Atlanta Falcons vs. Minnesota Vikings: Full Report Card Grades for Minnesota
With apologies to Matt Cassel, he was always just the warm-up band.
Nobody knew how long he was going to play, people weren't fully invested in him and everybody just wanted the main act to take the stage.
Teddy Bridgewater not only took the stage on Sunday, but he wowed the crowd from the get-go and led the Minnesota Vikings to a rousing 41-28 victory over the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday afternoon at TCF Bank Stadium in Minneapolis.
The Vikings offense exploded for 558 yards in Bridgewater's debut, and fellow rookie Jerick McKinnon joined in the heroics by rushing for 138 yards on 18 carries. Plow horse Matt Asiata rushed for three short touchdowns, and Jarius Wright led a solid receiving corps with 132 yards receiving.
Minnesota got stellar performances from plenty of players, but the day clearly belonged to Bridgewater, whose poise and confidence seemed to rub off on his teammates.
After dominating play all afternoon the Vikings found themselves trailing 28-27 after three quarters but never wavered in the fourth quarter when they took the game firmly in their hands.
Bridgewater sprained his ankle during the Vikings' go-ahead scoring drive and was carted off for an X-ray. He returned to the field but not the game as he watched from the sidelines as Minnesota iced the win.
He was cheered loudly as he left the stage, and the cheering will last all the way until Thursday night when the Vikings take on the Green Bay Packers.
Vikings fans are ready for an encore.
Quarterback
1 of 10
It's with great joy that we're withholding the plus from Teddy Bridgewater's first "A" game.
The kid didn't even throw a touchdown pass, so we'll save the highest grade for another day. We say that we do that with great joy because after Sunday's performance we're quite confident that Bridgewater is going to have more than his share of A+ games in the NFL.
The young man is a stud quarterback.
We'll get to the numbers in a second, but they're totally secondary when evaluating his first starting performance. The poise. The calm. The confident body language that just oozes "I got this guys, don't even worry about it."
It takes most quarterbacks a couple years to figure it out, and most of them never do. Bridgewater plays like he had it figured out a long time ago.
No touchdown passes? Who cares? The Vikings scored 41 points.
Bridgewater finished the day 19-of-30 for 317 yards and a 98.9 quarterback rating. He played with a 10-year veteran's football IQ, he ran when the yards availed themselves to him, he threw it away when it was prudent and he made plays all afternoon.
Late in the second quarter, with the score tied at 14, Bridgewater rolled out, saw daylight and took advantage of it, running 13 yards for a crucial touchdown.
When Bridgewater returned to the field after getting an X-ray on his ankle in the fourth quarter, he couldn't wipe the huge grin from his face. Neither could a whole lot of Vikings fans.
Grade: A
Running Back
2 of 10
It was hard not to wonder why rookie Jerick McKinnon hadn't been given more of an opportunity to carry the ball in the two games since Adrian Peterson had been deactivated.
After Sunday's game it's even harder not to wonder.
Matt Asiata is what he is: a workhorse back who can get you some tough yards, block and catch a few passes out of the backfield. But he's not a No. 1 running back in the NFL.
McKinnon literally took his opportunity and ran with it on Sunday, rushing for 135 yards on 18 carries and catching a pass for 17 more yards. McKinnon showed nice vision and burst, especially on his first carry of the day, where he bolted for 55 yards and made several tacklers miss along the way.
One of the raps on McKinnon coming out of college is that he didn't have a ton of experience as a running back, but he clearly knows what to do with the ball in his hands.
Asiata had a great game as well; any time you score three touchdowns, it's a great day. He finished with 78 yards on 20 carries and ran hard all day. He caught three passes out of the backfield for 22 yards.
This was by far the best day of the season for the Vikings running backs.
Grade: A
Wide Receiver and Tight End
3 of 10
If we're all honest, there have been a lot of people grumbling, "What the heck happened to Jarius Wright?" over the first three weeks of the season.
No more.
Wright reasserted himself into the Vikings offense in a big way against the Falcons, being Bridgewater's go-to target all day, catching eight passes for a 132 yards.
Wright kick-started the Vikings offense on the first possession when he took a quick-hitter from Bridgewater and scampered for 52 yards on Minnesota's third play from scrimmage.
Wright was targeted 10 times, six more than any other Viking, and he kept coming up with big receptions when his team needed them, with six of his eight grabs going for first downs. Wright's big day could have been even better, as Bridgewater missed him on a deep throw where Wright had broken free down the left sideline.
Six other Vikings caught passes, with Greg Jennings leading the way with 72 yards on three catches. Bridgewater did a nice job spreading the ball around with Jennings, Cordarrelle Patterson, Asiata and Chase Ford all being targeted four times.
