The Vikings moved into field goal position on a 19-yard pass to Adam Thielen on their final offensive play on the first half, but Kai Forbath never got a chance to try the kick.
Quarterback Case Keenum escaped pressure to hit Thielen on that pass, but couldn’t get the clock stopped in time for a field goal try and the Vikings had to settle for taking a 7-6 lead over the Falcons into the locker room at halftime.
The 19-yard play was the longest passing play of the half for Minnesota (and Thielen’s only catch) as the Falcons defense has slowed down one of the league’s hottest units while the Vikings did the same to Matt Ryan and company. Ryan is 11-of-18 for 114 yards and Keenum is 12-of-17 for 110 yards, but the teams are 3-of-11 on third downs between them as the defenses have stiffened at key points.
Should both defenses remain sharp in the second half, we’ll be looking at a tight finish in a game with big implications on the NFC playoff picture.