EAGAN, Minn. — The incoming Week 14 matchup between the Vikings (10-2) and Falcons (6-6) is ripe with storylines (scroll below) and has significant impact on two division races.

Minnesota enters its second contest of a three-game home stand having won its past five to stay one game behind Detroit (12-1) and one ahead of Green Bay (9-4) in the NFC North.

After opening 1-2, Atlanta claimed five victories in six games before landing on a current three-game skid. The Falcons lead the NFC South having swept the Buccaneers (6-6) for an important tiebreaker if those teams finish with matching records.

Kickoff is noon (CT) on FOX.

Vikings Uniform

The Vikings are opting for the rare combination of purple jerseys and purple pants, a look the team sported in Week 5 when "hosting" the Jets at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Stateside, the last time Minnesota wore purple on purple was in its 2023 Week 7 win against San Francisco.

4 Storylines

1. Finding a way

Every win right now counts as much as the next. But none are the same.

Each game is expressed differently, and some, like all five of Minnesota's victories on its present five-game winning streak, are progressively unbelievable in unique ways. FYI, the Vikings margin of victory since snapping out of a two-game skid is 109-82. In a win streak of the same length to begin the season, it was 139-76.

Conflating the point differential is wrong for the purpose of studying Minnesota's gritty stretch of wins – remember, they count the same but are far from it. We're taking the long ramp to make a simple point: The Vikings are winning games in spite of spurts that would indicate the opposite, which is a good sign.

It means Minnesota, which is harping on the details, is still chasing its best football.

"Every single time we don't have all 11 (players) on the same page this late in the year, that's on us, that's on me," Vikings Head Coach Kevin O'Connell expressed. "So we're trying as coaches to make sure we're stressing those things and doing the little things out on the practice field and walk-throughs, the meetings, to ensure that if we get those things, we feel really confident about the talent level of our guys, the connection of our team in our locker room, good things are gonna happen. And it might not be for 60 minutes just steamrolling people, but we have a belief we're gonna find a way to win the game, and that's what I want this team to feel down the stretch here is we're finding a way to find a way."

2. Cornerback coverage

Seasoned cover man Stephon Gilmore pulled up with a hamstring injury in the final minute of the first half against Arizona and was shelved for the rest of the game. His status this Sunday has not been determined.

If the 13-year veteran can't go, Minnesota likely will roll with 8-year veteran Fabian Moreau, again.

Moreau is a "pro's pro" per Vikings Defensive Coordinator Brian Flores, and his starter-esque approach helped him in Week 13 when he handled 31 defensive snaps – 30 more than his initial 11-game total.

"He was confident going in," Flores recalled Tuesday. "The coverage was sticky. It was tight. Like I said, [Arizona] made a couple good throws and good catches, but he was contesting on all those, too."

Moreau surrendered two catches, including a touchdown on five targets in man coverage against Arizona. He was flagged twice for defensive pass interference, as well – granted one penalty looked like teachtape defense. Moreau started 11-plus games each of the past three seasons, for what it's worth.

The Vikings also could turn to undrafted rookie Dwight "Nudie" McGlothern in the event Gilmore is inactive. McGlothern was a head-turner in the preseason and made the 53-man roster out of training camp.

3. Possible playoff clinch

Minnesota can lock up a seat in the NFC Playoffs with a win over Atlanta. …

In addition to Week 14 losses from the Cardinals and Rams.

So we're saying there's a chance! – a fairly strong one at that. Arizona, which is 4-2 at home, hosts Seattle on Sunday and will attempt to dodge a second loss to the Seahawks in a matter of three weeks. The Seahawks are 3-0 since their bye and corralled Arizona's superb rushing attack in Week 12.

Los Angeles is 3-2 since edging Minnesota in Week 8 but is readying to greet juggernaut Buffalo on the heels of the Bills clinching a playoff berth and their seventh win in a row. We're indifferent to the style points, but the Vikings could benefit from another passing-rushing-receiving TD game by Josh Allen.

