While both the Minnesota Vikings (7-3) and Atlanta Falcons (6-4) lost close games in Week 11, these two teams are following a different path recently. The Vikings loss to the Green Bay Packers comes after they reeled off five straight wins. Simply put, for the Vikings, the Week 12 matchup with the Falcons is about bouncing back from a tough loss.
As for the Falcons, they started the year out 5-0. They have then lost not only four of their last five, but three in a row as well. Atlanta has struggled in many areas that they excelled in early on in the year, so it's obvious that this team needs to find a way to get back to the basics to break the tough stretch.
There are plenty of headlines to watch in this one, but it will start with a star running back and star receiver looking to step up for their respective teams. We have Adrian Peterson, who is leading the NFL in rushing currently with 1,006 yards for the Vikings, while the Falcons have Julio Jones, who leads the NFL in receiving with 1,189 yards. Another interesting storyline will be the health of Atlanta's Devonta Freeman, who suffered a concussion in Week 11. Freeman has 1,184 total rushing and receiving yards, and has scored 11 touchdowns on the year. If he plays, he could cause major headaches for Minnesota's defense.
Here are three keys to the game for both the Vikings and the Falcons.
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1. Don't allow a 100-yard rusher
The Vikings are 0-3 when they allow a 100-yard rusher. San Francisco's Carlos Hyde ripped off 168 rushing yards in Week 1, Denver's Ronnie Hillman had 103 in Week 4 and Green Bay's Eddie Lacy rushed for exactly 100 yards last Sunday. Falcons running back Devonta Freeman averages 76.4 yards per game, but he has topped the 100-yard mark four times this season. The best way to do this? Stack the box with eight or nine defenders and roll the safeties down frequently.
2. Keep playing roulette with Adrian Peterson
Putting the ball in Adrian Peterson's hands more than 20 times is like a game of roulette. Most of his runs will go for decent gains. There might be one or two that he breaks for a long gain, possibly a touchdown. However, somewhere in the mix, there will also be a fumble. Peterson has lost his handle six times this season, including once in the fourth quarter of last week's loss to the Green Bay Packers.
3. Make quicker decisions at quarterback
Teddy Bridgewater was sacked six times last week, as he found himself under pressure almost every time he dropped back to pass. Some of this had to do with Minnesota's pass protection, but a lot of the pain was self-inflicted. Bridgewater held onto the ball too long and tried to make too many plays with his feet. He needs to trust his arm more against the Falcons on Sunday.
1. Getting the run game going will be crucial
The Vikings have been stellar against the run this year. They've allowed 929 yards to opposing running backs, but most importantly have allowed just four touchdowns. In Week 11, it really took Eddie Lacy getting rolling for the Green Bay Packers and hitting 100 yards for their offense to get rolling. It's obvious that if you can find the seams and get the run game going against Minnesota, it's going to make life a whole lot easier. Whether it be Freeman or rookie Tevin Coleman, the ground game is going to be a talking point pretty much from the word go in Week 12.
2. Utilize Jacob Tamme
Beating the strong defense of the Vikings won't be an easy task, but one weakness they seem to have is guarding opposing tight ends. On the year, Minnesota has allowed 51 receptions for 546 yards and four scores to the position. This could mean a big game for Jacob Tamme, who has been hit-or-miss a bit this season. After catching 16 passes for 164 yards and a touchdown in the two weeks before Atlanta's bye, Tamme caught just one ball for 16 yards against the Colts.
3. Key in on Peterson in both the run game and pass game
The struggles for the Atlanta defense against opposing running backs are well documented. Not only has this team allowed 10 rushing touchdowns this year, but they've also allowed running backs to catch a whopping 75 passes for 601 yards and three touchdowns as well. While Peterson has caught just 21 balls for 154 yards this year, the Vikings should have no issue game planning to get the ball into Peterson's hands in whatever way possible.
