Minnesota Vikings limiting big plays is key in Week 13 vs Atlanta Falcons

The Atlanta Falcons are known for big plays thanks to their explosive offense, but the Minnesota Vikings will look to limit those opportunities in Week 13.

The Minnesota Vikings have one of the best defenses in the NFL. Pairing a strong pass rush with quick linebackers and a talented secondary has kept many of the top teams from scoring a lot of points against them.

However, they face a new kind of beast in Week 13 when they travel to Georgia to take on the Atlanta Falcons, where Julio Jones is a playmaking machine, Matt Ryan has a cannon for an arm, and the run game can strike at any moment.

Thankfully, the Vikings aren’t known for giving up too many of those kinds of plays. In fact, NFL Matchup on ESPN shared a graphic on Twitter showing just how good Minnesota is at containing the opposing team’s offense:

The Vikings are far and away the best in that category this season, but it will be difficult to keep Atlanta’s offense contained. Julio Jones is coming off a game where he gained 253 yards and scored two touchdowns against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and big runs can happen at any time.

Head Coach Mike Zimmer knows the challenge that is ahead for Minnesota and is preparing his team accordingly according to the official Vikings website:

"“We’re getting ready to play a really good team on the road,” Vikings Head Coach Mike Zimmer said. “Offensively they’re very explosive – got great receivers, runners, offensive line plays well. Obviously, Julio Jones is a tough matchup.”"

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Do you think the Minnesota Vikings will be able to limit the big plays by the Atlanta Falcons in week 13? And what is the most important thing the defense needs to do to contain Julio Jones? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.