7 takeaways from the Vikings’ win over the Falcons in Week 1

Re-signing Barr was the right call

If anyone was against the Vikings re-signing linebacker Anthony Barr this past offseason, he likely shut those people up during his very first snap on Sunday.

On the opening play of the Falcons’ first offensive drive of the afternoon, Barr blew past Atlanta left tackle Jake Matthews and easily took down Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan for the sack.

Putting pressure on Ryan was something that the Minnesota linebacker did frequently on Sunday. During another play in the first quarter, Barr was able to quickly get in Ryan’s face, which then resulted in the Atlanta signal-caller forcing a throw that landed in the mitts of Vikings safety Anthony Harris.

How Barr performed on Sunday is exactly the reason why Minnesota selected him with the ninth overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft. It’s also why the Vikings did whatever they could to re-sign him this year.

If Barr continues to play like he did this week for the rest of the season, the amount of money that Minnesota agreed to pay him last March might end up looking like a bargain.