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SDOGO · 09-07-2007, 02:39 PM

Game-day details
Sun., 1 p.m. ET, Metrodome

Why To Watch

This is the beginning of the Joey Harrington era in Atlanta, which certainly is not how first-year coach Bobby Petrino envisioned his first game. The Vikings are pleased to welcome back Harrington, who while quarterbacking the Lions and Dolphins threw 14 interceptions in seven games against Minnesota.

The Falcons enter the season knowing that Michael Vick's dogfighting case is settled and that he will not be a part of this team going forward. This should allow all teammates to throw their support behind Harrington. Harrington has a chance to succeed because the Falcons offer him his best supporting cast in six NFL seasons, especially in the running game with Warrick Dunn and Jerious Norwood.

The Vikings have quarterback issues of their own. Tarvaris Jackson is the Week 1 starter, but coach Brad Childress recently traded for Kelly Holcomb to serve as a safety net. This game is also the debut of rookie running back Adrian Peterson. Childress has been mum about Peterson's playing time behind one of the NFL's most underappreciated players, Chester Taylor.

Falcons Keys For Success

1. Run left behind Bryant McKinnie and Steve Hutchinson. With two of the most powerful run blockers in the NFL lined up on the same side, the Vikings should feed the ball to Chester Taylor and Adrian Peterson on off-tackle runs to the left. Taylor has good quickness and vision. Peterson churns his legs upon contact and can pick up tough yardage. With McKinnie, the left tackle, and Hutchinson, the left guard, lined up over smaller defenders John Abraham and Rod Coleman (recovering from torn right quadriceps), there should be plenty of room to run.

2. Throw to the wide receivers. The Vikings lack a true No. 1 receiver. Troy Williamson, Bobby Wade and newly acquired Robert Ferguson do not scare any defensive coordinators. As a unit, though, they are solid enough as route-runners to get open for the strong-armed Jackson and make plays after the catch. By spreading the ball around to all receivers, Jackson will keep the defense off-balance and keep his team in the game.

3. Attack Harrington. Leslie Frazier, the Vikings' new defensive coordinator, played on one of the most aggressive defenses in NFL history -- the 1985 Chicago Bears. Taking a page from Buddy Ryan's playbook, the Vikings will look to attack Harrington at all cost. Cornerbacks Antoine Winfield and Cedric Griffin can hold their own in man-to-man coverage, so look for linebackers Chad Greenway, Dontarrious Thomas, Ben Leber and E.J. Henderson to be in Harrington face all day.

Vikings Keys For Success

1. Get Alge Crumpler involved early. The Falcons lack a lot of offensive threats, but Crumpler provides a safe haven for Harrington and has some of the NFL's softest hands. Crumpler runs smart routes and understands how to get open against man-to-man and zone coverage. Harrington must throw to Crumpler early in Week 1 to keep Vikings safeties Darren Sharper and Dwight Smith from ignoring the middle of the field and flying outside to help the cornerbacks.

2. Get a big return. Allen Rossum is one of the NFL's fastest players and a threat to score on every touch. Special teams coach Jerry Rosburg must devise a solid scheme to take advantage of the Vikings' unspectacular coverage units. Backup linebackers Marcus Wilkins and Stephen Nicholas serve as the primary lead blockers on the Falcons' return units and should be able to get the offense good field position.

3. Unleash rookie Jamaal Anderson. The Vikings' right tackle position is dicey; neither Ryan Cook nor Marcus Johnson is a good option. Anderson, the Falcons' first-round pick, was a terror in the preseason. When facing the likes of Cook or Johnson, Anderson should be able to use his long arms and tremendous leverage to get under their pads and force them back into Jackson.

When the Falcons Have the Ball

RUNNING GAME:

With the possibility of Warrick Dunn not playing on opening day, the onus will fall on Jerious Norwood to carry the Falcons running attack, which already downgrades its efficiency. And on top of that, the Falcons' offensive line is in flux due to the transition to new head coach Bobby Petrino's more straight ahead power-running attack.

The Vikings are powerful in the middle of the defense with tackles Pat Williams and Kevin Williams holding down the interior. They will force the Falcons to run outside more. Fortunately both Falcons' offensive guards -- Kynan Forney and rookie Justin Blalock -- are good in space and can pull to the outside.

With down blocks by offensive tackles Wayne Gandy or Todd Weiner on Vikings' ends Erasmus James or Darrion Scott, Forney and Blalock can lead Norwood around the corner and pick off linebackers Chad Greenway and E.J. Henderson.

The Vikings need both Williams to overpower center Todd McClure and knock off the pulling guard. This will throw off the timing of the play and disrupt Norwood letting safeties Darren Sharper and Dwight Smith rally to the ball.Advantage: Vikings

PASSING GAME

QB Joey Harrington is not known for his arm strength, but he is a smart player who knows how to find the open receiver.

