Biggest Takeaways from Minnesota Vikings' Week 12 Win

The Minnesota Vikings regained control of the NFC North with a 20-10 win over the Atlanta Falcons in Week 12. 

Now 8-3, the Vikings hold a one-game lead over the 7-4 Green Bay Packers with five games left to play. Minnesota's eighth win in 2015 was powered by Adrian Peterson, who rushed for 158 yards and two touchdowns, and another dominant effort from Mike Zimmer's defense.  

The Vikings will go for win No. 9 next Sunday when Minnesota hosts the 6-5 Seattle Seahawks. 

First things first. In the following slides, we'll look at the biggest takeaways from Sunday's win in Atlanta. 

Vikings Get Well-Timed Takeaways

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The timing of turnovers can often be just as important as the value of simply taking the football away from the opposition. The Vikings produced three turnovers against the Falcons, and all three eliminated clear scoring opportunities for Atlanta. 

On the first, Vikings linebacker Anthony Barr hustled down the field and poked the football away from running back Tevin Coleman at the end of a 46-yard run. The fumble occurred at the Minnesota 34-yard line, and the Vikings recovered at the 21. 

Two possessions later, cornerback Captain Munnerlyn picked off an errant Matt Ryan pass in the middle of the field. The pick was secured at the Vikings 27-yard line. 

The biggest takeaway came on Atlanta's first drive of the second half, when veteran Terence Newman intercepted Ryan in the end zone on a third-down play. The pick ended a 13-play, 66-yard drive that had advanced as far as the Minnesota 1-yard line. 

Barr nearly caused a fourth "official" takeaway in the fourth quarter when he strip-sacked Ryan on fourth down. The Falcons recovered, but the turnover on downs still gave the football to Minnesota with 4:34 left. 

At the very least, Minnesota's three turnovers took away nine points from the Falcons. The final fourth-down stop was followed up by Adrian Peterson's 35-yard touchdown to seal the game. That's a 16-point swing in a contest featuring only 30 combined points. 

Adrian Peterson Dominates the 4th Quarter

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The best running backs are uniquely capable of chipping away at the will of the opposition and wearing down a defense. And no back is better at doing both than Adrian Peterson. 

Over his first 10 games, Peterson gained a league-best 300 yards and averaged 8.1 yards per carry during the fourth quarter. He was at it again Sunday, gaining 73 yards on 10 attempts and scoring the dagger touchdown during the final 15 minutes of play. 

Peterson did most of the heavy lifting on a field-goal drive to start the fourth quarter, and he broke the game wide open when he got loose for a 35-yard touchdown with under five minutes left. His 73 yards in the fourth quarter were almost half of his final total (158). 

It has to be frustrating for defenses. Contain Peterson for 45 minutes and he can still do big damage to finish the game. His rare physicality and power take their toll over a full 60-minute game.  

Xavier Rhodes Answers the Call

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Vikings cornerback Xavier Rhodes accomplished what so few cover players have in 2015: He contained Julio Jones. 

Rhodes didn't win every battle against Jones, but he won far more than he lost. Jones finished with just five catches on seven targets for 56 yards, his second-lowest output of the season in terms of catches, targets and yards. 

Rhodes defended one pass and got his hand in on another attempt Jones somehow caught. The longest completion from Matt Ryan to Jones was just 19 yards. 

One of the game's most dominant pass-catchers, Jones had been held under 60 yards just once in 2015 before Sunday. Credit Rhodes—who hasn't had the kind of ascendant season many hoped—for bottling him up.  

Time to Start Thinking About the Postseason

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The Vikings are now 8-3 with five games to play. Head coach Mike Zimmer would never agree, and the NFL is undoubtedly a crazy, week-to-week league, but Minnesota is close to a lock postseason team in the NFC. Even with a 2-3 finish, the Vikings would end 2015 with 10 wins—which should be more than enough to get into the six-team conference field. 

So, if we can agree the Vikings are a playoff team, the final five weeks are left to decide where and when Minnesota will play in the postseason. 

If the season ended today, the Vikings would be the No. 3 seed, which would entail hosting the No. 6 seed at TCF Bank Stadium in the Wild Card Round. Interestingly, the current sixth seed is the Seattle Seahawks, who will travel to Minnesota to play the Vikings in Week 13. 

The Vikings also play the Arizona Cardinals (currently the No. 2 seed), the New York Giants (potential NFC East winner) and the Green Bay Packers (in a potential NFC North championship game) over the final five games. 

Minnesota is in really good shape for the postseason. Realistic goals for the Vikings should now be winning the division outright and securing a first-round bye. 

Vikings Keep Winning in Winter-Friendly Ways

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The Vikings won a game indoors in Atlanta, but the team's script for victory should play very well as winter sets in during December and January. 

Minnesota has built a winning blueprint with foundations in running the ball and playing great defense. Through 11 weeks, the Vikings are 6-0 when Adrian Peterson rushes for 100 yards and 7-0 when the opposition scores fewer than 20 points. These are attributes of a team capable of playing successful football outdoors in the elements. 

That's a big deal. Four of the Vikings' final five games will be played in winter conditions. The Seattle Seahawks, New York Giants and Chicago Bears will all travel to Minnesota to play at TCF Bank Stadium, and Week 17 brings the Vikings to Lambeau Field in Green Bay. The weather is harsh and unpredictable in Minnesota and Wisconsin this time of year. The Vikings play a brand of football that shouldn't be hindered by Jack Frost or Old Man Winter.