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.
