Recap: Vikings offense stalls, injuries pile up in 22-6 loss to the Falcons in home opener

The thrill of a season-opening comeback win in Chicago last Monday night wore off as the Vikings offense sputter and injuries mounted in a 22-6 loss to the Atlanta Falcons in the 2025 home opener at U.S. Bank Stadium on Sunday night.

The Vikings were outgained 326-198. The Vikings had four turnovers and were sacked six times. J.J. McCarthy was 11 of 21 for 158 yards.

“We’ve got to go back to work and improve immediately,” head coach Kevin O’Connell said after the game. “The negative plays are stacking up against us, where it seems like we take one step forward and two steps back.”

Perhaps appropriately the game ends with another Vikings turnover. Myles Price fumbled a punt for their fourth turnover. The Falcons took a knee on the next play to end the game.

- Naila-Jean Meyers

J.J. McCarthy’s third turnover of the game will all but end this one for the Vikings.

McCarthy targeted receiver Justin Jefferson on a deep ball near the front pylon of the end zone, but the ball was overthrown and picked off by Falcons safety Xavier Watts. That marks McCarthy’s second pick of the night and third turnover, including his fumble while getting sacked earlier in the fourth quarter.

The smattering of Vikings fans left have started heading for the concourses with two minutes remaining and a 22-6 deficit on the scoreboard.

- Andrew Krammer

We finally have a touchdown in this game as Tyler Allgeier scores on the 5-yard run to put Atlanta up 22-6. It was the Falcons’ second drive of the second half that lasted at least 12 plays and six minutes. They’re leaning on a tired and beat-up Vikings defense

The Falcons’ 210 rushing yards trail only Philly’s 259 (Week 2, 2023) vs. a Kevin O’Connell Vikings team.

- Andrew Krammer

They’ve now lost a third offensive player while playing the Falcons.

Running back Aaron Jones is questionable to return due to a hamstring injury. Jones spent about 5-10 minutes inside the team’s medical tent on the sideline at the top of the fourth quarter.

Offensive tackle Justin Skule left the game in the third quarter and is being evaluated for a concussion. He’s been replaced by left tackle Walter Rouse. Skule was already a reserve in the starting lineup replacing Christian Darrisaw.

Center Ryan Kelly exited in the first half with a concussion.

- Andrew Krammer

- Emily Leiker

The Vikings trailed by only six as they headed into the fourth quarter in this battle of field goals, and after getting the ball near midfield following a stand by their defense, they committed yet another turnover.

Jonathan Greenard’s stunt with Jonathan Allen helped him get to Michael Penix Jr. untouched as Charlie Woerner released on a route on second down, and then Josh Metellus broke up Penix’s third-down throw for Kyle Pitts. The Vikings have allowed just 105 yards in the past two quarters after giving up 123 in the first quarter. But Zach Harrison got to J.J. McCarthy untouched on the first play of the fourth quarter, giving the Falcons the ball back at the Vikings’ 38.

It’s the third turnover of the night for McCarthy, who also fumbled a snap that kept him from getting a solid push on a fourth-down QB sneak in the first half. The Vikings’ defense has done an admirable job keeping them in the game, while playing without three key contributors (Andrew Van Ginkel, Harrison Smith and Jeff Okudah).

But the Vikings haven’t been able to protect McCarthy while playing without two starters, and McCarthy has missed too many spots to put drives together.

- Ben Goessling

As the Vikings offensive line turns.

Tackle Walter Rouse, the No. 4 tackle on the roster, was called for holding to negate an 18-yard run by Jordan Mason in the third quarter. Rouse was in the game because backup tackle Justin Skule is in the medical tent being evaluated for an apparent injury. Skule made his second start of the season for recovering left tackle Christian Darrisaw, who has not played since a season-ending knee injury last October.

The Vikings are already playing without center Ryan Kelly, who suffered a concussion in the first half.

- Andrew Krammer

- Emily Leiker

Parker Romo has four field goals? Sound familiar? He accounted for all of the Vikings’ points in a 12-7 win over the Jaguars in Jacksonville last November. Read all about that game here.

- Naila-Jean Meyers

Center Ryan Kelly has been ruled out for the rest of the game due to a concussion, the Vikings announced at halftime. Kelly exited for the locker room in the middle of the second quarter and did not return. He has been replaced by center Michael Jurgens, a 2024 seventh-round pick playing his first NFL snaps tonight. Kelly also entered the game with a toe injury that kept him out of two practices this week.

