The Atlanta Falcons find themselves going up against the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday. In Week 1 of the regular season, anything can happen – and with two good teams going up against one another, it should be fun.
The Vikings are the home team and have a lot going for them. Their defense has elite potential and the offense should as well.
Although Kirk Cousins didn't look great in his first year with the team, he could turn things around. Is he elite? No, but he does have a ton of weapons and the talent to put them to good use.
With that in mind, the Vikings enter the game as favorites. Can the Falcons sneak out a victory though?
Here are four bold predictions for the Atlanta Falcons in Week 1 of the regular season against the Minnesota Vikings.
Julio Jones Celebrates His New Deal
Julio Jones agreed to a contract extension with the Atlanta Falcons worth $66-million ($64-million guaranteed) over three years.
He's one of the best wide receivers in the NFL and he's getting paid like it. Now he's going to go out there and celebrate by proving it.
You can't really stop Jones, you can only hope to contain him. The Minnesota Vikings will try their best, but like just about everyone else – they don't really have someone to matchup with him.
You can double-team and even triple-team him, but the Falcons have enough weapons that this could cause problems. Also, he's proven adept at not letting multiple defenders bother him all that much.
Jones will be locked-in on Sunday, expect a handful of catches and well over 100 yards. Maybe even a touchdown or two.
Defense Picks Off Kirk Cousins Multiple Times
Kirk Cousins is a streaky quarterback. Anyone that's watched him over the years knows that this is simply a fact. He can get locked in and cause problems for a defense. However, if he gets rattled early on, things can go sour pretty quickly.
The Falcons offense will strike quickly on Minnesota's defense, and Cousins will find himself playing with a deficit. From there, the defense will put the pressure on and Cousins will start to force throws.
Atlanta will walk away with a few interceptions, starting year number two of the Kirk Cousins era off on the wrong foot for the Vikings.
Devonta Freeman Looks Healthy
Devonta Freeman had 14 carries last year – that's it. He played in just two games and it's led to a lot of people wondering about his future.
When healthy, Freeman is one of the most explosive and versatile running backs in the NFL. Will he ever be that way again though?
The Atlanta Falcons seem to believe so, as they let Tevin Coleman go and put the keys to the running game solely in Freeman's hands.
Freeman will silence a lot of the doubt immediately this year. He'll pick up around 100 yards on the ground and have a few big plays in the passing game. Healthy and ready to go, a lot of people will realize he's back to his dominant form.
Falcons Sneak One Out In Minnesota
Playing away from home in the NFL can never be easy. The crowd is loud and against you, and the field is unfamiliar.
This is only more of a problem when facing the Minnesota Vikings. The crowd is always into it and that defense is legit. It's not something you want to face anytime, let alone without home field advantage.
Don't sleep on that offense either. Dalvin Cook is poised for a breakout year and the receivers are top-notch.
All that being said, the Atlanta Falcons are serious Super Bowl contenders this year. Matt Ryan is still at the top of his game. He has a great receiving corps led by Julio Jones, and Devonta Freeman is healthy at running back. The defense has some serious studs as well.
Everything will come together nicely for them on Sunday. In doing so, they'll walk out of Minnesota with a win, despite being listed as the underdogs. It will likely be a very hard fought battle, and that will reflect in a close final score. Don't expect much more than a one-score win.
Still, a win is a win, and the Atlanta Falcons will start the year 1-0.
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