Bijan Robinson rushed for 143 yards, six sacks buried J.J. McCarthy, and Parker Romo hit five field goals on debut as Atlanta won 22-6 at U.S. Bank Stadium.
September 14, 2025 | U.S. Bank Stadium, Minneapolis | Attendance: 66,859 | NBC Sunday Night Football
Five sacks in a single half. Atlanta’s defense hadn’t done that to an opponent since 2009. When the Falcons walked out of Minneapolis that Sunday night, they had dismantled a home-opener, shut down a hyped second-year quarterback, and announced something real about who they were. Final score: Atlanta Falcons 22, Minnesota Vikings 6.
Table of Contents
Score by Quarter
| Team | Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | Final |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atlanta Falcons | 6 | 3 | 3 | 10 | 22 |
| Minnesota Vikings | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
Bijan Robinson Took Over
After 24 rushing yards on 12 carries in a Week 1 loss to Tampa Bay, Robinson came back with 143 yards on 22 carries, averaging 6.5 per touch and forcing nine missed tackles across the night.
Atlanta’s offensive line gave him clean lanes early, and Robinson made defenses pay when they overcommitted. He gained more yards after contact in the first quarter alone than he had totalled rushing in the entire opening week.
Tyler Allgeier ran 16 times for 76 yards and sealed the game with a 5-yard touchdown run with 3:22 left in the fourth, finishing a 12-play, 83-yard drive that ate 6:17 off the clock. By the time the Vikings got the ball back, there was nothing left to play for.
“For us to be balling like that throughout the whole game, it was pretty cool to see,” Robinson said afterward.
Rushing Stats
| Player | Team | Carries | Yards | Avg | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bijan Robinson | ATL | 22 | 143 | 6.5 | 0 | 25 |
| Tyler Allgeier | ATL | 16 | 76 | 4.8 | 1 | 17 |
| J.J. McCarthy | MIN | 5 | 25 | 5.0 | 0 | 16 |
| Jordan Mason | MIN | 9 | 30 | 3.3 | 0 | 8 |
| Aaron Jones | MIN | 5 | 23 | 4.6 | 0 | 8 |
| Michael Penix Jr. | ATL | 1 | -1 | — | 0 | — |
| ATL Team | 39 | 218 | 5.6 | 1 | 25 | |
| MIN Team | 19 | 78 | 4.1 | 0 | 16 |
Penix vs. McCarthy: A College Rivalry Revisited
Two seasons before this game, J.J. McCarthy led Michigan past Michael Penix Jr. and Washington in the national championship. Sunday night in Minneapolis went the other way.
Penix finished 13-of-21 for 135 yards with no touchdowns and no interceptions — his second consecutive turnover-free start. He managed the game, trusted the run, and got Atlanta out of Minnesota with a clean sheet.
“He’s selfless. He’ll do whatever it takes to win, which is exactly what he did tonight,” coach Raheem Morris said.
McCarthy had no such comfort. He threw two interceptions, lost a fumble on a strip-sack, and was pulled down six times for 38 yards in losses. His passer rating finished at 37.5. The raw passing numbers looked reasonable on paper, but context told a different story — Minnesota crossed midfield three times and reached the red zone once.
“We’ve got a lot to do, and I’ve got a lot to do personally,” McCarthy said.
Passing Stats
| Player | Team | Comp/Att | Yards | Avg | TD | INT | Sacks | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michael Penix Jr. | ATL | 13/21 | 135 | 6.4 | 0 | 0 | 3–27 yds | 80.5 |
| J.J. McCarthy | MIN | 11/21 | 158 | 7.5 | 0 | 2 | 6–38 yds | 37.5 |
Receiving Leaders
Justin Jefferson had the best individual play of the night — a 50-yard grab off a double move late in the second quarter that cut Atlanta’s lead to 9-6 at halftime. On that same reception, Jefferson matched Larry Fitzgerald Jr. as the youngest player (26 years, 90 days) in NFL history to reach 500 career receptions. Impressive milestone, losing effort.
Receiving Stats
| Player | Team | Targets | Rec | Yards | Avg | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Justin Jefferson | MIN | 6 | 3 | 81 | 27.0 | 0 | 50 |
| Drake London | ATL | 4 | 3 | 49 | 16.3 | 0 | 21 |
| Kyle Pitts | ATL | 5 | 4 | 37 | 9.3 | 0 | 14 |
| Jalen Nailor | MIN | 5 | 3 | 31 | 10.3 | 0 | 17 |
| Bijan Robinson | ATL | 5 | 3 | 25 | 8.3 | 0 | 15 |
| Adam Thielen | MIN | 3 | 2 | 26 | 13.0 | 0 | 19 |
| Darnell Mooney | ATL | 4 | 2 | 20 | 10.0 | 0 | 11 |
| T.J. Hockenson | MIN | 3 | 1 | 12 | 12.0 | 0 | 12 |
| Jordan Mason | MIN | 3 | 2 | 8 | 4.0 | 0 | 6 |
| Tyler Allgeier | ATL | 1 | 1 | 4 | 4.0 | 0 | 4 |
Six Sacks, Two Rookies, and a Defense That Set a Record
The Falcons’ pass rush was the defining element of this game. Six total sacks. Five before halftime — the most sacks in a half for Atlanta in any game since their 2009 matchup against Washington.
First-round rookies James Pearce Jr. and Jalon Walker both posted sacks, the result of an offseason built around adding pass rush with high draft capital. Brandon Dorlus, Ruke Orhorhoro, Leonard Floyd, and Zach Harrison all contributed as well.