- Andrew Krammer

There was another J.J. McCarthy interception thrown inside of his receiver on an out-breaking route, and another chance to get into field goal range just before halftime. With the Vikings facing a third-and-13 from their own 17, Kevin O’Connell kept his foot on the gas. And just as he did on Monday night, McCarthy threw a strike that set the Vikings up for three points. He hit a line drive to Justin Jefferson for 50 yards between the Falcons’ two-deep safeties, setting up Will Reichard’s 51-yard kick as the clock expired. The Vikings trail the Falcons 9-6 at halftime, and will get the second-half kickoff.

They’ll have to clean up their protection for McCarthy with Ryan Kelly being evaluated for a concussion and Christian Darrisaw still out. But McCarthy had a clean pocket on the long throw. For the night, McCarthy is 8 of 11 for 118 yards and an interception.

The Vikings honored Jared Allen with his Pro Football Hall of Fame ring at halftime. After a video montage that featured congratulations from Eli Manning, among others, Allen rode out of the U.S. Bank Stadium tunnel on a motorcycle. Another montage followed Allen’s brief remarks, featuring congratulations from Peyton Manning, Aaron Rodgers, Larry Fitzgerald Jr. and former teammates Adrian Peterson, Kevin Williams and Chad Greenway.

- Ben Goessling

Since this is a field goal fest, how about some halftime reading about one of the kickers tonight? When the Vikings signed Parker Romo last season after Will Reichard was injured, I learned that Romo had been working at a golf club before Minnesota came calling. Read all about his journey to the NFL here.

A beautiful 50-yard connection between J.J. McCarthy and Justin Jefferson, who faked out a pair of Falcons defenders with a cut to the left before breaking in toward center field, put the Vikings in field goal range in the final seconds of the first half.

Will Reichard made it from 51 yards as time expired.

- Emily Leiker

John Parker Romo hits his third field goal of the night for the Falcons, a 33-yarder that extends their lead back to 6 points just shy of halftime. The Falcons have continued to struggle with building a consistent passing attack; back-to-back incompletions with 6 yards to the down marker preceded the field goal attempt. Penix is 7-of-13; Kyle Pitts leads the Falcons in receiving with three receptions for 34 yards.

- Emily Leiker

- Andrew Krammer

Vikings center Ryan Kelly just went into the locker room and will be replaced by center Michael Jurgens on this drive.

It’s unclear what is bothering Kelly, but the 32-year-old center had a toe injury from the season-opening win in Chicago. Kelly played every snap against the Bears, and had played every snap against the Falcons prior to this second-quarter series. Kelly did not practice on Wednesday or Thursday this week due to the toe injury.

The Vikings already have a backup at left tackle with Justin Skule playing for the injured Christian Darrisaw.

- Andrew Krammer

- Andrew Krammer

The Vikings get on the board but some trouble in the red zone — a fumble, delay of game and two sacks after they had first and goal from the 2 — forces them to settle for a 33-yard field goal by Will Reichard.

Jalen Nailor had a pair of key receptions in the drive for 12 and then 17 yards, the first being a third-down conversion. McCarthy also hit Adam Thielen to for 19 yards on another third down.

Vikings now trailing 6-3 about midway through the second quarter.

- Emily Leiker

Yet coach Kevin O’Connell appeared to call a play-action pass from the Falcons 2. McCarthy dropped the ball while faking a handoff and eventually threw incomplete. A delay of game pushed the offense back from trying a goal-line run. Interesting play-calling from the head coach on that sequence.

- Andrew Krammer

On Monday night, the Vikings ran eight plays in the first quarter in Chicago. They weren’t much better tonight at home.

They ran 10 plays for 18 yards in the first quarter, getting their first first down of the game on Jordan Mason’s run to end the quarter. A pair of red-zone stops and an Eric Wilson forced fumble have kept the Vikings within six points, at the conclusion of a quarter where they were outgained 123-18.

This place is about as loud as I’ve heard it in 10 years of covering games here, and the U.S. Bank Stadium noise is absolutely affecting the Falcons with key false start and delay-of-game penalties. But Bijan Robinson’s dynamic start took some of the energy out of the building, while the Vikings have struggled to keep J.J. McCarthy clean in the pocket.

