The media ran with the headlines of Kirk Cousins returning to U.S. Bank Stadium with the Atlanta Falcons in Week 14 to face his former team, the Minnesota Vikings. However, that storyline didn't play out the way the veteran passer likely hoped it would.
Although Atlanta hung in the game through the first three quarters of Sunday's game, the Vikings put their feet on the gas pedal in the final period of play and finished the game with a decisive 42-21 victory over the NFC South's Falcons.
With the win, the Minnesota Vikings stayed a game behind the Detroit Lions in the NFC North with an 11-2 record. The purple and gold still have three divisional games remaining in the final four weeks, meaning there will be opportunities to gain ground on the division leader.
But before looking too far ahead at next week's game against the Chiago Bears, let's take a look at five notable players from Week 14 who had an impact on the game against the Falcons on Sunday afternoon.
3 winners (and 2 losers) from the Vikings in Week 14 win over the Falcons
Here are three winners and two losers from the Minnesota Vikings victory over the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024.
Vikings winner No. 1: Jordan Addison, WR
Whether making a contested catch or drawing a penalty flag, Jordan Addison had a huge game for the Vikings. He led the team with 12 targets and hauled in eight of them for 133 yards and three touchdowns.
Before this game, Addison had 575 receiving yards and four touchdowns in 10 games. His explosion of offense for Minnesota shows that the offense doesn't always have to run through star wide receiver Justin Jefferson.
Vikings loser No. 1: Jonathan Greenard, Edge
Make no mistake, Jonathan Greenard is having a wonderful season as an edge rusher for the Vikings. However, he failed to register a single hit on Falcons' quarterback Kirk Cousins, coming up empty for sacks on Sunday.
It wasn't just Greenard who struggled to get to Cousins this week, Atlanta's quarterback was only taken down once in the game. Against a better team, that kind of production will not be acceptable when needing a win.
Vikings winner No. 2: Justin Jefferson, WR
As previously stated, there is a narrative that Justin Jefferson is the Vikings' offense. While he is an explosive weapon, Minnesota can move the ball even if opposing defenses focus on taking Jets away from catching passes.
The Falcons' defensive backs looked silly at times in this game trying to defend Jefferson and Addison. Jefferson had seven catches for 132 yards and two touchdowns in this game, showcasing his hands, route running, and speed in Week 14.
Vikings loser No. 2: Harrison Phillips, DL
It would have been just as easy to pick on any of the defensive linemen for the Minnesota Vikings since the Atlanta Falcons were able to create a solid cone of protection for Kirk Cousins to pass and open holes in the run game that allowed them to gain 158 yards and two touchdowns on the ground.
Harrison Phillips stands out because he ended the day with one solo tackle and one assisted tackle. His presence in the middle is supposed to deter teams from running it up the gut against Minnesota, but they couldn't stop Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier.
Vikings winner No. 3: Sam Darnold, QB
It is possible that Sam Darnold took it a little personally that so much of the talk surrounding this game was about Kirk Cousins. There was a little extra pep in his step in Week 14 as he put forth a performance that will likely win him weekly awards for passing.
Darnold completed 22 of his 28 passes for 347 yards and five touchdowns. It was fun seeing him waiving his towel over his head on the sidelines in celebration with his teammates as the Minnesota Vikings moved to 11-2 on the season.