Minnesota leans on defense in shutdown
VIKINGS 14, FALCONS 9
ATLANTA — The Vikings frustrated Matt Ryan, blanketed Julio Jones and kept the Falcons out of the end zone.
Minnesota’s eighth straight victory was all about defense.
Case Keenum threw a pair of touchdown passes, including the go-ahead score on the first play of the fourth quarter, but the guys on the other side of the line were largely responsible for the Vikings extending their winning streak with a grind-it-out, 14-9 victory over the Falcons.
“It was a hard one,” coach Mike Zimmer said. “We’ve got a good bunch of fighters on this football team, and I think maybe they really believe now.”
Keenum strengthened his hold on the starting job by going 25-of-30 for 227 yards. He hooked up with Jerick McKinnon on a 2-yard scoring play in the second quarter and went to Kyle Rudolph for a 6-yard touchdown on the first play of the fourth quarter, capping an 89-yard drive that consumed more than 8 minutes.
Minnesota (10-2) turned in a stellar defensive effort against a team that led the league in scoring a year ago and seemed to be finding its stride during a three-game winning streak, averaging nearly 32 points.
The Falcons (7-5) were held without a touchdown for the first time since Dec. 13, 2015, when they were blanked 38-0 by Carolina. Ryan’s streak of 30 straight games with a TD pass also ended, going down as the eighth-longest in NFL history.
The league’s reigning MVP, Ryan finished 16-of-29 for just 173 yards — his lowest output since he threw for 172 yards in a 33-10 loss to Seattle in 2013.
“They are a very good defense,” Ryan said. “We knew it was going to be tough sledding at times, but we’ve got to be more productive.”
Jones was held to a pair of catches for 24 yards, one week after he had 12 receptions for 253 yards in a victory over Tampa Bay.
“We know how great a player he is, how talented he is,” Zimmer said. “It’s important that we try to take away some of the opponent’s strengths each week.”
With the win and Detroit’s loss to Baltimore, the Vikings took a four-game lead in the NFC North and kept pace with Philadelphia in the race for the NFC’s top seed. The Eagles (10-1) played at Seattle Sunday night.