Can the Vikings right the ship?

Minnesota (+5.0) at Atlanta

On the surface, it seems odd to wonder if the Vikings can right the ship in Week 9. After all, Minnesota has won three-straight games, moving to 4-4 on the season. It’s been a nice rebound from the Vikings’ disappointing 1-3 start.

But things aren’t all hunky dory in the Land of 10,000 Lakes. Last week, Kirk Cousins was lost for the season with an Achilles injury. While not necessary a tier-one quarterback, the veteran was certainly good enough to win a lot of games; he figured to be a key player in the Vikings attempt to climb back into the playoff race.

Now, he’s gone. And Minnesota is scrambling to stay on track.

That all starts this weekend in Arizona. Can the Vikings pull it off? Let’s assess.

What to like about the Vikings…

• Minnesota is playing good football of late. After dropping three of their first four games, the Vikings have won three in a row. Two came on the road, with wins at Chicago and Green Bay. The other came at home, in an impressive victory over San Francisco. In those games, it’s been the Vikings defense that shined the most. They surrendered just 40 total points across the victories.

• Jordan Addison has emerged as a solid No. 2 wide receiver. The rookie out of USC already has 36 receptions on the season, racking up 482 yards and seven touchdowns along the way. That’s been huge for the Vikings, as he’s filled the void left by Justin Jefferson’s injury. Having to step up has fast-tracked Addison’s development, with having to play like a No. 1 receiver only serving to make him a bigger threat once Jefferson eventually returns.

• Minnesota is balanced. Through eight weeks, the Vikings are 11^th in the NFL in total offense, while also coming in at that exact same spot on defense. In other words, they aren’t carried by either side of the ball. They can win in multiple ways, leaning on one phase or another from week to week. That makes them a dangerous team.

What not to like about the Vikings…

• The Vikings can’t run the football. Currently, they’re 31^st in the NFL in rushing, averaging just 73.3 yards per game. Only the Raiders are worse in that department. Alexander Mattison has been a big disappointment, unable to fill the void left by the departure of Dalvin Cook. He has just 390 yards on 106 carries and has been unable to find the end zone. That means Cousins has had to carry a lot of the weight, which he won’t be able to do.

• The options at quarterback are now limited. When Cousins went down on Sunday, the Vikings turned to rookie Jaren Hall. The fifth-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft completed three of his four passes for 23 yards. Minnesota clearly wasn’t comfortable with the BYU product having the job for the rest of the season, so they made a trade for Joshua Dobbs. He’s been mediocre in Arizona, where he went 1-7 in place of Kyler Murray. That’s not exactly an encouraging number.

• The Falcons are also 4-4, but they sit atop the NFC South. Thus, this is a huge game for Atlanta, a team that has been pretty good at home. Their 3-1 mark at Mercedes-Benz Stadium proves that this won’t be an easy one for the Vikings. The Falcons rely on their defense (sixth in the NFL) and running game (10^th) to keep games close and win ugly.

Steve Quinne’s Pick: Falcons -5.0 (-110)

Kevin O’Connell is a very good offensive mind. Finding a way to make it work within a week with either a rookie quarterback or a newly acquired one is a tall order, however. The fact that he can’t rely on his running game makes it even more challenging. The Vikings season isn’t over just yet; they can rebound from the Cousins injury. But it’s not going to happen this week. They’ll lose in an ugly game against the Falcons.