Vikings vs. Falcons takeaways: Sam Darnold throws five TDs, Kirk Cousins picked twice as Minnesota rolls

Cousins' homecoming didn't end well for Atlanta

MINNEAPOLIS -- Kirk Cousins started hot in his return to U.S. Bank Stadium, helping the Atlanta Falcons score first in Sunday's anticipated matchup with the Minnesota Vikings, who employed the big-money quarterback for more than a half-decade. Cousins' homecoming went much better for his old team, however, as the Vikings picked him off twice and got a career-high five touchdown passes from Sam Darnold, cruising to a 42-21 victory that keeps them among the top contenders in the NFC playoff race.

Atlanta had spurts of explosive offense on the road, with Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier each breaking off key runs, and both Darnell Mooney and Ray-Ray McCloud corralling deep balls from Cousins. The Vikings secondary made up for it with a pair of picks, however, and Kevin O'Connell's attack did the rest, averaging more than 8 yards per play deep into the fourth quarter, with both Jordan Addison and Justin Jefferson hauling in seven passes for 130+ yards and two scores. Darnold, in particular, was sharp as ever, keeping his eyes downfield despite some occasional heat from Raheem Morris' defensive front.

Here are some major takeaways from Sunday's showdown:

Play of the game

Sam Darnold had himself a showcase performance, and his 52-yard bomb to Jefferson was especially spicy, considering he shook away several pass rushers before launching it deep:

The Vikings finally look like a real contender

Seven of Minnesota's previous eight wins were one-score decisions, and many of them came against iffy opponents (i.e. the entire AFC South). Sunday was a different story, with the club finally breaking away in crunch time, and O'Connell's offense never really taking its foot off the gas. The Falcons might just be another mediocre opponent (more on that below), but the fact the Vikings left with such a convincing win, with both sides of the ball stepping up with splash plays, suggests this group is actually a better representative of its impressive 11-2 record than many realized.

Sam Darnold's little turnover spree earlier this year feels like a distant memory, and he's now been playing top-10 ball for much of his Vikings debut. Throw in the talent at his disposal out wide, plus Brian Flores' unit's undying penchant for timely takeaways, and maybe NFC North rivals like the Detroit Lions and Green Bay Packers have real reason to worry about their purple foes down the stretch. After all, thanks to their sixth straight win on Sunday, the Vikings are still just a single game back from the Lions for the conference's No. 1 seed.

The Falcons look like toast in the South

To be clear, the NFC South is ugly enough that Atlanta can't be fully written off as potential division champions, even considering their latest defeat. But the Falcons, who flashed against the rival Tampa Bay Buccaneers on multiple occasions, are sinking in large part because of their commitment to Cousins. Yes, the quarterback had a few nice touch passes on his old stomping grounds, but he also had two more picks -- both of which could've benefited from his usual passing velocity from the pocket. That means he's up to eight picks and zero touchdowns in the Falcons' 0-4 stretch; while he's clearly still capable of shepherding drives, the finishing touch -- the "it" factor -- just hasn't been there, and it may well derail their chances of making any kind of real run.

Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier and Drake London and Darnell Mooney have all been respectable weapons at certain times, but the offense as a whole has struggled too often when it counts. And that's saying nothing of Raheem Morris' defense, which got torched on the back end while up against the Vikings' pass catchers. Even standout veterans like Jessie Bates looked lost in coverage. Barring a drastic turnaround, this group appears headed for a second-place finish in an ugly division.

What's next

The Vikings (11-2) will stay at home to host a Monday night matchup with the rival Chicago Bears in Week 15. The Falcons (6-7) will look to avoid a fifth straight defeat when they travel to play the Las Vegas Raiders, who fell to the Buccaneers on Sunday.

