Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell was not pleased with his team, or himself, after Sunday night’s 22-6 loss to the Falcons.
“Obviously a very disappointing performance tonight,” O’Connell said. “Got to coach better, specifically me. Our team will handle the adversity that is right at our feet and we’ve got to go back to work and improve immediately.”
Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy struggled, completing 11 of 21 passes for 158 yards, with no touchdowns and two interceptions. But O’Connell said the loss falls on a lot more than just one player.
“It’s going to be easy to put the microscope on J.J. and there’s certainly some plays, some throws, some things he’d like to get another shot at, but I thought when we did move it he made some throws and showed his athleticism, but as a group we did not execute,” O’Connell said.
The Vikings played a great fourth quarter against the Bears in Week One to win their first game, but that quarter aside, they’ve been a disappointing team through two weeks. O’Connell knows he needs to get that turned around in a hurry.
Sunday night’s matchup between the Falcons and Vikings didn’t see a touchdown scored until 3:22 in the fourth quarter.
But Atlanta’s dominant defense and run game had the club in control throughout the night — particularly in the second half — as the Falcons won 22-6.
Running back Bijan Robinson rushed for 143 yards on 22 carries on Sunday, helping the club control the ball and the clock with his 6.5 yards per carry. Tyler Allgeier also averaged 4.8 yards on his 16 carries, ending up with 76 yards.
Allgier scored the game’s only touchdown with 3:22 left in the fourth quarter on a 5-yard run, capping a 12-play, 83-yard drive that took 6:17 off the clock and the Vikings’ souls.
Parker Romo hit field goals of 38, 29, 33, 33, and 54 yards throughout the night.
Minnesota’s Will Reichard had a 33-yard and 51-yard field goal in the second quarter to account for the Vikings’ scoring.
Atlanta’s defense created a rough outing for J.J. McCarthy, who finished 11-of-21 for 158 yards with two interceptions and a lost fumble. He was sacked six times with the Falcons getting credit for 11 total QB hits.
Minnesota was limited to just 10 first downs, 198 total yards, and 4-of-11 on third down, averaging 4.3 yards per play. The club ended up with four turnovers.
On the other side, Michael Penix Jr. was 13-of-21 for 135 yards. Atlanta finished with 19 first downs, 326 total yards, and 6-of-15 on third down.
At 1-1, the Falcons will be back on the road next week to face the division-rival, 0-2 Panthers.
Dropping to 1-1, the Vikings will host the 2-0 Bengals — who will likely feature Jake Browning at quarterback — in Week 3.
The Vikings have already lost center Ryan Kelly due to a concussion on Sunday night and now have more injury concerns.
Minnesota running back Aaron Jones is questionable to return with a hamstring injury.
Additionally, left tackle Justin Skule is out with a concussion.
The Vikings are already playing without left tackle Christian Darrisaw, who is inactive with a knee issue.
The Vikings are down 15-6 to the Falcons midway through the fourth quarter.
The Vikings are officially going to be without their center for the rest of Sunday’s game.
Ryan Kelly is out with a concussion. He had exited the game during the second quarter.
Minnesota was already without starting left tackle Christian Darrisaw, as he’s inactive with a knee issue.
Michael Jurgens has replaced Kelly at center.
On the other side, the Falcons won’t have cornerback A.J. Terrell for the rest of the game either as he’s out with a hamstring injury. He exited the contest late in the first half — just before Justin Jefferson caught a 50-yard pass to set up a field goal at the end of the second quarter.
There was not much scoring to speak of between the Falcons and Vikings in the first 30 minutes of Sunday night’s matchup, but Atlanta holds a 9-6 lead over Minnesota at halftime.
The Falcons scored the first six points of the ballgame, netting a 38-yard field goal by Parker Romo to cap their opening drive. Then after the Vikings failed to convert on fourth-and-short in their own territory, the Falcons got a 29-yard field goal to grab a 6-0 advantage.
The Vikings once again struggled offensively in the first half of a game, but did make it all the way down to the 2-yard line after a turnover. But on second-and-goal from the 2, Minnesota took a delay of game to walk to football back 5 yards. McCarthy was sacked on second-and-goal from the 7 for a 7-yard loss. Then McCarthy was brought down on third down for another sack, leading Minnesota to settle for a 33-yard field goal.
Atlanta extended its lead late in the second quarter after J.J. McCarthy was intercepted by defensive back Billy Bowman Jr. Romo connected on a 33-yard field goal to give the Falcons a six-point advantage.
But the Vikings may have grabbed the proverbial momentum at the end of the first half when McCarthy fired a strike to Justin Jefferson for a 50-yard completion, setting up Will Reichard for a 51-yard field goal.
Jefferson’s first catch of the half was the 500th of his career — tying him with Larry Fitzgerald for the youngest receiver to ever reach that mark.
Minnesota center Ryan Kelly is being evaluated for a concussion. He exited the game during the second quarter. Jonathan Greenard also went down for a moment but was able to return after missing one play late in the second quarter.
For the Falcons, cornerback A.J. Terrell suffered an apparent hamstring injury at the end of the first half. Right after he went out, McCarthy hit Jefferson for the 50-yard gain.
Penix is 7-of-13 for 76 yards. Bijan Robinson has 72 yards on nine carries, with a long of 25. He’s also caught two passes for 20 yards while Kyle Pitts has three receptions for 34 yards.
McCarthy was 8-of-11 for 118 yards with a pick. Jefferson has two receptions for 59 yards.
The Vikings will receive the second-half kickoff with an opportunity to double up after the Falcons won the opening coin toss and elected to receive.