If the Cardinals and Rams don't get the job done, the Vikings can do it themselves with two more wins at any point in the final five games, regardless of what else happens in the NFL.

4. Kirk Cousins returns

Saved the most obvious for last.

Kirk Cousins made the Pro Bowl in half of his six seasons as Minnesota's starter (2018-23) and won 50 games. His 171 passing touchdowns over that span ranks second in team history, and his 23,265 yards is third, as are his 16 game-winning drives and 14 fourth-quarter comebacks.

He's had solid bursts, too, with Atlanta – not to mention in prime time.

On Monday Night Football in Week 2, Cousins flicked a TD pass with 34 seconds left to lift the Falcons past Philadelphia, and on Thursday Night Football in Week 5, he used an overtime TD to beat Tampa Bay.

According to NFL researchers, Cousins will be the fourth QB since 2011 to start against a former team of six-plus seasons in his first year after leaving, joining Russell Wilson, Matthew Stafford and Andy Dalton.

Wilson lost with Denver against Seattle in Week 1 of the 2022 slate; Stafford and the Rams beat the Lions in the seventh week of their 2021 Super Bowl campaign, and Dalton won with Dallas in Week 14, 2020 against Cincinnati. The players averaged 286.3 passing yards, with a 6:0 TD-INT ratio in those games.

Interestingly, Cousins owns a reversed split in his past three games, having tossed six picks and no touchdowns since Nov. 10 – it's the first instance in his career with zero pass TDs in three consecutive starts. He leads the NFL right now with 13 interceptions (one off his career-high 14 in 2022, by the way).

Flores, however, isn't blinking at the slippage in play and called Cousins a "very, very good quarterback."

"He's a bounce back type of guy, as we all know," Flores stated. "So we're gonna, I'm expecting his best – the best version of Kirk, the best version of that offense. It's gonna be a major challenge for us."

3 Things 'Bout the Falcons

1. Skill-FULL

Atlanta's offense is one of two in the NFL this season, accompanying the Dolphins, featuring three players with 50-plus receptions: Drake London (70), Darnell Mooney (51) and Bijan Robinson (51).

Furthermore, the Falcons offense is one of two, alongside the Packers, with four players already surpassed 450 receiving yards: London (796), Mooney (731), Kyle Pitts (494) and Ray-Ray McCloud III (476).

The depth and different skill sets of Atlanta playmakers is impressive.

London is a walking target and a contested-catch king, with the league's No. 5 and No. 2 postings (103 and 19) in those categories. Mooney is gassing defenses; he's tied for fifth among all players with nine catches of at least 20 yards. Pitts is a big-time threat after the catch, averaging the fourth-most YAC among tight ends per reception (6.8). Lastly, McCloud is capitalizing on big ramp-ups off the ball as evidenced by his 8.1-yard average cushion, the largest in the NFL according to Next Gen Stats. The foursome has caught 15 of Cousins' 17 TD passes.

2. Losing momentum

Atlanta started the season 6-3 and was humming offensively, averaging 28.7 points per game in Weeks 4-9 before it was humbled in a string of three straight losses against the Saints, Broncos and Chargers. The Falcons are 1-5 against teams with a winning record on the season.

Their offense ranks bottom three in the NFL in points per game (12.0), turnovers (2.0), third-down percentage (29.3) and red zone TD percentage (25.0) since Week 10.

The Falcons defense has allowed points on 46.2% of drives, and quarterbacks have a 100.4 passer rating. The latter bodes well for Sam Darnold, who has a 102.5 rating and is tied at 10 with Brett Favre (2009) and Daunte Culpepper (2000) for the most games in a season in Vikings history with a rating of 100 or higher.

To their credit, however, the Falcons are coming off an epic defensive effort against the Chargers that nearly amounted to a win on a day that Cousins threw four picks. Atlanta limited Los Angeles to 10 first downs and 187 total yards, becoming the first team to lose a game while allowing less than 190 yards and recording five-plus sacks since the Bengals fell to the Ravens in overtime in Week 10 of 2013.

