September 7th, 2019 
Matt Loede 
Posted in 
The Falcons will look to put a poor 7-9 record in 2018 behind them as they travel to Minnesota to take on the Vikings to start the season.
There are plenty of storylines for this game, and here’s a couple quick things to look for in this week one matchup between two NFC teams.
1. Attack the Vikings Line
The Vikings have been trying to upgrade their offensive line, but it’s still a huge question mark as the 2019 season gets underway.
The Falcons defense will need to get in the backfield and disrupt the Vikings and quarterback Kirk Cousins, and having a good game up front will help the Falcons chances.
Same goes for wrapping up and tackling elusive Vikings back Dalvin Cook, who will look to make an impact after missing last year with an injury.
2. Spread the Ball Around
One way to get the Vikings defense off their game is for Matt Ryan to use each and all of his pass catchers throughout the game.
Sure there’s no doubt that they will look to get their two leading receivers, Julio Jones and Calvin Ridely involved, but let’s not forget about the backs out of the backfield, as well as the tight ends and backup receivers as well.
Ryan needs to have a strong game, and getting off to a quick start with his receivers and pass catchers will help.
3. Watch the Turnovers
The quickest way to lose a game on the road is to give away the ball and let the home team have short fields. It’s easy to say every game to watch out for turnovers, but in this game the Falcons have to be super careful not to give the Vikings easy drives with short fields.
Being smart and not forcing the ball into coverage is going to be the job of Matt Ryan, but also it will be on the running backs and even those on kick returns not to put the ball on the ground and allow Minnesota to have a plus in the turnover ratio.
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