He needs to take advantage of his rapport with tight end Alge Crumpler, who is a good-sized target with the speed to stretch the field. Crumpler also is a safety valve, however, for Harrington when he gets in trouble. By getting the ball to Crumpler inside the hashes, Sharper and Smith remain tied up inside. And it opens up the outside passing lanes for wideouts Joe Horn and Michael Jenkins.

Vikings' cornerbacks Antoine Winfield and Cedric Griffin can handle Horn and Jenkins man-to-man. That allows Sharper to focus his coverage on Crumpler with help from Greenway and Henderson.Advantage: Falcons

THE BLITZ

The Vikings will blitz Harrington all game long.

The linebackers -- Greenway, Henderson, Dontarrious Thomas and Ben Leber -- all are good athletes with the speed and body control to shake the blocker in space.

Norwood and/or Dunn are not very strong as pass blockers, so when the linebackers blitz, they should have success beating the Falcons� running back and getting to Harrington.

A wrinkle defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier may employ this week is a cornerback blitz. Both Griffin and Antoine Winfield are big hitters. By sending them at the snap, Sharper and Smith need to take over the area vacated by the cornerback. But the safeties can handle it, and the blitz will throw a kink in the Falcons blocking scheme and confuse Harrington. These are the types of blitzes that cause turnovers. When Harrington sees the cornerback coming he must trust that Horn or Jenkins will stop their route and become the hot wide receiver. Advantage: Vikings

IN THE RED ZONE

The Falcons went out and paid former Raven fullback Ovie Mughelli a ton of money to become their power lead fullback. He will earn that money in the red zone.

He will lead block for Norwood by zeroing in on Thomas and keeping him from making a tackle. With Gandy kicking out on James and Blalock and McClure double-teaming K. Williams, there will be a seam for Mughelli to go head-to-head with Thomas in the hole.

The Vikings will need Pat Williams to come off the ball low and for Greenway, Leber and Henderson to attack the line of scrimmage.Advantage: Falcons

When the Vikings Have the Ball

RUNNING GAME:

The Vikings drafted Adrian Peterson to improve an already solid running game anchored by Chester Taylor, one of the more underrated running backs in the NFL. The two-headed monster of Peterson and Taylor should help take pressure off new quarterback Tarvaris Jackson.

The team will do a majority of its runs to the left side behind tackle Bryant McKinnie and Pro Bowl guard Steve Hutchinson. McKinnie has the power and strength to drive undersized Falcons' end John Abraham off the ball, and Hutchinson should have no problem driving tackle Jonathan Babineaux down the line of scrimmage. That will leave a huge hole for fullback Tony Richardson to lead block on linebacker Keith Brooking, allowing either Peterson or Taylor to shake -- or run through -- the tackles of linebackers Michael Boley and/or Demorrio Williams.

To stop the Vikings run game, the Falcons need to get their strong safety Lawyer Milloy down into the tackle box. Milloy plays the run like a linebacker and is a very strong tackler.Advantage: Vikings

PASSING GAME

Jackson has a strong arm, but he is only in his second season. He still needs to learn the intricacies of the game and the offense, and he needs to learn to take what the defense gives him.

Wideouts Aundrea Allison, Robert Ferguson and Troy Williamson all are solid players who understand how to get open, but none is a true No. 1 receiver. Offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell needs to recognize that and call a basic game -- allowing Jackson to spread the ball around. That also will keep the Falcons from focusing on just one player.

The Falcons' cornerbacks -- DeAngelo Hall and Lewis Sanders -- have good size and are good in press coverage, but they also need to be physical with the Minnesota's wide receivers off the line of scrimmage and funnel them into the coverage of Milloy and safety Chris Crocker.Advantage: Falcons

THE BLITZ

The Falcons will target the weaker right side of the Vikings' offensive line on blitzes. Minnesota still hasn't named a starting right tackle. It likely will be either Ryan Cook or Marcus Johnson, but the uncertainty will wreak havoc on line calls with right guard Artis Hicks.

The Falcons can get rookie end Jamaal Anderson in one-on-one matchups against the whomever the right tackle is, and then send a cornerback up the tackle-guard gap. When Hicks steps out to pick up the blitzing linebacker, Babineaux -- a good inside pass rusher -- will be man-to-man versus either Taylor or Peterson, which the he should win.Advantage: Falcons

IN THE RED ZONE

The Vikings will bring in tight ends Jim Kleinsasser and Richard Owens in a power wing formation in the red zone. Richardson will lead Peterson off tackle, and with Owens just off the hip of Kleinsasser, Owens will turn out block Boley. Kleinsasser will block down on Abraham, and Richardson will attack the outside shoulder of Brooking to lead Peterson into the end zone.

The Falcons will substitute LB Stephen Nicholas for Lewis and will need the rookie to shoot the gap and tackle Peterson inside out.Advantage: Vikings

The Bottom Line

In what will be an ugly game, the Vikings will pull off the home victory because of their raucous crowd and the leg of kicker Ryan Longwell. The Vikings will run the ball better than the Falcons, and that will be the difference as both Harrington and Jackson figure to struggle all day.

Pick: Vikings 14, Falcons 13