The Week 2 Sunday Night Football contest features a meeting between the Atlanta Falcons and Minnesota Vikings at 8:20 p.m. on NBC. Minnesota will be in prime time for the second consecutive week to begin the season as quarterback J.J. McCarthy embarks on his first official game in front of the hometown crowd in Minneapolis. The Falcons hope to recover from a painful Week 1 defeat at home to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and avoid moving two games behind in the NFC South so early in the season.
Atlanta passed up a significant opportunity to kick off the season as the sole team in their division with a winning record. Instead, that distinction went to the Buccaneers, and now, the Falcons are 0-1, alongside the Saints and Panthers in the division. Michael Penix Jr. performed commendably, throwing for 298 yards and a touchdown, followed by a rushing touchdown.
They failed on a pair of late chances to either secure the victory or extend the game to overtime before succumbing to a 23-20 loss. Drake London was unable to hold onto a touchdown pass in the end zone, and kicker Younghoe Koo’s 44-yard field-goal attempt to tie the game fell short with just two seconds remaining in regulation. Koo struggled with attempts beyond 40 yards the previous year, and was not on the active roster for Sunday night’s game after the Falcons elevated Parker Romo from their practice squad to take on kicking duties against the Vikings.
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Entering Week 1 of the season the previous week, all eyes were on McCarthy to observe his performance in his NFL debut. Following an uncertain beginning, the Vikings’ 2024 first-round draft pick seemingly found his rhythm after a slow start, displaying the poise of a seasoned veteran in the fourth quarter. McCarthy posted three touchdowns in the final 15 minutes of his debut against Chicago, with two occurring through the air and one on the ground. If this is an indication of future performance, it could present challenges for the Falcons on Sunday.
Vikings-Falcons inactives Week 2
Vikings inactives: OL Christian Darrisaw, LB Andrew Van Ginkel, CB Jeff Okudah, OL Joe Huber, LB Austin Keys, QB Max Brosmer, S Harrison Smith
Falcons inactives: K Younghoe Koo, WR Jamal Agnew, CB Clark Phillips III, OL Jack Nelson, WR Casey Washington, DL Sam Roberts
Date: Sunday, Sept. 14
Time: 8:20 p.m. ET
Location: U.S. Bank Stadium | Minneapolis
TV channel/live stream: NBC, Peacock
Reminder: You can stream every local and prime-time game on NFL+.
Vikings vs. Falcons live blog
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