Keep an eye out for these storylines in this coming week as the Atlanta Falcons continue their preparations for the Minnesota Vikings following their victory last week over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
WR Harry Douglas suffered a foot injury during the first half of the game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last week. Tests came back negative on Friday and his status will be updated in this week's first injury report on Wednesday.
Following the foot injury to Vikings' QB Matt Cassel during their loss to the Saints, it was time for rookie QB Teddy Bridgewater to step in. Bridgewater threw for 150 yards in his first regular season NFL game and ran for 27. This will be the first time this season the Falcons have gone against a rookie at quarterback.
With the Minnesota Vikings in the midst of constructing a new stadium, the next two seasons will be played at TCF Bank Stadium, the home of the University of Minnesota Gophers. This is familiar ground for former Gopher DE Ra'Shede Hageman where he appeared in 46 games including starting in his final 26 games.
Vikings' QB Teddy Bridgewater will at least have some veteran assistance down the field in WR Greg Jennings. Jennings has the most catch for the Vikings so far this season with 12 and the second-most yards with 132. Along with Jennings, Bridgewater has second year RB Cordarrelle Patterson, who along with 143 receiving yards has 95 rushing yards.
In WR Devin Hester's career, he has had 20 returns for touchdown and four of those were against the Minnesota Vikings. After the impressive record-breaking return against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 3, this is an opportunity to continue his success.
The Atlanta Falcons will see a familiar face in the Minnesota Vikings with CB Captain Munnerlyn, a former Carolina Panthers. The Falcons face the Panthers twice last season and having background knowledge through previous play against Munnerlyn will be helpful going into this match-up.
With 35 combined tackles, LB Paul Worrilow is tied for the lead in combined tackles in the NFL. Worrilow has been a vital asset to the Falcons defense that shined in the Week 3 match-up against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Between running backs Matt Asiata and Cordarrelle Patterson, the Vikings have a strong running game. The Falcons held the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to 66 yards rushing during the last game and continuing to stop the run is key in getting a win against the Minnesota Vikings.
Playing in the stadium of a college team doesn't happen frequently in the NFL. With construction of the Vikings' new stadium underway, the Vikings home games are being played at TCF Bank Stadium, home of the University of Minnesota Gophers. The last time the Falcons played in a college stadium was back in 2001 against the Arizona Cardinals at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Ariz.
Ready for a flashback? One of the highlight moments of Falcons vs. Vikings history is the game winning field goal by from Atlanta Falcons kicker Morten Andersen during the NFC Championship game in 1999 that sent the Falcons to their first Super Bowl.
Falcons rookie OT Jake Matthews was on the radar of a lot of teams when he entered the 2014 NFL Draft, especially those that were in need of a reliable player at his position.
The Matthews name got the interest flowing; however, the biggest reason teams wanted Matthews was because he knew how to play his position, doing so at a high level of execution.
The Falcoholic’s Jeanna Thomas sat down with Ring of Honor member and former Falcons offensive tackle Mike Kenn, who has been nominated for the 2015 Pro Football Hall of Fame ballot and got his thoughts on the rookie, along with touching on many other topics. "Jake Matthews is a 10-plus-year player barring injury, because he's got a solid foundation, uses his hands well, plays leverage," Kenn told Thomas. "The thing that was refreshing about Jake Matthews is that he actually sets perfect. You can tell his dad (Pro Football Hall-of-Famer Bruce Matthews) taught him. He sets square, his feet are pointed up the field, he sets back in phase."