3. Improved ground game

Atlanta has occasionally carved up run defenses, gaining 150-plus rushing yards on four occasions.

There are more instances, however, of the Falcons run game getting mitigated, netting fewer than 90 yards five times. There's at least been some consistency since Week 6, recording 100-plus yards in six of seven.

Running back Tyler Allgeier acts like more of a change-of-pace from Bijan Robinson than a true backup. Allgeier has rushed for a first down on 28 of 93 carries (30%) and has slightly more yards per attempt (4.8) than Robinson (4.6), the 8^th overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. While both players blend shiftiness with power, Allgeier puts his compass north quicker – he spends less time behind the line of scrimmage (2.81 seconds compared to 2.88) per NGS – and averages more rush yards over expected.

Of course, Robinson's game-breaking potential makes him the player that must be stopped.

2 Vikings to Track

Sam Darnold: The QB has posted three consecutive games with at least 20 completions, two touchdown passes and zero turnovers, matching a run accomplished by Hall of Famer Warren Moon (1995) and matched by Cousins (2021). No Vikings QB has ever posted four such games in a row.

Justin Jefferson: The receiver is 63 yards away from hitting 7,000 in his career. If he reaches that threshold, he'll pass Vikings Legend Jake Reed (6,999) and become the 162^nd player all-time with at least 7,000 yards. Jefferson also will become the youngest player (25 years, 175 days) to reach 7,000. Mike Evans (26 years, 81 days) currently holds the record.

1 Key Matchup

Vikings defense vs. Falcons RB Bijan Robinson

Simple principles – setting edges, defeating blocks, defending cutbacks – can be easier said than done.

They'll have to be executed on a snap-by-snap basis to prevent Robinson from sticking his foot in the ground, bouncing plays outside, sifting through arm tackles and ripping off drive-defining explosives.

On Friday, O'Connell recalled his impression of Robinson coming out of the University of Texas.

"I remember really watching, a couple times, him and [Jahmyr] Gibbs, and just really thinking either one of these guys are gonna be incredibly impactful," O'Connell said. "He's a tough runner. He's a really, really good wide-zone runner, and that's what they specialize in … truly trying to attack the C gaps."

Stylistically, Robinson poses a similar challenge as Gibbs, who in Week 7 rushed 15 times for 116 yards and two touchdowns against the Vikings and added four receptions for 44 yards. The multi-purpose backs, built to thrive in wide-open spaces, are tied with 42 missed tackles forced per Pro Football Focus.

Robinson is ninth in the NFL with 885 rushing yards, fourth at his position in receiving yards (392) and fourth overall with 1,277 scrimmage yards. He's one of two players with a combo of at least 850 and 300 (Alvin Kamara), and he is PFF's second-highest graded RB (91.4) behind Derrick Henry (91.9).

It's a stiff test for Flores' No. 1-ranked run defense, which has restricted opponents to the fewest yards per game (81.3) and rush TDs (5) through 13 weeks this season. Robinson is amidst a particularly dangerous spree, with 100-plus scrimmage yards in six of his past seven games – as many as Saquon Barkley and Joe Mixon.

"He's been everything I've expected him to be," O'Connell added. "He's been that and more."

Friday Updates …

The following content was added Dec. 6 after initial publication.

Status Report

The Vikings ruled out cornerback Stephon Gilmore, who suffered a hamstring injury in Week 13 against Arizona. He was replaced by veteran Fabian Moreau.

Minnesota also listed outside linebackers Andrew Van Ginkel (thigh) and Pat Jones II (knee), guard Dalton Risner (back), defensive lineman Harrison Phillips (back), long snapper Andrew DePaola (hand) and kicker Will Reichard (right quadriceps) as questionable.

