Crossroads at the Georgia Dome
Vikings, Falcons both in need of a victory today
ATLANTA — For both the Atlanta Falcons and the Minnesota Vikings, the message is the same. Remain calm. All is well. Atlanta (6-4) has lost three straight games — by a total of seven points — and four of its past five after a 5-0 start, endangering its hopes of making the playoffs for the first time since the 2012 season. Minnesota (7-3) is coming off one of its worst performances in a strong season, losing 30-13 at home to Green Bay.
Naturally, both teams faced plenty of questions this past week as they prepared to meet today at the Georgia Dome.
That was especially true for the Falcons, who once seemed like a postseason lock but now are just one game ahead of Tampa Bay and Seattle in the NFC wild-card race.
“There’s no panic,” Atlanta safety Ricardo Allen said. “We’ve got to finish. Yeah, you look at wins and losses. But just look at the scores. We lost the last three by seven. A panic would be you’re getting blown out of the water. We know we’re there, we’re right there.”
Minnesota cornerback Terence Newman said there’s no reason for concern with his team, either.
“I don’t know why people are acting like we lost 10 games in a row or something,” Newman moaned. “It’s one game, and we didn’t play the best that we could.”
Vikings coach Mike Zimmer said it’s important to not let things get worse, though. Minnesota still controls its fate in the NFC Central. The loss to the Packers was only a minor wound, one that can be quickly patched up with a victory over the Falcons.
“The biggest mistake that we can make is that we let that loss become more than one,” Zimmer said. “You get beat once, shame on us, but two of them, then it’s shame on me.”
Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan is taking a lot of heat for his team’s recent struggles, and in particular last week’s 24-21 loss to the Colts. Atlanta had a pair of two-touchdown leads, but Ryan threw a crucial interception out of his end zone that was returned for a tying score in the fourth quarter. He had a season-high three interceptions, ruining his first three-touchdown game of the year.
Ryan acknowledges he’s got to play better, but there are no other options in Atlanta. Sean Renfree, a former seventh-round pick, is the backup.
Even beyond Ryan, Atlanta’s slump can largely be attributed to sloppiness with the ball. After committing just two turnovers in the first four games, the Falcons have given it up 16 times in their past six. They matched a season-high with four turnovers against the Colts, and two of them came on the first play of second-half possessions.
Since the 1970 NFL-AFL merger, 66 of 72 teams that started 5-0 went on to make the playoffs. If the Falcons don’t start winning some close ones, they’re going to buck that trend.
“We’ve had six games decided by four points or less,” first-year Falcons coach Dan Quinn said. “We’re 3-3 in those games. That’s not good enough.”
The Falcons will hold out running back Devonta Freeman, who left last week’s loss to the Colts with a concussion, with rookie Tevin Coleman expected to start. Shayne Graham, signed on Thursday, will fill in for Falcons kicker Matt Bryant, who will miss the game with a right quadriceps injury. Also, wide receiver Leonard Hankerson will be held out with a hamstring injury.