The Minnesota Vikings are one of 20 NFL teams hoping to have a bounce-back season that lands them in the playoffs. The journey starts against the Atlanta Falcons.

On paper, the Vikings have a talented roster, but that didn't get them far last year. The team ended the 2018 season with an 8-7-1 record in Kirk Cousins' first season with the organization.

Along with him, the offense boasts an arsenal of weapons that includes Dalvin Cook, Stefon Diggs, and Adam Thielen. You also can't forget about Kyle Rudolph and rookie Irv Smith at the tight end position.

As for the defense, Danielle Hunter, Anthony Barr, and Harrison Smith lead the way. Since Mike Zimmer became the head coach in 2014, the Vikings have been a defensive juggernaut.

This year, Minnesota is hoping to grab a division title in a competitive NFC North. The Vikings' journey to the playoffs begins on Sunday against the Atlanta Falcons.

The Falcons sport a high-flying offense with Matt Ryan under center and Julio Jones, Calvin Ridley, and Mohamed Sanu out wide. Here are three keys for the Vikings to defeat the Falcons in Week 1 this Sunday.

3. Contain Julio Jones

In Week 1, the Vikings will be tasked with trying to slow down Julio Jones and the Falcons passing attack. If Jones gets into a groove, Minnesota's secondary is going to be in for a tough day.

It's expected that the Vikings would like to have Xavier Rhodes on Jones as often as humanly possible. At the same time, Atlanta will presumably move Jones around to create mismatches on the field.

The last time that the Vikings faced Jones, they surprisingly shut him down to two receptions for 24 yards. However, that was two years ago and Jones is still one of the NFL's best pass-catchers today.

2. Apply Pressure on Matt Ryan

The Vikings can seize control of this game if they are able to create pressure on Matt Ryan. If you create pressure on Matt Ryan, there's a solid chance he won't have time to get the ball to Julio down the field; get two birds with one stone.

Getting pressure on Ryan is easier said than done against the Falcons' revamped offensive line. Last season, Minnesota tallied 50 sacks as a team (tied for third-most in the NFL).

The Vikings have a dynamic pass-rushing duo in Danielle Hunter and Everson Griffen. Those two guys will need to be in midseason form if they want to make a difference in this game. Most quarterbacks hate having to deal with pressure in their face and Ryan isn't an exception.

1. Balance the Offense

One of the reasons the Vikings struggled for the majority of the 2018 season: They failed to establish their rushing attack. While John DeFilippo was the offensive coordinator last year, they absolutely abandoned their running game.

After firing DeFilippo during the season, Kevin Stefanski assumed the role of offensive coordinator and did a better job of utilizing Dalvin Cook and Latavius Murray on the ground. Stefanski will need to come with that same mindset this season—beginning in Week 1.

It's understandable that the Vikings would want to throw it 50 times a game with Cousins under center and the plethora of pass-catching options they have. However, no team is going to win games consistently without balancing the offense to keep the defense on its heels.

The game on Sunday may turn into a shootout, so it may depend on who has the better rushing attack to control the clock late in the game. Minnesota will want to win in the trenches and utilize Cook early and often.