Should the Minnesota Vikings be worried about Raheem Morris?

Will the interim head coach lead the Atlanta Falcons to a win over the Minnesota Vikings?

On paper, this Sunday’s matchup with the Atlanta Falcons seems like a game the Minnesota Vikings should win. The Falcons have yet to get a victory this season and the contest will be played on the Vikings’ home-field inside U.S. Bank Stadium.

However, this game shouldn’t just be chalked up as an easy win for Minnesota. The Vikings have had their own struggles this year, so they shouldn’t be considered a tremendously superior opponent in this week’s matchup with Atlanta.

Plus, the Falcons will have someone new in charge on Sunday after the team fired head coach Dan Quinn earlier this week. In place of Quinn, Atlanta selected Raheem Morris to be their interim head coach and he will be attempting to get his team their first win of the season when they take on Minnesota this weekend.

Will the Minnesota Vikings hold off the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday?

During the recent past, interim head coaches in the NFL haven’t been very successful. Since 2014, 12 interim head coaches have led their teams to a combined record of 20-44.

However, interim head coaches have recently had success during their very first game in their new position for some reason. Of the 12 guys who have been given the title of interim head coach since 2014, eight of them led their respective teams to a win in their first matchup with their new coaching title (including Romeo Crennel with the Houston Texans last week).

In case anyone forgot, Sunday against the Vikings will be Morris’ first game as the Falcons interim head coach. Will the recent first-game trend for NFL interim head coaches continue in Minnesota this weekend?

It’s possible, but the Vikings are going to do everything they can to stop Atlanta from getting their first win of the season. The Falcons still have plenty of talent on their roster though, so Minnesota shouldn’t be taking their Week 6 opponent lightly despite their lack of victories this year.

Three of Atlanta’s five losses this season have been by seven points or less and they’ve held a 15-point lead in two of their games this year. It’s possible that Morris could be the guy to help the Falcons finally put a complete game together and add an actual win to their record.

The Vikings are just hoping that complete game comes after this weekend so they get a much-needed victory over Atlanta.