Atlanta Falcons (0-1) @ Minnesota Vikings (1-0)
Sunday, September 14, 8:20 PM ET
The Atlanta Falcons didn’t run the ball overly well in Week 1, but they got just enough out of second-year quarterback Michael Penix Jr. to win the game, and the defense couldn’t close the deal against Baker Mayfield and the Bucs.
Atlanta has all of the pieces to be a surprise team in the NFC this year, but they need development on the defensive side of the ball quickly, or the Bucs could start running away with that division. After Week 1, there’s obviously no need to panic, but Raheem Morris is going into Minnesota trying to avoid an 0-2 start against his former colleague Kevin O’Connell and the Vikings.
This is a battle of former Sean McVay assistants as well as a battle between two first-round picks in the vaunted 2024 NFL Draft class, a group which saw a lot of mixed results in Week 1.
The debut of young quarterback JJ McCarthy was a wild ride, to say the least. The Vikings have to be encouraged with the way McCarthy responded to some serious adversity on the road in Chicago, accounting for all three of his touchdowns in the fourth quarter.
McCarthy looked like a franchise quarterback late in that game, and Kevin O'Connell was up to his old tricks. It's impossible to doubt that guy at this point, he just knows how to call plays, put his guys in position to succeed, and win close games.
The Vikings are early 4.5-point favorites against the Falcons this week, but we’ll see if that changes any as the week progresses.
Prediction: Vikings win 26-23