The Minnesota Vikings have a game tomorrow, folks, and that means it’s time to exchange some information with the folks from one of our fellow SB Nation sites to get a little bit of intel on this week’s opponent.
On Sunday Night Football, the purple will return to U.S. Bank Stadium to host the Atlanta Falcons, who come into this one 0-1. Our own Dave Stefano did the honors for us this week, exchanging questions with Savion Mixson from over at The Falcoholic for this week’s game. You can see Dave’s answers to the questions that he was given over at their house, and below are the questions that Dave provided for Savion to answer.
1) How Will Michael Penix Jr. Handle Brian Flores’ Aggressive Defense?
Michael Penix Jr. passed his first test against Todd Bowles, but Brian Flores is another beast entirely. Flores is going to heat him up, no question. The thing is, Penix looked more than ready for it in Week 1. According to Next Gen Stats, he went 9-of-13 for 128 yards and a touchdown when blitzed, and he led the league in EPA under pressure by a mile. That’s not beginner’s luck, that’s poise. If he can stay calm in the chaos again, Atlanta’s offense has a real shot to move the ball.
2) Can the Falcons’ Weak Rushing Attack Exploit the Vikings’ Linebacker Injuries?
This feels like weakness versus weakness with Minnesota’s linebacker injuries against Atlanta’s non-existent ground attack. The Falcons scraped together just 69 rushing yards against Tampa Bay, with Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier both bottled up at 24 apiece. The offensive line couldn’t get a push, and I don’t think injuries to Blake Cashman and Andrew Van Ginkel suddenly make this a get-right game. Unless Zac Robinson dials up some creativity, it’s hard to see the run game breaking out.
3) What Threat Do Drake London and Kyle Pitts Pose to the Vikings’ Secondary?
Where the Falcons can do damage is through the air. Drake London is back after a shoulder scare, Kyle Pitts looked more like the guy Atlanta thought they were drafting, and now Darnell Mooney makes his season debut. That’s three very different problems for Minnesota’s secondary: a jump-ball specialist, a mismatch tight end, and a vertical burner. If Penix gets time, this passing game is going to test the Vikings.
4) The Falcons’ offensive line, with Jake Matthews and Chris Lindstrom, held up against Tampa Bay—how do they stack up against Minnesota’s front seven, even with injuries?
Losing Kaleb McGary hurt last week, and Elijah Wilkinson had his hands full with Haason Reddick. Now the line gets another dose of exotic blitzes and stunts from Flores, with a first-year quarterback, a third-string right tackle, and a brand-new center. They held up well enough against Tampa, but back-to-back weeks against aggressive defenses? That’s a tough ask.
5) Can the Falcons’ Revamped Defense Challenge J.J. McCarthy?
Defensively, I think Atlanta can make life hard for J.J. McCarthy. This isn’t a knock on him, I really like what he and Kevin O’Connell can be long-term. But in Week 1, Baker Mayfield was pressured the fourth-most of any quarterback, and outside of two perfect deep shots, Tampa’s offense was stuck in mud. The Bucs finished with the fifth-worst dropback success rate in the league, per http://rbsdm.com. If the Falcons can limit explosives, easier said than done with Justin Jefferson on the field, this defense can frustrate McCarthy in just his second start.
Thanks to Savion for answering our questions about the Falcons this week, and thanks to Dave for stepping up and handling our Five Good Questions!
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