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War Room Edge: Keys to Victory
Posted: Wednesday January 13, 1999 01:21 PM As we enter "NFL Championship Weekend," we have a year in which the four best teams are still in contention for the Super Bowl. These games have tremendous excitement and marquee matchups full of subplots and interesting storylines. As The War Room breaks down these games, there are a few specific keys to success for each team that may be critical to winning these games. Atlanta will win if ...1. They run the football and keep the Vikings offense on the sidelines. The Vikings are the most explosive team in the NFL, and they are a threat to score on every possession. Obviously, the best way to slow down their offense is to limit their number of possessions, which Atlanta will try to do with a strong dose of Jamal Anderson. In their only loss this year to Tampa Bay, the Vikings were not able to control a strong run attack led by Mike Alstott and Warrick Dunn, who combined for almost 250 yards on the ground, and Tampa Bay was able to limit Minnesota's offensive possessions. Even with a great run game, the Vikings would have likely won that game if they got the ball back one more time. 2. They play bend-but-don't-break defense and force the Vikings to drive the length of the field. In recent weeks, defenses are starting to give the Vikings the short pass and try to play very physical after the catch. Look for Atlanta to make the Vikings mount long drives and keep everything in front of their secondary, and they will hope for turnovers or mistakes. To let this Viking group of receivers go deep is a disaster. 3. They exploit the gambling Vikings defense with a few big plays of their own. The Vikings have a very athletic and quick defense that is perfectly suited for the fast surface at the Metrodome. They will take a lot of chances to create big plays, partially because they have so much confidence in their offense to score if they make a mistake. They are not a great defensive group, but they are very opportunistic. It is important that Chris Chandler and company catches them when they gamble and exploit their mistakes. The Falcons must be able to convert some big plays to take the pressure off their offense. Minnesota will win if ...1. They tackle well. The Vikings did not do a great job of wrapping up last week vs. Arizona, and Jamal Anderson presents a huge challenge to this defense. They must play a physical and fundamentally sound football game and make Anderson earn every yard. 2. They control the clock. This is a critical factor in this game. Atlanta would like nothing better than to win the battle of time of possession, but the Vikings must grab control of this game early like they did last week vs. Arizona. They cannot allow the Falcons and Jamal Anderson to mount long drives that eat up the clock and control the flow the game. 3. They win the turnover battle. These are two football teams that have great offensive balance and somewhat mirror each other, although the Vikings are more explosive. Field position and mistakes could become critical if this game is close. The Vikings must get to Chandler and disrupt the Atlanta offense, and in turn, give their own offense a short field to work with. Both of these teams have been very successful in the takeaway/giveaway department, and this game will be no exception.
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