The Minnesota Vikings got blown out at home by the 0-5 Atlanta Falcons this Sunday. The Falcons previously had trouble stopping anyone through the air, and they were giving up over 30 points per game. The Vikings failed to take advantage of Atlanta’s weakness and could only muster 23 points, most of which came in garbage time.
This was a painful loss for the Vikings, one where many lessons were learned.
Ezra Cleveland is an upgrade at right guard
One of the few bright spots to come out of a blowout loss against a winless team is the fact the Vikings appear to have found their right guard for the rest of the season. Rookie Ezra Cleveland got the start and held his own in his debut. He didn’t get a single flag thrown on him and was able to make some nice blocks in the run game. At times, Cousins had all the time in the world to stand tall in the pocket and look for the open man — even if his receivers had trouble getting open.
Cleveland’s future is at left tackle, but he showed he’ll be able to help out for the remainder of the season as the Vikings’ starting right guard. Dakota Dozier was a major liability this week, and it’s fair to wonder if and when Elflein comes back, if they look at placing him on the left side and keep Cleveland on the right. Whatever happens, at least the Vikings know they won’t have to rely on Dru Samia anymore because they have a much better option with their second-round rookie.
Kirk Cousins is not good right now
Kirk Cousins had been having an up and down season so far. He had thrown more interceptions heading into the game against the Falcons than he had all last season, but those who defended him were quick to point out that a few of those were desperation tosses. While that is true, it also has to be acknowledged that Cousins just isn’t good right now.
Last week against the Seahawks, Cousins had a stretch where he turned the ball over twice in three series. He fumbled the football and then threw an ugly interception to K.J. Wright.
Those poor choices followed Cousins’ home and showed up against the Falcons this week. On the first offensive play of the game, Cousins dropped back rolled a bit to the right and had plenty of time, but he threw a horrible pass to Justin Jefferson that was a little behind him. Worse yet, it was underthrown and was easily intercepted by Deion Jones, setting the tone for the rest of the game.
Later in the half, Cousins stared down Jefferson again and forced a ball to him. That ball never should’ve been thrown, and it somehow landed on the legs of A.J. Terrell, who was able to bring it into his hands for the pick.
The Vikings cannot afford these types of mistakes by their quarterback. They need him to make smart decisions with the ball and not take chances that could lead to turnovers. Cousins is supposed to be a reason why the Vikings compete for a playoff spot this season. Instead his play has been a major factor in them being 1-5.
Cameron Dantzler is a great tackler
The Vikings have been rolling with a young set of cornerbacks, and we have seen our fair share of good and bad performances. While the coverage by Jeff Gladney and Cameron Dantzler has been hit or miss, one thing that was abundantly clear against the Falcons is that Dantzler is one hell of a tackler.
This guy made a handful of open-field tackles against the Falcons, and that isn’t easy to do. Whether he was going low and taking a player out at the legs or lowering his shoulder and hitting them right in the solar plexus, it’s apparent that Dantzler is one of the better tackling corners the Vikings have had in recent memory.
The 22-year-old cornerback finished the game with 11 total tackles, two which were behind the line of scrimmage. Dantzler is a young player who is frustrating to watch at times, but everyone has to be excited about his potential as a dual-threat cornerback who can support the run while locking down opposing teams’ top receivers.
This is a five-win team at best
There was hope for the Vikings after their loss to the Seattle Seahawks. Many deemed this to be a much better team than their record indicated, and it was thought that with a victory over the Falcons, they could be right back in the thick of things. This loss has taught them one clear and distinct lesson: this isn’t their year. Minnesota has way too many issues, and they will struggle to get to that five-win mark this season.
Their offensive line is a mess because the guard position continues to be an issue no matter who plays there. They also struggle to generate a consistent pass rush, and teams have way too much time for their quarterbacks to scan the field and find the open man.
Usually a receiver is open because the Vikings’ young cornerback group is learning on the fly, and they will have two bad plays for every good one they make. While there is still plenty of talent on this team, these issues are too much for them to overcome and be competitive this season.
They’ll continue to fight every single week, but the youth at key positions will hold them back and keep them at the bottom of the standings.