You might not have believed that Bridgewater could throw for 317 yards with Jennings and Patterson only getting 110 between them, but he did.
Wright needed a breakout day to prove that he's worthy of being a No. 3 receiver. The Vikings released Jerome Simpson two weeks ago, and Wright's absence from the offense had been puzzling.
Wright's big game is important down the line, as he's now another player defenses have to account and game-plan for, which should open things up for Jennings and Patterson.
It was also very nice to see big plays from both Rhett Ellison and Chase Ford, who showed that the loss of Kyle Rudolph won't be debilitating.
Grade: B
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Offensive Line
4 of 10
Sometimes an offensive line needs a boost of confidence.
That can come from a great game, which the Vikings' offensive line certainly had on Sunday, but it can also come when linemen know that when they do their jobs, the guys behind them are going to do theirs.
Success builds confidence, and the Vikings offense certainly had success on Sunday.
Teddy Bridgewater wasn't sacked. The truth is, Matt Cassel probably would have been sacked two or three times under the same conditions, but Bridgewater is certainly more nimble of foot than Cassel and was able to shake himself free from pressure when he had to.
Offensive linemen love that.
You make me look good, and I'm going to do everything I can to make you look good.
For the most part Bridgewater had time to throw, and the backs had plenty of room to run. Early in the second quarter, Bridgewater stayed alive in the pocket and drifted to his left. Matt Kalil had made a nice block on his defender and held his block for a beat. As Bridgewater took off to run, Kalil made another nice block to seal off the inside and give him a lane.
The Vikings had 558 yards of offense, and their quarterback didn't get sacked. This is an easy A.
Grade: A
Defensive Line
5 of 10
Nothing comes easy for a defense when it's playing against an offense as good as the Atlanta Falcons.
Blessed with an excellent quarterback and a bevy of skill-position players who can burn you, the Falcons entered the game with the top-ranked offense in the league.
The Vikings obviously didn't shut them down, but they held them to 411 yards and shut them out in the fourth quarter when this game was going to be won or lost.
The defensive line didn't get quite as much pressure on Matt Ryan as it would have liked, especially as the injuries piled up for Atlanta's offensive line.
But what it did do for the most part was prevent Atlanta from gouging it for any huge plays. Yes, Antone Smith's 48-yard touchdown run at the end of the third quarter was a head-scratcher, but it was the last big play the defense would give up.
Linval Joseph and Sharrif Floyd were again strong and active in the middle, combining for seven tackles. Everson Griffen and Brian Robison chipped in with five tackles from the outside, and while none of them got any sacks, they pressured Ryan enough to keep him relatively in check.
The Vikings' defensive line has put four pretty good games together in a row. None of its numbers is eye-popping, but the results have been good. The Vikings have just finished a stretch of three games against some of the best offenses in the league, and they haven't been embarrassed by any of them.
Grade: B
Linebacker
6 of 10
Anthony Barr might have only had the third-best day among Vikings rookies, but he was spectacular nonetheless.
It's the fourth quarter, and the Vikings have just retaken the lead. The Falcons have been absolutely killing the Vikings on third down. It's 3rd-and-12 and arguably the most important play of the day for the Minnesota defense.
Anthony Barr roars, throwing the Falcons' line after taking the time to find a lane. No one that big should be moving that fast. Ryan, who's very good at holding on to the ball until he absolutely has to get rid of it, can't believe that Barr can close on him that quickly.
He can.
Barr throws Ryan for a 10-yard loss, and the Falcons have to punt it away. They don't score for the rest of the afternoon.
There was another play earlier in the game that was just as eye-opening. Oddly, it was a completion to Julio Jones on a drag route. The shocking part is that Barr had underneath coverage and was flying across the field stride for stride with the Falcons' all-world receiver. Barr is 6'5", 255 pounds.
That, as they say, isn't even fair.
When this kid gets an understanding of everything that's going on around him, he's going to be unstoppable. He's doing OK as it is.
Barr had six tackles and a sack with another quarterback hit to lead the linebackers. Gerald Hodges was very good again, making three tackles and getting a quarterback hit.
Jasper Brinkley had three tackles and Audie Cole a pair.
The Vikings linebackers did a great job of limiting the Falcons running backs outside of the one huge run and were good against the pass as well. The Falcons caught 25 balls, but their receivers were always made to pay for everything they caught.
Again, the numbers aren't eye-popping, but Mike Zimmer's defense is getting better and better.
Grade: B
Secondary
7 of 10
Is Harrison Smith in the conversation for best safety in the league yet?
If not, he's damn close.
Smith had six tackles and once again was flying all over the field, helping to stuff the run and limiting the passing yards.
