2023-11-05 20:01:00
ATLANTA — The Minnesota Vikings will look to keep their winning streak going once morest the Atlanta Falcons Sunday, though they’ll do so without starting quarterback Kirk Cousins.
Cousins is expected to miss the rest of the season following tearing his Achilles tendon. He was placed on injured reserve and underwent surgery earlier this week.
Fifth-round rookie Jaren Hall will get his first career start in Cousins’ place. In relief of Cousins last weekend, Hall went 3/4 and, despite a fumble, did enough to preserve the Vikings’ 24-10 win over the Green Bay Packers. Should Hall struggle once morest the Falcons or in the future, recent addition Josh Dobbs might see the field. The Vikings traded to acquire Dobbs from the Arizona Cardinals earlier this week.
Cousins’ injury mightn’t have come at a worse time for the Vikings. After a three-game winning streak, they are 4-4 and very much alive in the NFC playoff race. Both the offense and defense were coming into their own following a rocky start. With Justin Jefferson on injured reserve for at least one more game, the Vikings will have to keep their winning streak going without their two most important players on offense.
The Falcons have a quarterback change of their own. After second-year man Desmond Ridder struggled to start the season, the team has turned to former Viking Taylor Heinicke. This will be the second year in a row the Vikings face Heinicke — last season, when he was starting for the Washington Commanders, the Vikings beat them 20-17. Heinicke was 15/28 in that game for 149 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. He was sacked three times.
At 4-4, the Falcons are currently atop the NFC South, arguably the weakest division in football. Having lost four of their last six games, they’ll hope to right the ship and retain their hold on the division when they take on the Vikings.
The game kicks off at noon at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. Follow all of the action below.
1699215027
#Falcons #lead #Vikings #60yard #Jaren #Hall
