Minnesota Vikings at Atlanta Falcons

Dan Quinn constantly preaches how important it is to take care of the football, and until they cut down on self-inflicted wounds, it’ll be hard to get back in the win column.

Bouncing back from a 30-13 loss to Green Bay, Minnesota (8-3) jumped ahead on Peterson’s 1-yard run in the opening quarter, and clinched it when he got loose on a 35-yard scamper down the sideline with 4:15 remaining in the game.

Against the Falcons (6-5), who came in with the league’s top-ranked defense against the run, Peterson ripped off his sixth 100-yard game of the season. And those who say otherwise are being harsh: Guiding the Falcons to five winning seasons in his first seven seasons is impressive, especially considering the perpetually hapless defenses the Falcons have had on the other side of the ball. Minnesota can win this game, which should prove to be a close one between two competitive teams.

The Vikings would force two more turnovers on the day including an interception by Terrance Newman that took away what could have been a go-ahead scoring drive for the Falcons. His 158 yards Sunday helped him fly past O.J. Simpson (11,236), Corey Dillon (11,241) and John Riggins (11,352) into 18th place all-time.

Another high stakes, prime time Vikings game goes by, leading to another week I’ll be unable to watch any football related show on television.

They are able to get chunk plays in the passing game using Teddy Bridgewater and his receivers. Devonta Freeman is also out with a concussion, so Atlanta will have issues moving the ball on the ground as well. Hey, everyone can have a bad game. Then in the 4th quarter on a 4th and 1, Barr burst through the line of scrimmage and hit QB Matt Ryan as he threw the ball, forcing a fumble and a turnover on downs.

It wouldn’t matter as the turnover-prone Falcons wouldn’t score again until the final two minutes of the game, after the Vikings had already put them away.

The Vikings defense won another game for the Purple. They will host the Seattle Seahawks (5-5, playing the Pittsburgh Steelers in the late games) at TCF Bank Stadium next weekend. The team’s 5-0 start was more the result of a series of fortunate breaks and good scheduling, and its subsequent 1-5 run is nothing more than a regression to the mean.

“You want to be aggressive”, Ryan said. When Peterson is at his best, the Vikings offense can run like a well oiled machine. “I think we’re more upset with how we played”.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Needing a win desperately to keep their long-shot playoff hopes alive, Oakland found it in a place where every visiting team finds success.

Blank’s concern is more about the Falcons as a whole, rather than Ryan’s individual struggles.