The Minnesota Vikings were one of the biggest disappointments of the 2018 NFL season, missing the playoffs after receiving a ton of hype leading up to the year. Heading into the 2019 season, Minnesota was motivated to get things off to a good start and they were able to do just that.

When everything was said and done, the Vikings ended up defeating the Atlanta Falcons by a final score of 28-12.

Many thought the game would end up being a shootout with two high-powered and star-studded offenses going up against each other. Kirk Cousins, Adam Thielen, Stefon Diggs, and Dalvin Cook against Matt Ryan, Julio Jones, and Devonta Freeman is a pretty good matchup. Atlanta didn't live up to the hype though.

Minnesota has to be feeling good about what they saw in their first game of the season. They have a lot of competition in the NFC North with the Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears in particular, and they cannot afford to dig themselves a hole early in the season. Getting off to a strong start is a huge step towards the end goal of making a Super Bowl run.

All of that being said, let's dive in and take a look at the three biggest takeaways from the Vikings' Week 1 win.

3. They Aren't Relying Solely On Kirk Cousins Anymore

There were a ridiculous amount of expectations for Cousins last season in his first year with the Vikings. He was given a big contract in free agency and many were upset with the results they saw. In game one, Cousins only ended up throwing the football 10 times and completed eight of them for 98 yards and a touchdown.

Mike Zimmer and company knew that they could not overload Cousins with expectations. Cousins is going to get a bigger role moving forward, but it was great to see that they aren't relying so heavily on the pass.

2. The Defense Is Legitimate

In the first game of the 2019 NFL season on Thursday night, both the Packers and Bears showed off high-quality defenses. Now, the Vikings have matched those performances.

Holding Matt Ryan and a very high-powered Atlanta offense to just 12 points is impressive. Minnesota will need a strong defense in order to compete for the division title. This game was a great step in the right direction.

1. Dalvin Cook Is Out To Prove A Point

Finally, the biggest bright spot of the entire game for the Vikings was the play of running back Dalvin Cook. He has struggled with injury issues and has received a lot of criticism for not living up to all the hype that surrounded him last year. This week, he proved a point to the NFL.

Cook carried the football 21 times for 111 yards and two touchdowns. Those numbers are without question the kind of production that Minnesota was looking for from him. If Cook can continue putting up those numbers, the Vikings are going to be a very difficult team to beat this season and might be a legitimate Super Bowl contender.