Oh what a difference a week makes!
The Atlanta Falcons took on a similarly struggling Minnesota Vikings squad and took full advantage of the matchup. When you factor in the tumultuous week the Falcons had, this game becomes all the more impressive. Their head coach was fired, their general manager was fired, they had a COVID outbreak and missed practices, but whatever Raheem Morris did seemed to work.
Matt Ryan and the offense finally looked like their old selves. Julio was back healthy and exploded for 137 yards and two scores. The rushing attack was solid, and they stuck to it throughout the game. They just looked like a radically different team this week, and that ultimately starts with the way this defense played.
The Falcons appeared to be in sync on that side of the ball and the secondary looked better today than it has in all season. Just last week I wrote about how decrepit this group had been, but they came alive in Minnesota. They managed to intercept Kirk Cousins on the first play from scrimmage. By the end of the half, they had surpassed their season total (2) for interceptions when they picked off Cousins for a third time. Those turnovers flipped the script on the Vikings and set the offense up for some easy scores. Their play was critical in this game.
The front seven showed up in force, too. Sure, Dalvin Cook was down with a hamstring injury, but Alexander Mattison is fantastic back himself. Just last week, he ran all over the Seattle Seahawks to the tune of 112 yards on 20 carries. Atlanta managed to suffocate the attack early, keeping him in check all afternoon.
The defense finally played some complementary football to this offense and the results were nothing short of fantastic. They could still be better at getting after the quarterback, only getting to Kirk Cousins once, but who can complain after the complete effort they put forth today? This unit didn’t look lost for the first time all season, and that was refreshing to see.
This was, without a doubt, the most complete effort the Falcons have put together all season. They even managed to go a full four quarters! Give Raheem Morris and Jeff Ulbrich credit, because this Falcons team just looked different. It’s almost as if he properly utilized the incredible talent on this team. Go figure.
If Raheem Morris can continue to put together games like this, he very well could be the answer to the Falcons’ coaching issues. I don’t want to overreact because it is a long season, but if today was any indication, I think he’s the man for the job. Time will certainly tell, but like Arthur Blank said on Monday, “Just win baby”!
