Nordo's Numbers: Week 14 vs. Atlanta

In Kirk Cousins' much-anticipated return to Minnesota, the Minnesota Vikings beat the Atlanta Falcons, 42-21. Cousins’ mixed track record of success in Minnesota and his lucrative but tenuous situation in Atlanta complicated the revenge-game narrative. However, he got off to a hot start on a convincing first drive, and the Falcons kept it close in the first half, trailing just 14-10 and out-gaining the Vikings offense. While there weren’t exactly flashes of Kirko Chainz, Atlanta's run-centric offense seemed poised to make a potential comeback.

But it was not to be. The second half told a different story, with a Ray-Ray McCloud fumble and a second Cousins interception helping the Vikings to put the game out of contention with 21 unanswered points.

Here are five numbers to break the Vikings’ convincing home win over their former QB.

25:21

It took 25:21 of game time until Justin Jefferson got his first target. Considering Jefferson and Addison's matchup against one of the NFL's worst pass defenses this week, everyone probably expected Darnold to target Jefferson frequently. Instead, Jefferson went over a quarter and a half before Darnold looked his way.

That’s partially due to another team deciding to try to shut down Jefferson and make the other offensive weapons beat them. Still, it was weird to see No. 18 have such little impact on the box score for most of the first half. Still, he made the most of his first two targets, converting a third-and-long with a 20-yard catch and scoring on a 12-yard grab on a third-and-6. Unbelievably, it was his first touchdown in seven games.

Not only did Jefferson finally get another flashy stat line — seven catches for 132 yards and a pair of touchdowns — he also allowed Addison to draw favorable matchups against old friend Mike Hughes, which Addison exploited multiple times in the first half, ultimately scoring three touchdowns on the day.

3

Darnell Mooney was a problem for the Vikings defense in the first half, recording three plays of more than 20 yards each. Mooney has been Cousins’ favorite target this season. Kirk looked his way often in the first half when picking apart Minnesota’s secondary, which was feeling Stephon Gilmore's absence.

Mooney was able to get vertical early, working primarily on Shaq Griffin. Minnesota’s defense did a good job negating Kyle Pitts and Drake London. However, Mooney ended the second quarter with 101 yards, with almost half of them coming on a 49-yard connection right before the end of the half that helped the Falcons cut the deficit to four points.

Minnesota’s secondary struggled throughout the first half because the defensive line could not get consistent pressure on Cousins. Before the season, everyone knew the Vikings’ secondary might have been their biggest weakness on defense. Their inconsistent first-half play proved how impactful a veteran like Gilmore is to that group.

2

Rookie Jalen Redmond came up big again today with two batted passes. Redmond, 25, is playing in his first season after a year in the XFL with the Arlington Renegades following four seasons at Oklahoma. Redmond earned a game ball last week in a breakout performance where he recorded four tackles and two run stops.

This week, he kept the momentum going with two important batted passes, one of which forced the Falcons offense to settle for a field goal at the end of the half. He was as good in the run game when facing a formidable two-headed attack in Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier. Redmond recorded three more run stops and forced Atlanta’s offense to look to run to the outside, where Minnesota’s defense is much faster.

73

Jefferson got to 7,000 receiving yards in 73 games, the third-fasted of all time. Jefferson crossed this historical mark spectacularly on a 52-yard touchdown catch after Darnold somehow worked his way out of a sack to make an impressive throw on the run.

Though he was mainly MIA in the first half, the second half saw Jefferson tear up Atlanta’s secondary. Even when he didn’t get the ball, his gravity drew defenders to create space for Hockenson and Addison throughout the game.

2004

Darnold threw for 300-plus yards and five touchdowns and became the first Vikings quarterback to do so since Daunte Culpepper in 2004. After a fairly slow start to the first half, Darnold took control of the game, completing a trio of passes for 40 or more yards apiece, hitting Addison and Jefferson multiple times on vertical routes.

Despite facing the NFL’s worst pass rush, Darnold was often under pressure. Darnold took his fair share of sacks early, with the interior offensive line struggling against Grady Jarrett and Co. Despite this, Darnold kept his composure and ultimately put the game out of reach.

Before the game, Adam Schefter reported that, despite his great play, Darnold and the Vikings have not discussed a potential contract extension. This game provided further evidence that Minnesota should perhaps look to find a way to bring him back for another year or two.