Receiver Justin Jefferson’s 9-yard catch marked his 500th career grab, tying legendary receiver Larry Fitzgerald Jr. as the youngest players to reach that mark. Both Jefferson and Fitzgerald were 26 years and 90 days old when they recorded their 500th career receptions.

- Andrew Krammer

Vikings linebacker Eric Wilson, starting in place of the injured Blake Cashman, punches the ball out of Drake London’s hands, and safety Theo Jackson, filling in for Harrison Smith, recovers and returns it to the Vikings 32. Two replacement defenders making a huge play.

What a signing Wilson has been in this young season. He originally joined the Vikings as an undrafted free agent in 2017. After four seasons away, he’s returned to Minnesota and made an immediate impact. Last week in Chicago, Wilson had two run stops and partially blocked a punt.

- Andrew Krammer

Penix is 3-of-6 for 27 yards while running back Bijan Robinson has five carries for 54 yards.

- Emily Leiker

A four and out, not a three and out, to start for the Vikings offense and J.J. McCarthy. McCarthy appeared to drop the snap on a fourth-and-inches sneak on the Vikings’ 36-yard line. Turnover on downs.

- Andrew Krammer

Vikings fans made a different on the opening drive of the game. After Bijan Robinson popped off runs of 25 and 17 yards, the Falcons offense struggled in the red zone under the barrage of a noisy crowd. They took a timeout before third down, then had a false start and came up short on the third-and-10. The offense stayed on for fourth-and-2 but took a delay of game penalty, and ultimately the Falcons settled for a 38-yard field goal kicked by former Viking Parker Romo.

The Falcons elect to receive the opening kickoff and the Vikings will start on defense.

- Naila-Jean Meyers

7:15 p.m. - Fans greeted Adam Thielen with a standing ovation during his first Vikings home game in over two and a half years. The team made Thielen the first member of the offense announced out of the tunnel during pregame festivities.

Thielen, the 13th-year veteran from Detroit Lakes, soaked in the scene in warmups, tossing a football with purple-clad fans in Section 119 right behind the the end zone of the Vikings’ half of the field. One fan in the stands held up a sign that read: “Hooked On A Thielen.” Fans watched a video montage of Thielen’s Vikings highlights and interviews shown on the videoboards before kickoff.

He was the first player out of the Vikings ship tunnel during player introductions, proclaimed as “returning home” and given a loud ovation.

- Andrew Krammer

7:00 p.m. - We asked readers to vote on who will win tonight’s game. Click on the results tab below to see the results.

- Chip Scoggins

6:50 p.m. - The Vikings are once again wearing shirts to honor the victims from the Annunciation Church and School shooting on Aug. 27. They’ll also hold a moment of silence before the game. The shirts feature Annunciation’s logo on the front and the back shows its “Essential Agreement,” which is “Be kind. Be respectful. Be inclusive. Be my best self. Be Brave.” These shirts are not available for sale by the team, and retailers who are selling them are being served cease and desist letters, a team spokesman said earlier this week.

- Emily Leiker

- Naila-Jean Meyers

6:35 p.m. - Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson will hit 500 career receptions whenever he makes his first reception tonight. He will tie Minneapolis-born, former Cardinals receiver Larry Fitzgerald Jr. as the youngest player in NFL history to reach the mark at 26 years 90 days.

Jefferson could’ve reached the mark last week, needing only five catches to hit it, but he finished the night with just four grabs (albeit a team high) for 44 yards. He was the receiver on the Vikings’ first TD of the game against the Bears (also the first of J.J. McCarthy’s NFL career.)

Jefferson critiqued his performance against Chicago, saying he needed to be better on the details and taking ownership for McCarthy’s interception that was returned for a touchdown, having cut off his route two steps early.

“I’ve been saying this whole camp that I was the target for J.J. to throw to at anytime and I’m gonna come up with the ball,” Jefferson said. “As long as I touch that ball and I have the opportunity to come up with that ball, those are the plays that I need to come up with.”

6:30 p.m. - With inside linebacker Blake Cashman out for at least four games with a hamstring injury, Eric Wilson is expected to play an increased role.

The ninth-year veteran entered the league as an undrafted free agent with the Vikings in 2017 and returned to the team this offseason after spending the past four years with the Eagles, Texans and Packers.

