Falcons, Vikings face questions after poor outings last week
ATLANTA (AP) - For both the Falcons and the Vikings, the message is the same.
Remain calm. All is well.
Atlanta (6-4) has lost three straight - by a total of seven points - and four of its last five after a 5-0 start, endangering its playoff hopes. Minnesota (7-3) is coming off one of its worst performances in a strong season, losing 30-13 at home to Green Bay.
Naturally, both teams faced plenty of questions this week as they prepared to meet Sunday at the Georgia Dome.
Especially the Falcons, who once seemed like a playoff lock but now are just one game ahead of Tampa Bay and Seattle in the NFC wild-card race.
"There's no panic," Atlanta safety Ricardo Allen said. "We've got to finish. Yeah, you look at wins and losses. But just look at the scores. We lost the last three by seven. A panic would be you're getting blown out of the water. We know we're there, we're right there."
Minnesota cornerback Terence Newman said there's no reason for concern with his team, either. Hey, everyone can have a bad game.
"I don't know why people are acting like we lost 10 games in a row or something," Newman moaned. "It's one game, and we didn't play the best that we could."
Vikings coach Mike Zimmer said it's important to stop the bleeding now.
Minnesota still controls its fate in the NFC Central. The loss to the Packers was only a minor wound, one that can be quickly patched up with a victory over the Falcons.
"The biggest mistake that we can make is that we let that loss become more than one," Zimmer said. "You get beat once, shame on us, but two of them, then it's shame on me."
The Falcons will hold out running back Devonta Freeman, who left last week's loss to the Colts with a concussion. Rookie Tevin Coleman is expected to start.
Shayne Graham, signed on Thursday, will fill in for Falcons kicker Matt Bryant, who will miss the game with a right quadriceps injury. Also, wide receiver Leonard Hankerson will be held out with a hamstring injury.
Since the 1970 NFL-AFL merger, 66 of 72 teams that started 5-0 went on to make the playoffs. If the Falcons don't start winning some close ones, they're going to buck that trend.
"We've had six games decided by four points or less," rookie coach Dan Quinn said. "We're 3-3 in those games. That's not good enough."
Here are some things to watch for when the Vikings take on the Falcons:
WHERE'S WALLACE? Acquired this year from Miami to be the go-to receiver, Mike Wallace had a modestly productive start for Minnesota. But he has totaled just two catches and 26 yards over the last four games, targeted 10 times during that span. With Wallace's salary cap hit of $9.9 million this season, that's hardly worth the investment. The emergence of rookie Stefon Diggs and a career-best game by tight end Kyle Rudolph last week give quarterback Teddy Bridgewater some other options.
RYAN'S STRUGGLES: Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan is taking a lot of heat for the team's recent struggles, in particular, last week's 24-21 loss to the Colts. Atlanta had a pair of two-touchdown leads, but Ryan threw a crucial interception out of his end zone that was returned for a tying score in the fourth quarter. He had a season-high three interceptions, ruining his first three-touchdown game of the year. Ryan acknowledges he's got to play better, but there are no other options in Atlanta. Sean Renfree, a former seventh-round pick, is the backup.
YELLOW FLAGS: The Vikings went into last Sunday's game as the least-penalized team in the league. But they had eight flags accepted by Green Bay, for a total of 110 yards. "I don't think we're too concerned with the penalties," linebacker Anthony Barr insisted. "I think we're more upset with how we played."
BALL SECURITY: Atlanta's slump can largely be attributed to sloppiness with the ball. After committing just two turnovers in the first four games, the Falcons have given it up 16 times in their last six contests. They matched a season-high with four turnovers against the Colts, and two of them came on the first play of second-half possessions. That was a major reason Atlanta managed only 52 yards over its final seven drives, with as many turnovers as first downs (three each).
SHAKY LINE: The Vikings are missing two starting offensive linemen for the season, center John Sullivan (back) and right tackle Phil Loadholt (Achilles tendon). The guys up front will be the biggest concern down the stretch, especially after the Vikings surrendered six sacks and many more pressures against the Packers. The Falcons have struggled to get pressure on the quarterback, so this might their chance to shine.
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Follow Paul Newberry on Twitter at www.twitter.com/pnewberry1963 . His work can be found at http://bigstory.ap.org/content/paul-newberry .