By Mark Malone
Special to ESPN.com

Jamal Anderson is going to have to control the clock if the Falcons expect to beat the Vikings, and I think he can.

The speed and athleticism of the Vikings defense might cause Anderson some problems early on. Minnesota's schemes can be disruptive to a running game. Although the Atlanta offensive line is much improved from earlier in the year, it's not a great line.

Having said that, however, I don't believe the Vikings have faced a running back like Anderson. He's a rare combination of a pounding, bruising back -- like Mike Alstott or Jerome Bettis -- with the moves of, dare I say, Barry Sanders. Obviously, he's not that elusive, but he's capable of making big runs out of virtually nothing.

Anderson also can reverse his field, spin out of tackles, and run you over at the same time. That's a combination that can overwhelm a defense, even one as athletic as the Vikings.

The Falcons led the league in time of possession. The longer they are on the field, the less time the Vikings offense will be on the field. That's extremely important in this game. What they will need to do, however, much like Tampa Bay did in its Week 9 victory over Minnesota, is score touchdowns following long drives.

By handing the ball to Anderson, the Falcons will hope to stay in third-and-short situations early in the game because Chris Chandler can easily convert those into first downs.

Atlanta must keep the chains moving and burn time off the clock. If the Falcons get behind 14-0 or 21-0, then Anderson won't be a factor, and that can't happen if the Falcons expect to win.

By Merril Hoge
Special to ESPN.com

There's no doubt the Vikings have had the luxury of having an offense that builds big leads in a hurry. But when considering the matchup of Jamal Anderson and the Minnesota defense, you have to look at where the Vikings have improved over the last year.

The area they needed to improve on the most was giving up big plays. In 1998, the Minnesota defense gave up the fewest big plays of any team in the NFL -- plays of 20 yards or more, run or pass. The Vikings have played sound against the run, and if they can keep Anderson in check and force the Falcons to be one-dimensional, then this defense will control the game and dictate Atlanta's game plan.

I think the Vikings can stop Anderson. Their linebackers, especially Ed McDaniel (pictured above) and Dwayne Rudd, are solid against the run. They are athletic and can run from sideline to sideline. Opponents have not been able to find open by running east and west against the Vikes.

The Vikings don't have a big defensive line, and they don't have a big defense overall, but they're very athletic and quick. If they can create confusion and penetration and disrupt the timing of the Falcons offensive line, which often has problems recognizing fronts, they can disrupt Anderson and the running game.