Flashback Friday: Vikings Run Past Falcons in 2015 + Week 9 Prediction

Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports.

The Minnesota Vikings and Atlanta Falcons are set to face off on Sunday. Both teams are 4-4.

Flashback Friday: Vikings Run Past Falcons in 2015 + Week 9 Prediction

Minnesota is on a three-game winning streak but, unfortunately, will have to play the rest of the season without Kirk Cousins. That is a devastating blow to this team. Cousins was not only playing very well but just losing your starting quarterback is always devastating. It is, after all, the most critical position in football.

vikings run past
Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports.

Atlanta lost 28-23 last week on the road to the Tennessee Titans.

One of Minnesota’s most recent trips to Atlanta came in 2015. Teddy Bridgewater went 20/28 for 174 yards and an interception. Adrian Peterson rushed for 158 yards and two touchdowns on 29 carries. Kyle Rudolph caught seven passes for 53 yards. On defense, Robert Blanton recorded a team-high nine tackles. Anthony Barr recorded eight tackles and a sack.

For Atlanta, Matt Ryan went 22/31 for 230 yards for one touchdown and two interceptions. Tevin Coleman rushed for 110 yards on 18 carries. Roddy White caught six passes for 60 yards, and Jacob Tamme caught five for 69 yards.

On defense, Philip Wheeler recorded a game-high 11 tackles.

Minnesota won 20-10 to improve to 8-3 on the season. They finished the season at 11-5 and won the NFC North for the first time since 2009.

Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports.

Minnesota leads the all-time series 20-12 and has won four out of the past five meetings. The last three times they beat Atlanta (2019, 2017, and 2015), they made it to the playoffs. In two of those seasons, they advanced in the playoffs.

Currently, they are the seventh seed in the playoff race, and while these next five games are all very winnable, it is very tough to predict how those games will go now with their Cousins out. Games are already very tough to predict in this league. When your star quarterback is out and replaced by a rookie, it makes it even more challenging to predict.

This game could go either way. Maybe Hall will surprise and play serviceable the rest of the season, or maybe he will later get replaced by Joshua Dobbs, who they just traded for on Tuesday.

Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports

Maybe this team somehow still manages to make the playoffs. Whether or not that happens, these next nine games are very important to this franchise. If Hall looks good the rest of the way, do they consider making him the starter next year? Do they still try to keep Cousins and/or take a quarterback in the first round? That will be very interesting to find out.

One thing is for sure. Hall will benefit from having a good offensive line and also having solid weapons in T.J. Hockenson, Jordan Addison, and K.J. Osborn. Justin Jefferson should be returning soon as well.

Prediction: Vikings lose 17-13