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.