DePaola and Reichard fully participated all week. Phillips was added Friday as a limited participant. Van Ginkel and Jones were listed as limited all week.

Memorable Week 14 Quotes

Kevin O'Connell on Falcons Offensive Coordinator Zac Robinson

"Zac and I spent a lot of time together the two years we coached together in L.A. I have a ton of respect for his understanding, not only just of the pass game but his understanding of how it fits together as an offense — first, second, third down; what you're asking your players to do, how you're going to get guys touches while still staying true to your progressions. ... I think he's a really good teacher, and he's proving to be a really good play-caller, and it's really his first opportunity getting to do that. Just speaking from experience of what we learn every single week, getting to do that every game is massive for your confidence level and preparation. I know Zac's had a big impact on that team and probably on Kirk in that offense."

Defensive Coordinator Brian Flores on Fabian Moreau stepping in for Stephon Gilmore

"He's a pro's pro. You know, if he wants to coach down the road, he can certainly do that. He's got a lot of ball in front of him, and I'm not saying that, but you know, he's very smart, understands the game. He's great for both the veteran players like Harrison Smith and Gilly (Gilmore) to just bounce questions off of concepts, and certainly for the young guys, he's an experienced player who made a lot of plays and played a lot of football in his career, and I feel like with the attrition in this industry, at some point we were going to need him, and he was ready to go. He certainly was ready to go.

"I know he prepares as if he's going to go in at any point. I think he's been in the league long enough to know that things happen quickly, and when an opportunity presents itself, you've got to be ready to go. I know he's constantly saying that to younger players. I think that's something we all talk about. You never know when that opportunity is going to present itself. When it does, the preparation has to be there in order to have the kind of confidence to go out there and perform. He was confident going in. The coverage was sticky. It was tight. They made a couple good throws and good catches. But, he was contested on a lot of those, too. I thought he played really well."

Offensive Coordinator Wes Phillips on Darnold's impressive pass to Jordan Addison against Arizona

"Oh, yeah. We react just like everyone else does, like (grimaces in concern with a sound effect, then sign of relief), 'Man, what a throw.' A great throw. But like I said, you know he's confident in his ability and knows he has that kind of in his bag. Definitely not a throw that I ever would have attempted.

"Sam is a high-level thrower of the football. I don't think there's any question about that, and I don't think that's really ever been in question. But you know, what we love to see is just the consistency. And now through a few games, as far as protecting the football, not only throwing the football, but in the pocket. … There were times where he pulled out of some things. He had some scrambles again in the game, got us some yards, or got back to the line of scrimmage, at least, and didn't create a negative for us."

Sam Darnold on finding answers against opposing defenses

"That's part of the game, right? Especially with a group like we had in Arizona. We're aware of them potentially bringing a different look that was un-scouted. So just being able to talk on the sideline, communicate like that, that is the fun part about football, as well – like the schemes, the Xs and Os and, you know, being able to communicate and talk about that stuff on the sideline. We enjoy that, I enjoy that personally, so just being able to … communicate and be better that way in these games as we continue throughout the season."

Aaron Jones, Sr., on his mother being 'tough' on him after a difficult game

"She said [in regards to the fumbles], 'They need to sit you down.' She was like, 'I don't know what's going on, but they need to take him out of the game. They need to bench him right now.' Anytime I hear it from my mom, it's going to be worse [than others' critique]. I said, 'I've gotta learn from it,' and she was like, 'Well, you didn't learn last week?' I was just like, 'Damn, Mom.' I kind of didn't know what to say. But it's what I need, my mom being hard on me. That was my dad for so many years. My dad's not here, so now my mom's kind of taken on that role without me asking her. But it's kind of eye-opening when your mom has been – your dad gets on you, and your mom's the one rubbing your back, 'It's OK,' and now Mom's gettin' on you and nobody's back there, 'Hey, it's OK.' "

Hockenson on having Josh Oliver back in the lineup:

"Josh is great, obviously a big part of the tight ends room, so it's great to have him back. You know, he can do some things in the run game that not many tight ends in this league can do. He's a big guy, obviously, can move 350-pound guys that are 3-techniques or whatever, and it's fun to watch him. So yeah, to have him back is huge for us as a team and as a tight ends room. We're rolling now and excited to have him back, for sure."

