Flashback Friday: Keenum leads Vikings to a win over Atlanta in 2017
By Ali Siddiqui
Back in the 2017 season, the Minnesota Vikings were able to go on the road and get a tough win over the Atlanta Falcons.
The wait is finally over. Football season is here. On Sunday, the Minnesota Vikings will be beginning their 2019 campaign against the Atlanta Falcons inside U.S. Bank Stadium.
After a disappointing 8-7-1 finish last year, the Vikings are ready for a fresh season. Minnesota will be out to prove that they are closer to being as good as they were in 2017 and not what they showed in 2018.
The Vikings lead the all-time series against Atlanta with 19 wins in 30 meetings. In their last three games against the Falcons, Minnesota came away with a victory each time.
The Vikings’ most recent matchup against the Falcons came back in 2017 when the two teams met inside Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Minnesota was able to come out of this game with a 14-9 win and they improved their record to 10-2 on the season.
The Vikings were led by quarterback Case Keenum, who completed 25 of his 30 passes for 227 yards and two touchdowns. Minnesota running back Latavius Murray chipped in with 76 rushing yards on 16 carries. Vikings receiver Adam Thielen had four catches for a team-high 51 receiving yards and both Jerick McKinnon and Kyle Rudolph each hauled in a touchdown pass.
On the defensive side of the ball, linebacker Eric Kendricks led Minnesota with 10 tackles and Vikings cornerback Xavier Rhodes held star Falcons wideout Julio Jones to just 24 yards on two catches.
Following their victory over Atlanta, Minnesota went on to finished the 2017 season with a 13-3 record and they advanced all the way to the NFC Championship.
How will the Vikings do this year? It will definitely be very interesting to see what happens. Minnesota has a good shot at winning the NFC North for the third time in five years, but only time will tell how everything will play out.
Prediction for Sunday: Vikings win 27-17