[Dec 8, 2024 at 3:57 pm ET · Cody Benjamin]

Aaron Jones rubs salt in the wound

The Vikings are moving to 11-2:

[Dec 8, 2024 at 3:45 pm ET · Cody Benjamin]

Cousins throws second INT to seal Falcons' defeat

Atlanta is headed for its fourth straight loss, as Kirk Cousins sends one deep toward Kyle Pitts, only for Byron Murphy Jr. to snag a pick one-handed. Ugly throw after a decent drive with some nice plays by Darnell Mooney and Ray-Ray McCloud. And it'll all but wrap this one up in Minnesota's favor.

[Dec 8, 2024 at 3:37 pm ET · Cody Benjamin]

Darnold throws fifth TD as Vikings extend lead

Talk about stealing the spotlight from Minnesota's old quarterback: Sam Darnold hits Jordan Addison on a slant, and it's an easy third score for the second-year pass catcher. This one might be in the bag.

[Dec 8, 2024 at 3:29 pm ET · Cody Benjamin]

Addison strikes again as Vikings reclaim lead

Sam Darnold is delivering some Pro Bowl-caliber darts in this one, now up to four passing scores on the afternoon. His latest: an 11-yard zinger to Jordan Addison, who's now reached the end zone twice against Atlanta. The young wideout is up to 118 yards on six catches, teaming up with Justin Jefferson (6-125-1) to shred the Falcons secondary.

[Dec 8, 2024 at 3:16 pm ET · Cody Benjamin]

One drive after the Vikings seem to blow the game open with another Sam Darnold bomb, the Falcons strike back just like that: Tyler Allegeier jumpstarts the series with a bullish run after shaking off a hard hit from Josh Metellus, then Kirk Cousins deals against soft coverage and Bijan Robinson finishes the job, surging up the gut for both a touchdown and two-point conversion. We've got ourselves a tie ballgame, 21-21.

[Dec 8, 2024 at 3:09 pm ET · Cody Benjamin]

Darnold chucks it for another huge TD!

Kirk who? Sam Darnold escapes pocket pressure, rolls right, and despite a clear lane to run for the first down against Atlanta, he keeps his eyes downfield and launches one to Justin Jefferson, who couldn't be more wide open working against the Falcons secondary. It's a 52-yard score, and all of a sudden the Vikings feel in control on their own turf, now up 21-13:

[Dec 8, 2024 at 3:03 pm ET · Cody Benjamin]

Falcons pull within one point

Andrew Van Ginkel nearly jumps a Kirk Cousins pass, threatening to log his third pick-six of the season, but the Falcons retain possession and close their drive with a 29-yard Younghoe Koo field goal. It's 14-13. Kirk Cousins has engineered a couple of long, methodical drives, but Atlanta has struggled to finish series.

[Dec 8, 2024 at 2:54 pm ET · Cody Benjamin]

London saves Cousins from another INT

Kirk Cousins darts one to Drake London, and the ball initially appears to be picked by Shaq Griffin, who steps just in front of the wideout to make the play. But the two go to the ground with seemingly equal control of the rock, and the officials then rule it a catch for London. Kevin O'Connell proceeds to challenge the call, but the refs confirm the decision; not really sure what O'Connell expected to gain from such a tossup call to begin with, though some replays appeared to show London having just one hand on the ball at the time the two sides went to the ground.

[Dec 8, 2024 at 2:50 pm ET · Cody Benjamin]

Vikings' Reichard misses from 47

Back from injury, Will Reichard can't connect, with his field goal banging off the left upright, failing to give Minnesota a seven-point lead. The Falcons' pass rush has been a highlight for Atlanta's defense, with seven tackles for loss and four sacks so far. This is still anyone's game.

[Dec 8, 2024 at 2:26 pm ET · Cody Benjamin]

Falcons settle for FG after long drive

Younghoe Koo caps a 68-yard drive with a 20-yard kick, and we've got a 14-10 ballgame. If you're the Falcons, you wish you could've finished with more: Kirk Cousins had a perfect deep shot to Darnell Mooney, who easily beat Shaq Griffin with his speed to clear 100 yards on the day, but the red-zone rushing game didn't deliver. We're headed to the break with Minnesota on top.

