Minnesota Vikings: 4 steps to beating the Falcons
By Luke Sims
Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
4) Harrass Matt Ryan
The Minnesota Vikings defense has been excellent so far this season. They will have to maintain their high standard as they take on the fifth-ranked passing offense in the Atlanta Falcons.
It all circles back to the quarterback and Matt Ryan is no slouch.
Ryan is sacked on just 4.3 percent of plays when attempting to pass (courtesy of Pro Football Reference) and continues to light up defenses, even as his team struggles to win games. He has the seventh lowest sack percentage in the NFL.
Ryan has had seven games this season with at least 280 yards and has five multiple-touchdown game so far this season. When given time, this quarterback is more than capable of carrying his team and more than capable of picking apart even the better defenses in the NFL.
The Vikings, who field one of those better defenses, will have to make sure that Ryan is limited. Getting in his face with pressure will go a long way and it may have to get there quickly. With Julio Jones highlighting a group of weapons that will eventually find a way to get open, the Vikings can’t rely on coverage to get them to the quarterback.
Fortunately, the Vikes have plenty of players who are able to collapse the pocket.
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Like Adrian Peterson taking on the Falcons rush defense, the matchup between the Vikings pass rushers and the Atlanta offensive line will be key to winning this game. The Vikes need to establish a physical, bruising tone to the game early and keep it up all day long.