Inside The Vikings

7 things that stood out from Vikings' ugly primetime loss to Falcons

J.J. McCarthy and the offense were a mess, and Bijan Robinson ran all over the Vikings.
Will Ragatz|
Sep 14, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Atlanta Falcons running back Bijan Robinson (7) runs the ball during the first half as Minnesota Vikings cornerback Byron Murphy Jr. (7) defends at U.S. Bank Stadium.
Sep 14, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Atlanta Falcons running back Bijan Robinson (7) runs the ball during the first half as Minnesota Vikings cornerback Byron Murphy Jr. (7) defends at U.S. Bank Stadium. | Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images

In this story:

Minnesota Vikings

That was a tough watch. The Vikings fell 22-6 to the Falcons on Sunday Night Football in their home opener at U.S. Bank Stadium. The offense was terrible, the run defense was gashed, and fans streamed for the exits well before the final whistle. Here are seven things that stood out.

Minnesota's offense was a mess

This was a nightmarish evening for the Vikings' offense, led by quarterback J.J. McCarthy in his second career start. McCarthy turned the ball over three times, throwing a pair of interceptions and also losing a fumble on a strip-sack. He threw for just 158 yards. The running game didn't do much. As a team, the Vikings had only 198 total yards, in part because McCarthy was sacked six times. It's only the second time in the Kevin O'Connell era that they've been held under 200 yards. It was just a complete mess from start to finish, with only a couple positive moments.

A key moment came when the Vikings had first and goal from the Atlanta 2 in the second quarter, but went backwards before kicking a short field goal. Running back Jordan Mason never touched the ball.

McCarthy has to improve quickly

As detailed above, this was a brutal game for McCarthy. He was unable to evade the Falcons' pressure, missed some receivers, and most importantly, didn't take care of the football. A key miss came in the fourth quarter, with the Vikings down 15-6. On 3rd and 1, McCarthy took a deep shot to an open Jalen Nailor and overthrew him, leading to a punt.

The Vikings need their young quarterback to improve quickly if they're going to be competitive this season. There are a lot of games left to be played, and the offensive line certainly didn't help McCarthy out, but he has to be better than he was in his first real game at U.S. Bank Stadium.

The Vikings need Christian Darrisaw back

It would be huge if Christian Darrisaw is able to make his return from last season's knee injury next week against the Bengals. The team is understandably taking a big-picture approach and making sure Darrisaw is back to 100 percent before he returns, but they desperately need him back on the field soon. The left tackle position has been a major issue in his absence.

Veteran Justin Skule, who was signed to be the Vikings' swing tackle, got a second start despite being shaky in Week 1. He continued to struggle in this game, including giving up a key sack with the Vikings in the low red zone in the second quarter. Skule then left the game in the third quarter with a concussion. In came second-year player Walter Rouse, who proceeded to be called for a hold that negated a big Jordan Mason run.

Center Ryan Kelly also left this game with a concussion, giving the Vikings another injury concern on their offensive line.

Run defense was shaky

Without Blake Cashman and Andrew Van Ginkel, the Vikings' run defense had a rough night. Bijan Robinson took the first play from scrimmage for 25 yards, and he would've gone 65 yards to the house if Theo Jackson hadn't chased him down. His second carry went for 17 yards. Later on, he ripped off 18 on a carry. Robinson finished with 143 rushing yards on 22 carries (6.5 YPC). Tyler Allgeier also ran for 76 yards and the game-sealing touchdown for Atlanta.

The Vikings' replacements for Cashman and Van Ginkel made big plays in this game — Eric Wilson forced a fumble and Dallas Turner had a sack. But Wilson and Ivan Pace Jr. is a fairly undersized duo at inside linebacker, which may have contributed to the run defense issues. This was also a concern after the Vikings traded away Harrison Phillips before the season.

The Vikings' passing defense played well in this game, and Brian Flores' group came up with four big red zone stops in the first three quarters. The run defense, however, was flat-out bad.

Romo revenge game

Parker Romo doesn't seem like he'll be giving the Falcons' kicking job back to Younghoe Koo anytime soon. The former Vikings kicker, signed by Atlanta this week, took it to his old team in primetime. Romo made all five of his field-goal attempts, including a 54-yarder in the fourth quarter that extended the Falcons' lead to two scores. Will Reichard also made both of his kicks and was always going to get his job back last season once he got healthy, but tonight had to feel good for Romo. He accounted for all of Atlanta's points until the late touchdown.

Myles Price struggles in return game

Vikings rookie Myles Price, who was great on punt returns in the season opener, had a night to forget. He averaged just 22.5 yards on six kick returns, setting the Vikings up with poor field position a few times. And he had only six yards as a punt returner, including a muff for a turnover in garbage time.

Rowdy crowd doesn't get much to cheer about

U.S. Bank Stadium was rocking on Sunday night. It was the home opener, McCarthy's first game at home, and Adam Thielen's return to Minnesota. The volume was through the roof during offensive starter introductions. The crowd noise made the Falcons call a timeout on their first third down, then led to a false start shortly after.

But the Vikings didn't give their fans much to cheer about. The offense managed two field goals and no touchdowns. The only real highlights were a 50-yard Justin Jefferson catch, Wilson's forced fumble, and a few sacks. Some boos broke out in the second half, and fans wound up heading for the exits early after a miserable viewing experience.

Published | Modified
Will Ragatz
WILL RAGATZ

Will Ragatz is a senior writer for Vikings On SI, who also covers the Twins, Timberwolves, Gophers, and other Minnesota teams. He is a credentialed Minnesota Vikings beat reporter, covering the team extensively at practices, games and throughout the NFL draft and free agency period. Ragatz attended Northwestern University, where he studied at the prestigious Medill School of Journalism. During his time as a student, he covered Northwestern Wildcats football and basketball for SB Nation’s Inside NU, eventually serving as co-editor-in-chief in his junior year. In the fall of 2018, Will interned in Sports Illustrated’s newsroom in New York City, where he wrote articles on Major League Baseball, college football, and college basketball for SI.com.

Share on XFollow WillRagatz
Home/News