beginning of a new chapter in Vikings football. Teddy Bridgewater is the new starting quarterback. It's time for Cordarrelle Patterson to assume the role of lead receiver. It's a combination that Vikings fans should look forward to watching for years to come.
Vikings X-Factor of the Week: Harrison Smith
"Harrison Smith, again, is having a big day.
— Ben Goessling (@GoesslingESPN) September 21, 2014"
"It's a game because Zimmer found ways to pressure Brees, and Harrison Smith is making big plays all over the field.
— Jim Souhan (@SouhanStrib) September 21, 2014"
"Defensive MVP thus far has to be Harrison Smith. The guy plays with heart and was a step away from a pick 6 today
— PeteBercich (@PeteBercich) September 21, 2014"
In just his third season in the league, safety Harrison Smith is already the heart and soul of the Vikings defense and its best player.
Smith brings a swagger that the Vikings secondary desperately lacked before his arrival in 2012. Since his first game, Smith has been among Minnesota's leading tacklers and best pass defenders.
Smith is exactly what you want in a safety; he's smart, tough, and plays with an aggression that tends to rub off on his teammates.
He's tough against the run, can be very effective on the blitz and is a good center fielder against the pass.
Smith had an 80-yard interception return for a touchdown in the season-opening win over the St. Louis Rams, already the third pick-six of his career.
The Vikings will need Smith to be at his best against the pass-happy Falcons. Atlanta ranks first in total offense in the NFL and has a group of receivers as good as any in the league. While Smith loves to crash the run, he might be better served devoting his attention to pass defense this week.
What makes the Falcons receiving corps so good as they can all run after the catch. Both Julio Jones and Roddy White are fast and strong and Devin Hester is one of the best runners in the league. They are going to get their share of catches against the Vikings, but it's up to Smith and company to make sure they don't rack up yards after the catch.
If the Vikings hope to get their first home win of the year on Sunday, they'll need Smith to have a big game.
Prediction
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The Vikings will have at least three new starters on field Sunday afternoon when they take on the Falcons.
Most notably, it will be the starting debut for rookie quarterback Teddy Bridgewater, who replaces Matt Cassel, who's done for the year with a broken foot.
Vladimir Ducasse takes over at right guard for Brandon Fusco. Ducasse has big shoes to fill as Fusco was playing the best of any Vikings offensive linemen, as noted in this tweet by Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press:
"For the season, Brandon Fusco has a +2.0 rating by PFF. Next best offensive linemen is John Sullivan at +0.6 All other linemen -1.7 or worse
— Chris Tomasson (@christomasson) September 24, 2014"
Rhett Ellison takes over for Kyle Rudolph as the starting tight end. It remains to be seen if Minnesota employs Ellison in the passing game as much as Rudolph, or if they use Chase Ford more as a receiver.
The key to the Vikings beating the Falcons will be the defense. It's a unit that has played pretty well in losses to both New England and New Orleans. Atlanta will probably throw the ball more than any team Minnesota has played, so they'll need a big game from their secondary.
It's impossible to completely shut down Julio Jones, but the Vikings have to limit how much damage Jones can do. With Xavier Rhodes, Captain Munnerlyn and Harrison Smith, the Vikings will be physical with Jones and the hope is that they can keep him out of the end zone.
Chad Greenway is questionable to play, and if he is forced to sit out with his multiple injuries, the Vikings should be okay, as Gerald Hodges has been very good so far this season. Hodges gives them more speed than Greenway and he and Anthony Barr could be key in limiting the success of Jacquizz Rodgers out of the backfield.
A new era in Vikings football begins on offense and the thought is that they'll be just fine with Bridgewater running the show. He's looked calm and relaxed every time he's played so far and there's no reason to think that will change on Sunday.
As USA Today's Tom Pelissero notes, success has been hard to find for first-round quarterbacks who take over during their rookie seasons:
"11 first-round QBs have taken over as starters DURING rookie season since '04. Just two led teams to winning records. http://t.co/3Kca2K8VRj
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) September 25, 2014"
Bridgewater has the look of success about him though, and as Ben Goessling of ESPN.com writes, the Vikings have the utmost confidence in Bridgewater taking over, summed up by Mike Zimmer saying the following:
"He’s ready. He’s been ready. Honestly I think he’s been ready since the day he walked in. I’m good [with him playing].
"
Look for Bridgewater to have a big day passing, throwing for at least two touchdowns and leading the Vikings to an upset victory in his starting debut.
Vikings 27 Falcons 23
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