Six takeaways from Falcons' Week 2 win over the Minnesota Vikings

The Atlanta Falcons turned up the heat on defense against the Minnesota Vikings in Week 2, sacking quarterback J.J. McCarthy six times on their way to a 22-6 win on Sunday night. Running back Bijan Robinson led the way on offense and the team's rookie draft class did the rest.

The Falcons' pass rush was too much for an undermanned Vikings offensive line and the secondary came up with two interceptions. It wasn't the flashiest win, but it was the kind of game this team needed after getting out-muscled in the season opener.

Quarterback Michael Penix Jr. was steady and didn't turn the ball over on a night when the running game was working. Here are six takeaways from the Falcons' 22-6 win over the Vikings.

Falcons rookie class goes off vs. Vikings

The Falcons' rookie class was a consistent bright spot all game long. Jalon Walker and James Pearce Jr. made their presence known early. The two first-round edge rushers both sacked J.J. McCarthy. Pearce teamed up with Brandon Dorlus (more on him later) on one sack, then Walker recorded a solo sack to end a Vikings red-zone trip early. Billy Bowman Jr. recorded his first career interception, and nearly had a second. Last but not least, Xavier Watts closed the game out with his first career interception. Sunday's game was truly a remarkable day for Atlanta's 2025 draft class, and one that this team can build upon going forward.

Falcons defense sacks J.J. McCarthy 6 times

The Falcons recorded five sacks in the first half and six total for the game. As we mentioned above, rookies Jalon Walker and James Pearce Jr. were a factor, but so were Brandon Dorlus (1.5 sacks), Ruke Orhorhoro (0.5 sacks), Leonard Floyd (one sack) and Zach Harrison (1.5 sacks). Defensively, this group was flying around like we haven't seen in some time. Linebackers Divine Deablo and Kaden Elliss continue to disrupt things, but overall this day was all about the defensive line. Dorlus and Orhorhoro have helped pick up the slack after Grady Jarrett's departure. Minnesota's banged-up offensive line had no answer for Atlanta up front.

Red-zone issues

The Falcons could not get the ball into the end zone for much of the game. Tyler Allgeier's fourth-quarter touchdown finally broke the drought, but the team went 1-for-5 in the red zone against the Vikings. Overall, penalties were the biggest issue. From false starts to delay of game penalties, the Falcons shot themselves in the foot whenever they had a chance to put the game away. It was still a good day in terms of time of possession, which Atlanta won 36:32-to-23:28. However, this is one area that the team must clean up.

Bijan Robinson carries Falcons offense

Robinson opened the game with two big runs that would set the tone for what was to come. The third-year running back rushed for 143 yards on 22 carries. Unlike last week, the offensive line opened up massive holes for Robinson to run through. This was a huge factor in the Falcons' win, especially since this unit did a poor job in pass protection. The game plan was essentially to ride Bijan to victory by dominating the time of possession, and it worked. Robinson continues to do whatever is necessary to help this team win.

Parker Romo has stellar debut in place of Koo

On a day when the offense struggled in the red zone, the burden fell to kicker Parker Romo. In his first game replacing Younghoe Koo, Romo hit all five field goals, including a 54-yarder, and converted on his lone extra point attempt. It's hard to imagine the Koo getting his job back after Romo's clutch performance, but the veteran is still on the roster. If Sunday was Romo's audition for the job, though, he has to be happy with how it went.

A.J. Terrell injury

Falcons cornerback A.J. Terrell went down late in the first half and the team immediately gave up a big pass to Justin Jefferson. Terrell did not return after suffering a hamstring injury. While his potential absence is concerning, it was good to see the team respond after halftime. Atlanta held J.J. McCarthy to just 158 total passing yards and intercepted him twice. Check back for an update on Terrell's injury on Monday.

What's next for the Falcons?

Next up, the Falcons will face the Carolina Panthers on the road in Week 3. The Panthers lost to the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday to fall to 0-2. Atlanta lost its NFC South opener to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but a Week 3 win over Carolina could help them stay in the mix for the division lead. The Buccaneers will play the Houston Texans on Monday night.