After a hard-fought comeback victory over the Arizona Cardinals this past weekend, the Minnesota Vikings hold a stellar 10-2 record as the season slowly nears its end.
The Vikings will welcome a familiar face into U.S. Bank Stadium this weekend as the Kirk Cousins-led Atlanta Falcons come to town. Atlanta currently sits atop the NFC South, albeit with a 6-6 record, and they are currently on a three-game losing streak.
As it sits right now, Minnesota is the No. 5 seed in the NFC, while Atlanta holds the No. 4 seed, and these two teams would be facing off in the playoffs if the season ended after Week 13. A win this weekend could be a sign of things to come during playoff time, and would build confidence within the Vikings locker room and fan base.
If Minnesota wants to look their best against a potential playoff opponent, what are some problems they need to fix before their week 14 matchup?
Problems the Minnesota Vikings need to fix before Week 14 vs. the Atlanta Falcons
1. Instill confidence in Aaron Jones
Vikings running back Aaron Jones seems to have the yips lately. A player who was known for being safe with the football, Jones has begun fumbling the ball at an alarming rate.
With that being said, Minnesota needs to show faith in Jones rather than throwing him under the bus and letting him get even more in his head.
Jones is the best running back on the Vikings roster. Plain and simple. Jones may not be the same explosive runner that he was in his prime Green Bay days, but he still shows an incredible burst that was lacking from Minnesota's backfield recently.
While the recent fumble issue is less than ideal, nobody is being harder on Jones than Jones himself, as it is clear watching the games that he is losing confidence in his ball security.
If Minnesota wants to get him back on track, they need to show him that they still trust him and let the rest fall into place. Jones is in his head right now, but some big runs against Atlanta should fix that issue quickly.
1. Pick up the blitz on offense
The Cardinals may have exposed a fatal flaw in the Vikings' offense this past weekend, as they sacked quarterback Sam Darnold five times. It seemed like the whole game, Darnold was under duress from the Cardinals' defense, and the explanation can be said with one word: blitzing.
Minnesota struggled to pick up the blitz this past game, and Arizona looked completely dominant on defense for most of the matchup. Luckily for the Vikings, the Falcons are one of the lowest blitzing teams in the NFL and have the least amount of sacks for any defense.
With this being said, Minnesota still needs to fix its issues when an opposing defense throws a blitz at them, and that starts this weekend.
This next matchup for the Vikings could be a confidence builder for the offensive line as they face a weaker Falcons defense and gives them a chance to work out their blitzing issues, as they most likely won't see it much this upcoming game.
1. Let Byron Murphy Jr. cover No. 1 WRs
Vikings cornerback Byron Murphy Jr. has been the clear top corner for Minnesota this season, making big plays every week.
Murphy leads the NFL in interceptions with five, a testament to his solid 2024. Though this may go against the scheme of Brian Flores, it may be time for Murphy to start shadowing the opposing WR1 more often, as it was not ideal having backup cornerback Fabian Moreau covering Cardinals receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. on a considerable amount of plays last week.
The Vikings face off against an even bigger threat this weekend, as budding star Falcons wide receiver Drake London comes to town. London is top-10 in the NFL receptions and receiving touchdowns this season, while also ranking 14th in the league in receiving yards, showing just how good of a player he is now that he has consistent quarterback play around him.
London hasn't been the most consistent receiver this season, but he is always a threat when he touches the field. If Minnesota wants to try and take away Kirk Cousins's first look, putting Murphy on London may be their best bet, and that would skyrocket the Vikings' chances of winning.