When the Vikings had surged ahead by 10 in the fourth quarter and the Falcons were going to unleash their air show, it was Smith, playing center field exactly how you're supposed to, who picked off a deep throw to Roddy White to seal the deal for the Vikings.
The best news of all for the Vikings secondary was that Xavier Rhodes had perhaps his best game as a pro. Rhodes was physical with Atlanta's receivers all day and defended four passes. He recorded five tackles on the day and had one for a loss.
Robert Blanton and Josh Robinson both had good games save for the Antone Smith touchdown run, where they both had awful plays. Robinson's speed was an asset all day as he was able to shadow any Falcons receiver who he was matched up with. He registered two passes defensed, but it felt like more, as he was active all day long in the secondary.
Blanton's seven tackles led the team, and the heavy-hitting done by him, Smith, Captain Munnerlyn and Rhodes had to wear down the Atlanta receivers.
Munnerlyn tied for second on the team with six tackles and was a physical presence all day.
The Vikings secondary held its own against one of the best receiving corps in the league.
Grade: B+
Special Teams
8 of 10
Vikings kicker Blair Walsh continues to be one of the most valuable special teams players in the NFL.
Along with going four of five on field-goal attempts, including nailing a 55-yard attempt that was among the biggest plays of the game, Walsh let Devin Hester get just three cracks at kick returns and continues to give the Vikings defense large fields to work with.
But back to the 55-yard field goal.
Up just seven points and after Walsh had missed earlier in the day from 49 yards, Zimmer showed the ultimate confidence in Walsh by letting him boot the 55-yard kick. If he missed, the Falcons would have had momentum and great field position down by just a touchdown.
Walsh didn't miss; he drilled it.
Walsh, as we said, missed one from 49 yards when it sailed right on him. His four other attempts were perfect, though, and the 55-yard make was arguably the most important play of the game.
Jeff Locke had just two punts on the afternoon, and while he whiffed on one of them, he blasted the other 62 yards to save his average on the day.
The Vikings coverage teams did a good job on Hester, who's torched them in the past, giving up just one big return.
Cordarrelle Patterson ripped off 49- and 36-yard returns when the Falcons were dumb enough to kick it to him.
Walsh's 55-yard field goal raises this an entire letter grade.
Grade: A-
Coaching
9 of 10
Play-by-play man Chris Myers had a groan-inducing moment when he referred to the Vikings defense as "global storming."
It's not a bad description of the defense Mike Zimmer has the Purple playing, however.
On the heels of two of the more tumultuous weeks in the franchise's history, Zimmer expertly got his team back on track and pulled off a convincing victory missing four starters on offense and the team's leading tackler for the last decade.
The Vikings took the field goal when they should have, and they went for it when they should have. Faced with two tough decisions on 4th-and-1, Zimmer aced both situations.
Playing against an offense with a dizzying array of talent, his defense buzzed around the field and hit hard all day long. The Falcons gained yards and put up points but not enough on either count, and they paid for every inch they gained.
Norv Turner did a masterful job of utilizing his offensive talent. The Falcons aren't very stout against the run, so Turner slammed Asiata up the gut for a quarter before unleashing McKinnon on a defense that was on its heals trying to control Bridgewater.
The Falcons have a great offense and a suspect defense. The Vikings did exactly what they had to do against each unit.
An expertly coached victory.
Grade: A
Overall Grade
10 of 10
| Positional Unit | Grade |
| Quarterback | A |
| Running Back | A |
| WR and TE | B |
| Offensive Line | A |
| Defensive Line | B |
| Linebacker | B |
| Secondary | B+ |
| Special Teams | A |
| Coaching | A |
Overall Grade: A-
There is an unmistakable glint in the eyes of Teddy Bridgewater.
His youthful face and smile hide the fact that he plays like a 10-year veteran who's been destroying defenses for years.
He took over the Louisville Cardinals in the fourth game of his freshman year and became the stuff of legend.
He took over the Minnesota Vikings in the fourth game of his rookie season, and his story is still to be written, but the first chapter was a tremendous success.
The Vikings, who've taken more gut-punches over the last two weeks than any team can be expected to, rose to the occasion, taking a cue from their new leader and knocking off the favored Atlanta Falcons by a convincing 41-28 margin.
The offense racked up 558 yards of total offense, and the defense did its job, limiting the high-powered Atlanta offense to "only" 411 yards.
The Vikings had an excellent game plan, and the players executed about as well as anyone could hope for.
The game will go in the books as the coming-out party for Bridgewater, the fresh-faced quarterback with the glint in his eye.
It's the same glint you'll see in any Vikings fan's eye during the coming week.
Bring on the Green Bay Packers Thursday night.
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