From the Inbox

There are only a handful of elite quarterbacks that you hate to have the ball in the closing minutes of a game. Thinking back, I would put Tom Brady, Joe Montana, Aaron Rodgers, John Elway and probably Pat Mahomes in that conversation. Sam Darnold is not in that class YET, but he led a game-clinching drive in overtime against the Bears & finished up the Cardinals game in a calm manner with no mistakes. Can he lead the Vikings to the Super Bowl? That is yet to be determined, but it's time to give Sam the props he deserves. The boys are 10-2, and it's time to enjoy the ride. They are far from perfect, but as O'Connell commented, there is no quit in this team and somehow they find a way. Let's stop the negativity and always trying to find fault with the performance and celebrate what they have accomplished to this point. SKOL!

— Bruce Heimkes in Gilbert, Arizona

The Vikings have opened a season at 10-2 for the second time in three seasons under O'Connell. It's an elite accomplishment, and it hasn't been achieved without having to overcome varied challenges.

That includes a significant challenge by a well-coached upstart Arizona squad. Flores mentioned on Tuesday he sent a separate text to Cardinals Offensive Coordinator (and former Vikings assistant) Drew Petzing to compliment him.

I know people often like to try to decompress through the enjoyment of sporting events, but most games in the NFL are close because the league prioritizes parity through multiple policies.

I also think Mahomes has already earned his place among that group of players Bruce mentioned

Darnold's answer about working through game-day tests to eventually find the answers was one of my favorite quotes of the week. He's having a blast, and that's with blitzers coming at him and laying some big hits.

I just want to say that I am happy with the last 3 road victories and the come-from-behind win against the Cardinals but …

I want to make some observations:

1. We have to stop making Sam Darnold a "Sitting Duck" in the pocket! We have to do more rollouts and quick passes to the outside to our tight-ends and running backs (Chuck Foreman) – get the defensive linemen from the opposing team running back and forth, so by the fourth quarter they are exhausted. It helps out the offensive line and eventually opens up the down field passing game later in the game.

2. Sam Darnold has to start running out of the pocket – with a run/pass option – getting 5-10-15 yards isn't so bad! It also helps with pass protection!! It eventually affects the d-lineman, and they hesitate. Just watch our d-line when the Cardinals QB ran out of the pocket!!

3. What happened to our screen and draw game? Even if it doesn't work, it helps late in the game – the d-line starts to hesitate!!

4. Lastly, Coach O'Connell, who I love, has to start kicking some butt and quit being Mr. Nice Guy to everyone. Sometimes chewing a player's butt has the same or better effect than always patting them on the butt!!

— Kurt in Aberdeen, South Dakota

There was almost a vapor trail on a couple of those blitzes dialed up by Cardinals Head Coach Jonathan Gannon and Defensive Coordinator Nick Rallis (also former Vikings assistants). I was particularly impressed with Darnold's ability to protect the football, get back up and play the next snap.

Perhaps the Vikings do incorporate more movement around the pocket or bootlegs against different opponents going forward. He has shown good mobility — thinking especially of the Titans game with this comment — and yards gained by QBs with off-schedule plays are so important to sustaining drives.

Kyler Murray was incredibly fast-footed the other day, and Caleb Williams also showcased his mobility against Minnesota in the past two weeks.

Minnesota seemed to have mixed success with screens against Arizona. I'm sure the coaches are always looking to maximize the effectiveness of each snap.

As for item four, I think O'Connell has built so much of his coaching philosophy on building up other people and creating an environment of players having personal accountability and emphasizing it because they don't want to let teammates or coaches down. That said, we all know how important it is to have ball security.