Pass Rush & Pressure Stats
| Defender | Team | Sacks | Hits | Hurries | Total Pressures |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| James Pearce Jr. | ATL | 2.0 | 0 | 1 | 3 |
| Leonard Floyd | ATL | 1.0 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| Brandon Dorlus | ATL | 1.5 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Ruke Orhorhoro | ATL | 1.0 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| Kaden Elliss | ATL | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Jalon Walker | ATL | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Zach Harrison | ATL | 1.5 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Jonathan Greenard | MIN | 1.0 | 1 | 2 | 4 |
| Dallas Turner | MIN | 1.0 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Jalen Redmond | MIN | 1.0 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
Two rookie defensive backs added their names to the story. Billy Bowman Jr., a third-round corner, dove for an interception late in the second quarter to end a promising Viking drive. He was targeted nine times in coverage and held Minnesota’s receivers to a 20.4 passer rating against him. Xavier Watts, a fourth-round safety, gave up the 50-yard Jefferson reception but answered on the final drive — tracking down a McCarthy overthrow for the game-sealing interception.
“We’re hungry. We’re just doing our thing,” Watts said.
Full Team Stats
| Category | Atlanta Falcons | Minnesota Vikings |
|---|---|---|
| Total Yards | 326 | 198 |
| Rushing Yards | 218 | 78 |
| Passing Yards | 108 | 120 |
| Total Plays | 63 | 46 |
| Yards per Play | 5.2 | 4.3 |
| 1st Downs | 19 | 10 |
| Rushing 1st Downs | 12 | 3 |
| Passing 1st Downs | 5 | 7 |
| 3rd Down Conv. | 6/15 (40%) | 4/11 (36%) |
| 4th Down Conv. | 0/0 | 1/2 |
| Red Zone (Made/Att) | 1/5 | 0/1 |
| Turnovers | 1 | 4 |
| Fumbles Lost | 1 | 2 |
| Interceptions Thrown | 0 | 2 |
| Sacks Allowed | 3 (–27 yds) | 6 (–38 yds) |
| Penalties | 5–29 yds | 8–50 yds |
| Time of Possession | 36:32 | 23:28 |
| Total Drives | 10 | 10 |
Kicking, Scoring & Special Teams
Parker Romo was signed to Atlanta’s practice squad on the Wednesday before this game. By Sunday night he had gone 5-for-5 on field goals, including a 54-yarder in the fourth quarter, in his Falcons debut. He grew up in Peachtree City, Georgia — just outside Atlanta — and had spent four games kicking for the Vikings in 2024 while Will Reichard was injured. He knew U.S. Bank Stadium well before most of his new teammates did.
Kicking Stats
| Kicker | Team | FG Made/Att | Long | XP | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Parker Romo | ATL | 5/5 | 54 yds | 1/1 | 16 |
| Will Reichard | MIN | 2/2 | 51 yds | 0/0 | 6 |
Scoring Summary
| Time | Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11:12 Q1 | ATL | Parker Romo 38-yd FG | ATL 3–0 |
| 6:48 Q1 | ATL | Parker Romo 29-yd FG | ATL 6–0 |
| 7:06 Q2 | MIN | Will Reichard 33-yd FG | ATL 6–3 |
| 0:25 Q2 | ATL | Parker Romo 33-yd FG | ATL 9–3 |
| 0:00 Q2 | MIN | Will Reichard 51-yd FG | ATL 9–6 |
| 6:17 Q3 | ATL | Parker Romo 33-yd FG | ATL 12–6 |
| 11:16 Q4 | ATL | Parker Romo 54-yd FG | ATL 15–6 |
| 3:22 Q4 | ATL | Tyler Allgeier 5-yd Rush (Romo XP) | ATL 22–6 |
Injuries
Several players did not return after leaving with injuries:
| Player | Team | Position | Injury | Quarter |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A.J. Terrell Jr. | ATL | CB | Left hamstring | Q2 |
| Ryan Kelly | MIN | C | Concussion | Q2 |
| Justin Skule | MIN | LT | Concussion | Q3 |
| Aaron Jones | MIN | RB | Hamstring | Q3 |
| Gabe Murphy | MIN | OLB | Possible MCL | Q4 |
| Harrison Smith | MIN | S | Held out (2nd week) | — |
Skule had already been filling in for starting left tackle Christian Darrisaw, who was out with a knee injury. Minnesota’s offensive line finished the game severely short-handed.
What This Game Came Down To
The Falcons vs Vikings player stats from September 14, 2025 tell a clear story. Atlanta rushed for 218 yards, sacked the opposing quarterback six times, forced four turnovers, and held possession for over 13 more minutes than Minnesota. Robinson bounced back from a quiet Week 1 and re-established himself as the center of Atlanta’s offense. A defense built on young draft capital delivered on its promise with a historically dominant first-half performance.
The Vikings had the home crowd, the prime-time spotlight, and a quarterback the league had been watching closely. None of it was enough against a Falcons team that controlled both sides of the line of scrimmage from the first quarter onward.
“We’ve got to find a way to stay on the field longer, because it’s an important part of how we need to play as a team, especially against a team like that,” Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell said.
Minnesota never found that way. Atlanta never let them look for it.
Stats via ESPN, NFL.com, and Pro Football Focus. Game played September 14, 2025 at U.S. Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, MN.
