Vikings seek 6th straight win as struggling old friend Kirk Cousins arrives with the Falcons

Atlanta (6-6) at Minnesota (10-2)

Sunday, 1 p.m. EST, Fox

BetMGM NFL odds: Vikings by 5½.

Against the spread: Falcons 5-7; Vikings 7-5.

Series record: Vikings lead 21-12.

Last meeting: Vikings beat Falcons 31-28 in Atlanta on Nov. 5, 2023.

Last week: Falcons lost to Chargers 17-13; Vikings beat Cardinals 23-22.

Falcons offense: overall (8), rush (14), pass (4), scoring (19).

Falcons defense: overall (21), rush (17), pass (22), scoring (22).

Vikings offense: overall (13), rush (17), pass (10), scoring (9).

Vikings defense: overall (13), rush (1), pass (28), scoring (5).

Turnover differential: Falcons minus-6; Vikings plus-5.

Falcons player to watch

QB Kirk Cousins returns to his former home in Minnesota, where he played the past six seasons, in perhaps the worst slump of his career. He matched his career high by throwing four interceptions against the Chargers. Cousins has six interceptions with no touchdowns over Atlanta's three-game losing streak that has erased a comfortable lead in the NFC South and forged a tie for first place with Tampa Bay. Cousins' struggles have raised questions about whether it's time for first-round pick Michael Penix Jr. to play, but coach Raheem Morris has been publicly adamant in his support of Cousins.

Vikings player to watch

CB Byron Murphy is tied for third in the NFL with a career-high five interceptions. He'll be even more vital in coverage for the Vikings if CB Stephon Gilmore can't play this week. Murphy has eight interceptions in two seasons with the Vikings after totaling five picks in four years with the Cardinals.

Key matchup

Falcons DBs vs. Vikings WR Justin Jefferson. Both of Atlanta's safeties, Jessie Bates and Justin Simmons, were Pro Bowl picks last season. The Falcons are likely to use them liberally to help bracket Jefferson, who despite a steady stream of double teams and over-the-top coverage from opponents all season has still managed to rank second in the league with 1,038 yards.

Key injuries

Falcons DT Ruke Orhorhoro (ankle) has returned to practice but might be at least a week away from playing. ... LB Troy Andersen (knee) has been a full participant in practice this week. LB Nate Landman (hamstring) was limited on Thursday. ... WR Darnell Mooney (Achilles tendon) will be monitored throughout the week. ... Gilmore (hamstring) left the game against the Cardinals in the second quarter, putting his status in question this week. He didn't practice on Wednesday. ... Vikings TE Josh Oliver (ankle) has missed the past two games, but he's on track to return. ... The Vikings will have long snapper Andrew DePaola (hand) back from a four-game absence, with kicker Will Reichard (quadriceps) also likely to return.

Series notes

The Vikings have won five of the past six matchups, covering a 12-year span. The only win by the Falcons was without fans during the pandemic, a 40-23 victory in Minneapolis on Oct. 18, 2020, when current Falcons coach Raheem Morris had taken over as interim coach for the fired Dan Quinn. Cousins threw three interceptions in the first half. ... The Vikings beat the Falcons in the first round of the 1982 playoffs, and the Falcons beat the Vikings in the NFC championship game after the 1998 season. Both games were at the Metrodome, which was torn down to make room for U.S. Bank Stadium's opening in 2016.

Stats and stuff

Coming off a nine-catch game against the Chargers, London has 70 this season to become the first player in team history with at least 65 receptions in each of his first three seasons. … Younghoe Koo, whose hip injury prompted the Falcons to sign Riley Patterson last week as an emergency backup, has made 21 of 29 field-goal tries this season. He did not have more than five misses in any of his first five seasons with the club. … TE Kyle Pitts has only six receptions for Atlanta in the past four games. He was held without a catch on only two targets against the Chargers. … RB Bijan Robinson set a career high with 26 carries for 102 yards last week for Atlanta. … The Vikings have won five straight games and are one game behind Detroit in the NFC North entering Week 14. They can clinch a spot in the playoffs this week with a win plus losses by the Cardinals and the Rams. ... Vikings QB Sam Darnold has a 100-plus passer rating in 10 games, matching Daunte Culpepper (2000) and Brett Favre (2009) for the most in franchise history in a single season. ... Jefferson, who last week became the fourth player in NFL history to reach 1,000 receiving yards in each of his first five seasons, has gone six straight games without a touchdown to match his career-long streak. ... OLB Jonathan Greenard is tied for third in the NFL with 10 sacks, matching Za'Darius Smith (2022) and Kevin Williams (2003) for the most in a player's first season with the Vikings.

Fantasy tip

Cousins has only two interceptions in five road games, but he didn't throw for any touchdowns in either of the past two. He has gone without a TD in four of 12 games this season, matching his shutout total in 88 games with Minnesota. The Vikings defense leads the NFL with 18 interceptions and has at least one takeaway in each of the first 12 games to start season for the first time since a 13-game streak in 2001.

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