Falcons win week after firing coach
MINNEAPOLIS — With a fresh start and little to lose, the Falcons played like it from start to finish.
Julio Jones returned from injury to catch two of Matt Ryan’s four touchdown passes, and the Falcons beat the Vikings 40-23 on Sunday to earn their first victory of the season — one week after firing coach Dan Quinn.
The Falcons (1-5) turned three interceptions into 17 points and built a 20-0 lead at halftime. Quinn might have found himself wondering just why they hadn’t played like this in their first five games.
‘‘I can’t worry about where it’s been; I’ve just got to worry about where it’s going,’’ said interim coach Raheem Morris, who was given the game ball afterward.
Kirk Cousins was picked off three times in the first half for the first time in his career, and the depleted Vikings (1-5) yielded 40-plus points for the second time this season after going five seasons without any such games.
It was a big step backward for the Vikings, who lost by a point to the undefeated Seahawks in their last game.
‘‘It’s hard for me to figure out how we can continue to get better and play like we did a week ago [against the Seahawks] and then play as poorly as we did this week,’’ coach Mike Zimmer said. ‘‘We didn’t do very many things right, and we’ve got to get it fixed.’’
After another injury left the Vikings with only rookies available at cornerback for more than half of the game, Ryan completed 30 of 40 passes for 371 yards.
‘‘It shows what we’re capable of doing,’’ said Ryan, who became the third 300-yard passer against the Vikings in six games this season.
‘‘We just need to find a way to be at that level week in and week out.’’
Jones, who had missed all but a half of the previous three games with hamstring trouble, had eight receptions for 137 yards. Calvin Ridley and Hayden Hurst each chipped in a touchdown catch, and Younghoe Koo kicked four field goals for the Falcons.
‘‘The guys really did a good job of dictating terms and showing disguise and coming out and really confusing them a little bit to get themselves in position to make great plays,’’ Morris said.