“He’s as professional and mature as any guy I’ve been around, and he can play some football,” defensive coordinator Brian Flores said of Wilson. “I just think he’s got a real instinctive, innate feel to the game.”

I talked to Wilson’s Vikings teammates about him this summer, and they praised his fitness and noted his fruit-based diet.

“He really looks like he should be on stage at Mr. Olympia or whatever,” safety Harrison Smith said. “I’m sure he could get into that if he wanted to. He’s got the build for it.”

So, Eric, about all that fruit ...

“After being in the league for so long,” said Wilson, who turns 31 this month, “having to keep up with your body — I realize how much I love fruit and how much it hydrates me, and I just found it the best thing ever. Any session I have — or anything, anywhere — I bring an apple, a big ol’ bag of watermelon, cantaloupe, anything.”

- Andrew Krammer

5:58 p.m. - The Vikings secondary faces another talented aerial attack without safety Harrison Smith.

Smith, the 14th-year veteran, will miss his second straight game due to a personal health matter. Smith, 36, has said physical conditioning remains the only barrier to his return. He first practiced on Sept. 6 after a roughly three-week absence. He has remained limited in those sessions.

The Vikings defense will also be without outside linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel, linebacker Blake Cashman and cornerback Jeff Okudah. Van Ginkel and Okudah suffered concussions against the Bears. Cashman will miss at least four games due to the strained hamstring he suffered while chasing Bears quarterback Caleb Williams. Cashman was placed on injured reserve last week, which requires a minimum four-game absence.

Second-year outside linebacker Dallas Turner is expected to get his first NFL start replacing Van Ginkel. Eric Wilson, the ninth-year linebacker, will replace Cashman and relay defensive play calls with the in-helmet speaker.

Left tackle Christian Darrisaw is still not ready to return from the knee injury that ended his 2024 season. He was ruled out before kickoff. Coach Kevin O’Connell said Darrisaw would’ve been ruled out for Week 1 in Chicago, too, but they listed him questionable in order to get him a 30-minute pregame workout at Soldier Field.

The Vikings elevated cornerback Fabian Moreau and outside linebacker Gabe Murphy from the practice squad. Moreau, the 31-year-old veteran, could have a role in Okudah’s absence.

Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr. will have both top receivers Drake London and Darnell Mooney despite each dealing with shoulder injuries. Mooney missed Atlanta’s Week 1 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Atlanta made a change at kicker: Parker Romo, who had a four-game stint for the Vikings last year replacing an injured Will Reichard, will get the nod over the struggling Younghoe Koo, who is inactive.

Vikings’ inactives: Smith (illness), Darrisaw (knee), Van Ginkel (concussion), Okudah (concussion), LB Austin Keys (groin), G Joe Huber

Falcons’ inactives: K Younghoe Koo, WR Jamal Agnew, CB Clark Phillips III, OL Jack Nelson, WR Casey Washington, DL Sam Roberts

- Andrew Krammer

Vikings 27, Bears 24: Trailing 17-6 when the fourth quarter began, quarterback J.J. McCarthy led the Vikings to three touchdowns in the final 15 minutes in his NFL debut on “Monday Night Football.” McCarthy, the No. 10 pick in the 2024 draft, was 13 of 20 for 143 yards with two TD passes and then ran 14 yards for the clinching score.

- Naila-Jean Meyers

5:40 p.m. - The Vikings will be wearing throwback uniforms tonight, modeled after the teams’ jerseys from the 1960s and ‘70s with sleeve stripes and larger numbers outlined in gold.

- Naila-Jean Meyers

5:30 p.m. - The Vikings’ gameday production crew is lauded annually with sports entertainment awards and ranked first last season in the NFL’s “Voice of the Fan” survey, which asks fans who attended a game to rate their satisfaction with everything from pregame entertainment to concessions and stadium staff.

Tonight, 20 minutes before kickoff, the production team will unveil a new “Showtime” presentation, featuring cellists from the Minnesota Orchestra and the University of Minnesota. The presentation typically ends with fake snow falling from the ceiling as players emerge from a 30-foot tunnel shaped like a Viking ship.

Vikings great Jim Marshall, who died in June, will be honored at next Sunday’s game against the Cincinnati Bengals. The Vikings’ helmets this season feature a decal with Marshall’s No. 70.

- Naila-Jean Meyers