What We Learned About the Minnesota Vikings in Week 14 Route of Falcons

Sam Darnold, Kirk Cousins : Atlanta Falcons at Minnesota Vikings
Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

The Minnesota Vikings entered week 14 of the NFL season with a lot to lose and everything to prove. Yes, the Vikings are one of the hottest teams in the league and facing the Atlanta Falcons, who have been falling apart in recent weeks, and came in on a three-game losing streak.

But still, it was Kirk Cousins’ first appearance in U.S. Bank Stadium since leaving for a multi-year payday in Atlanta. Playoff implications? This game had them. The Falcons are trying to stay afloat atop the NFC South, arguably the worst division in football.

For Minnesota, a loss would mostly eliminate them from contention in the NFC North, after the Detroit Lions moved to 12-1 on the season, Thursday night. A gaudy win/loss record is great, but if you finish second in your division, the best seed you can get for the playoffs is No. 5.

What we learned about the Minnesota Vikings in 42-21 route vs Atlanta Falcons

We don’t have to worry about any of that, though. Because Sunday, the Minnesota Vikings did things against the Atlanta Falcons that their doubters have been calling for all season.

It started with a fully rehabilitated Sam Darnold throwing for five touchdown passes (all to Jordan Addison and Justin Jefferson), as Kirk Cousins watched from the opposing sideline and simultaneously crumbled down the stretch.

Sam Darnold : Atlanta Falcons at Minnesota Vikings
Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

And in the 4th quarter, the Vikings finally showed their finishing skills, something they’ve failed to do for much of the season. You want to talk about one-score games?

Too bad, because the Falcons couldn’t even keep this one within two scores, thanks to a last minute defensive stop that held the final score at 42-21, their third-largest margin of victory in 2024 and their first three-score win since week three (34-7 vs HOU).

Sam Darnold’s best NFL game ever

Look, this isn’t really an argument. All it takes is a quick look at the stats to tell you this was Sam Darnold’s best ever performance as an NFL quarterback. His statline is enormous…

  • 22-of-28 (78.6%) | 347 Yards | 12.4 YPC | 5 Touchdowns | 0 Interceptions.

It’s the first time Darnold has ever thrown for five touchdowns, during his professional career. Only two other times in his career has Sam ever thrown for four touchdowns in one game. It was also a career high in passing yards. His previous was 341, which he did once as a rookie, and once in relief last season for the San Francisco 49ers.

Oh, and his 157.9 QB Rating is his highest ever… by nearly 30 points. His previous high also came with the Vikings, a week 8 Thursday night loss vs the LA Rams, where Sam posted a 128.7. Yes, he got a little help from his friends, who apparently range from Justin Jefferson to Jordan Addison… and maybe even the football gods.

But for the most part, this was Darnold taking yet another step in his development under Kevin O’Connell & Co’s multi-step recovery plan for struggling quarterbacks who have been ruined by previous stops in the league.

Sam Darnold for MVP

I don’t usually do this, but today, it feels right. Not only was week 14 of the 2024 NFL season vs the Atlanta Falcons Sam Darnold’s best game ever, it probably gets him back into the top-five for NFL MVP odds. But most importantly for the former USC star and his family, he put more hypothetical cash into his future bank account.

If you think Sam Darnold would make Baker Mayfield or Geno Smith money ($25-$35 million per season for three or more years), as has been suggested multiple times this week, then what do you think he will make as a finalist for NFL MVP, up next to Lamar Jackson and Joe Burrow?

Related: Minnesota Vikings Have Been Trying to Extend Byron Murphy Jr

Seem crazy? Well, it will be difficult to climb over those two frontrunners, who both have over 29 touchdowns and 5 or less interceptions, to go with ~3,000 yards or more passing. Jackson also has 678 yards and 3 TDs on the ground.

But after today’s game, Sam Darnold is up to 3,299 passing yards, 25 touchdowns and just 10 interceptions, which should place him top five in yards, touchdowns and air yards per attempt, at around 8.5 yards, when the dust settles on week 14.

QuarterbackGPPass YdsPass TDINTRush TDAY/A
Joe Burrow (CIN)123,33730518.32
Sam Darnold (MIN)133,29925101~8.5
Lamar Jackson (BAL)13329029339.85
Jared Goff (DET)133265251008.70
Geno Smith (SEA)123241131227.4

By the QB numbers, Sam should be top four in MVP odds this week, in a second tier with Jared Goff, behind Burrow and Jackson. So he may not be an NFL MVP favorite quite yet, but he has absolutely pushed himself into the conversation, after today’s performance.

Minnesota Vikings learning how to close

This takeaway is right up there with Sam Darnold’s performance, when it comes to expectations that NFL pundits, and even Minnesota Vikings fans, have for this 2024 squad. Yes, they were already 10-2, prior to Sunday’s victory.

But it was an inability to close and a propensity to let lesser teams hang around, that has cost the Vikings, when it comes to everyone’s 2025 Super Bowl prediction. As the division rival Lions rip teams apart, week-after-week, Minnesota has mostly skirted by most of their opponents.

Related: It was the Vikings Owners Who Pushed Kirk Cousins Out… and He Didn’t Like That

Not this afternoon. Not vs the Atlanta Falcons. After being outgained 257 to 119 in total yards during the first half, the Vikings offense found its rhythm in the second half, going off for 314 yards and 4 touchdowns (three by air, one by ground). On defense, the numbers don’t look great.

Brian Flores’ group gave up 496 total yards to the Falcons, who actually outgained the Vikings’ total of 433. But when it counted, Minnesota’s defense made plays, intercepting Kirk Cousins twice in big moments. Our former QB has now thrown 8 interceptions and 0 touchdowns in his last four games.

The Vikings won the turnover battle 3-0, held the Falcons on two of their three 4th down attempts and outscored the Atlanta Falcons 28-11 in the second half. Sure, they didn’t start as fast as they wanted, but they held a 14-10 lead at half, and put together one of the better 60-minute performances of the 2024 season, so far.

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