[Dec 8, 2024 at 2:12 pm ET · Cody Benjamin]

Justin Jefferson puts Minnesota ahead

So the Falcons' defensive holding comes back to bite them: The Vikings get a fresh set of downs instead of settling for three, and Sam Darnold delivers a strike across the middle to Jefferson. It's a 12-yard score, with the star wideout beating Dee Alford while slanting into the end zone.

[Dec 8, 2024 at 2:09 pm ET · Cody Benjamin]

The officials call a delayed holding penalty on Atlanta during the Vikings' short field goal try, so the points are wiped off the board and Minnesota gets a fresh set of downs deep in Falcons territory. It's 7-7 again, but Sam Darnold and Co. have another shot to punch it into the end zone.

[Dec 8, 2024 at 2:08 pm ET · Cody Benjamin]

Vikings claim three-point lead

The pressure finally gets to Sam Darnold, with Arnold Ebiketie contacting the quarterback's arm mid-pass. The officials initially rule it a fumble, with Atlanta returning the lose ball across midfield, then reverse the call to an incomplete pass, with replay revealing Darnold's arm was moving forward. Will Reichard follows up with a 39-yard field goal, and Minnesota now leads it 10-7 before halftime.

[Dec 8, 2024 at 1:59 pm ET · Cody Benjamin]

The Falcons' first drive:

• 11 plays, 70 yards, TD

The Falcons' drives since:

• 8 plays, turnover on downs
• 4 plays, interception
• 8 plays, punt

[Dec 8, 2024 at 1:42 pm ET · Cody Benjamin]

Metellus picks off Cousins

There's the Kirk of recent weeks. Set up nicely after a long Bijan Robinson run, the former Vikings signal-caller floats one deep to Drake London, only for the ball to drop right into the hands of Josh Metellus, who snags his first pick since Week 2 against the San Francisco 49ers. The velocity wasn't there.

[Dec 8, 2024 at 1:33 pm ET · Cody Benjamin]

Darnold chucks it up, and it works

Atlanta's defense started strong, but it breaks badly on a deep shot from Sam Darnold, with Jordan Addison finding space downfield and hauling in a 49-yard heave for a score. Nice adjustment by the wideout, but that's also just poor coverage on the Falcons' end, particularly from former Vikings cornerback Mike Hughes. It's now a 7-7 ballgame in Minneapolis.

[Dec 8, 2024 at 1:28 pm ET · Cody Benjamin]

Vikings force turnover on downs

Brian Flores' front finally heats up, with Dallas Turner and Blake Cashman getting in Kirk Cousins' face to force a fourth-and-5. Atlanta goes for it past midfield, and Cousins can't connect with an open Ray-Ray McCloud, who can't haul in a catchable ball with Shaq Griffin on his tail.

[Dec 8, 2024 at 1:26 pm ET · Cody Benjamin]

Eddie Goldman and Arnold Ebiketie with a sack apiece on the Falcons' first defensive series, by the way, just straight-up beating their men up front to force an early Vikings punt. It's all Atlanta right now, with Kirk Cousins and Co. controlling the ball and clock thanks to their under-center and play-action approach.

[Dec 8, 2024 at 1:24 pm ET · Cody Benjamin]

Falcons leaning into under-center offense

This is where Kirk Cousins thrives, and finally Atlanta appears to be centering its calls around the quarterback's preferences. He's off to a hot start, opening 5 of 6, averaging 12.5 yards per attempt. Darnell Mooney is the latest to snag a clean over-the-middle shot, even with pressure in Cousins' face.

[Dec 8, 2024 at 1:12 pm ET · Cody Benjamin]

Falcons start strong in Minnesota

Kirk Cousins' return begins with a heavy dose of Bijan Robinson, who gets the call on a fourth-and-short deep in Vikings territory and moves the chains. Cousins looks just fine, completing a couple of darts over the middle, including to Drake London, and gets his new squad into the end zone. Tyler Allgeier seals the deal with a powerful run up the gut, and Brian Flores' typically stout run defense falls behind early. It's 7-0 Atlanta, despite Vikings Country giving Cousins a hearty round of boos as he took the field.