The stage was set for young quarterback J.J. McCarthy, another nationally televised, primetime game for him to build on a successful NFL debut last week in Chicago.

But McCarthy couldn’t keep the momentum rolling on Sunday night at U.S. Bank Stadium.

Not once throughout the game did McCarthy look like he was in a rhythm as the Vikings suffered a 22-6 loss to the Atlanta Falcons. Frankly, the game wasn’t as close as the score might indicate; the Vikings were thoroughly dominated from start to finish.

McCarthy’s stat line was ugly: 11 of 20 on pass attempts for 158 yards, a pair of interceptions and a fumble. He was sacked a half dozen times as injuries on the offensive line made pass blocking seem optional.

The disastrous performance incited a packed house to rush for the exits long before the final seconds ticked off the clock.

The worst part? If the offense even showed an ounce of competitiveness, the Vikings might have come back and won. That’s how good the defense was for prolonged stretches at it did everything it could to keep the Vikings in the game. But the only points the Vikings managed to score came on a pair of field goals from kicker Will Reichard.

There was a ton of energy in the building leading up to kickoff, and that manifested on the opening drive. After an initial burst from the Falcons courtesy of star running back Bijan Robinson, the home crowd momentarily took over the game.

A deafening roar forced the Falcons to take a timeout and a delay of game in succession. That pushed them backward and they had to settle for a field goal from kicker Parker Romo to make it 3-0.

On the next drive, the Vikings turned the ball over on downs when McCarthy bobbled an exchange with center Ryan Kelly on a quarterback sneak. Again, the defense picked up the offense, limiting the damage as the Falcons kicked another field goal to make it to 6-0.

As the offense continued to sputter, the defense stepped up once again, this time with a perfectly placed punch from linebacker Eric Wilson to force a fumble deep in Vikings territory that was recovered by safety Theo Jackson.

That gave the Vikings some life, and McCarthy finally found something resembling a rhythm, completing a 19-yard pass to receiver Adam Thielen, followed by  a 17-yard pass to wideout Jalen Nailor. That put the Vikings in the low red zone, but they settled for a field goal from Reichard to cut the deficit to 6-3.

After an interception by McCarthy put the Vikings in another precarious situation, the defense continued to rise to the occasion, forcing the Falcons into another field goal to make it 9-3.

That looked like it would be the score at halftime until McCarthy found receiver Justin Jefferson for a 50-yard gain in the waning seconds, setting up a field goal from Reichard to cut the deficit to 9-6.

The trend of the offense stinking it up and the defense keeping the Vikings within striking distance continued after halftime. After the Vikings were immediately forced to punt coming out of the locker room, the Falcons added another field goal to make it 12-6.

With a chance to take the lead despite how poorly everything had gone to that point, McCarthy was sacked for the sixth time in the game and he fumbled in the process. Though the Falcons had a chance to deliver the knockout blow, they had to settle for yet another field goal to make it 15-6.

That seemed to be the knockout blow, giving the Falcons a lead that was virtually insurmountable with the way the Vikings were playing on the other end.

Atlanta Falcons running back Bijan Robinson (7) bust through the Minnesota Vikings line for a first down in the fourth quarter of a NFL game at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis on Sunday, Sept. 14, 2025. The Atlanta Falcons beat the Minnesota Vikings, 22-6. (John Autey / Pioneer Press)

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