Four Questions for Atlanta Falcons Ahead of Vikings on Sunday Night Football

Atlanta had a chance to tie Sunday’s game at the buzzer on the foot of kicker Younghoe Koo, but the veteran’s 44-yard field goal attempt sailed wide to the right and the Falcons lost 23-20. 

Koo was the subject of a lot of criticism this week, and the front office opted to bring in a veteran presence to provide him with more competition at the position ahead of their Week 2 matchup. 

“We got to create high-level competition, which we always will,” Falcons head coach Raheem Morris said. “When you bring people in to figure out what's going to happen and how you're going to get about your business, but obviously that's another cut-and-dry position, right? You either make it or you don't, and we've got to have guys in a position to make them.

Parker Romo, 28, made 11 of 12 field goals and went 7-for-8 on extra-point tries over four games with the Vikings last fall. He was added to the practice squad on Tuesday. 

Who will be attempting kicks will be made more clear as the week goes on, but Romo was seen at practice on Thursday standing with punter Bradley Pinion while the Falcons practiced their kickoff drills. Koo was seen on the opposite field with the Falcons’ other practice squad kicker, Lenny Krieg, attempting kicks. 

CAN THE FALCONS RUN THE FOOTBALL?

The Falcons feature one of the NFL’s best running back duos, but Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier combined for just 48 yards on 22 carries (2.18 yards per carry). A lot of that has to do with a stout Tampa front that was top four in the NFL last season in rushing yards allowed (97.8), but Sunday night will offer another daunting test. 

The Vikings had the league’s second-best run-stuffing unit last season, allowing a paltry 93.4 yards per game and league-best EPA/rush allowed. 

“I feel like the first game, we weren't able to get the run game going,” offensive coordinator Zac Robinson said this week. “We’ve got two of the best backs in the league, so that's something that we definitely always want to make sure that we have, and being able to go out there and display that. This past week, we didn't do the best at that, but I know the guys will be determined and ready for this week and the coming up weeks.”

Sunday will be another difficult test, but they will need to be up for the challenge. Michael Penix Jr attempted 42 passes against Tampa Bay, but they were not able to feature the downfield passing attack as they would like to. Their inability to rush the football likely had a lot to do with that. 

This Brian Flores defense will present them with another difficult challenge, but the rushing attack must be up for the challenge if they want to walk away with a chance at a win. 

WHAT IS THE HEALTH OF THE WIDE RECEIVER CORE?

Not only did the Falcons take a loss to the Buccaneers on Sunday, but they also took a pair of blows to their wide receiver core. Already down Darnell Mooney, Atlanta lost Drake London to a shoulder injury and Casey Washington to a concussion. All three of those players appeared on the team’s injury report.

Washington did not participate in practices this week, while Mooney and London were both limited before being full participants on Friday.

Mooney is important for the team’s downfield passing attack, but London is the team’s top receiving option by leaps and bounds. He led the team in targets on Sunday, as he did in 2024 before that. Over the team’s final three games with Michael Penix Jr under center, London was targeted on 41.1% of his routes while averaging 12.5 air yards per target (both led the NFL). 

Head coach Raheem Morris said he felt good about where their top target stands ahead of their trip to Minnesota this weekend.

"I do. I mean, Drake is like Drake,” Morris said. “He's ultimately tough, and he is what he is, and we know Drake. I do expect him to play. That's not saying that he is, but when you ask me, do I expect him to play, of course. Drake's the ultimate tough guy, and when he says he's going to go practice, that usually tells you a lot.”

As of Friday, neither Mooney nor London will carry injury designations. This should signal that they should be ready to play on Sunday night. Washington, on the other hand, will be unavailable.

WILL THE FALCONS’ DEFENSE MAKE THE BIG PLAY?

The Falcons’ new-look defense had its first opportuntiy to show what it was capable of against Tampa Bay. They showed glimpses of the potential they raved about during training camp, but ultimately came up short when the big moments presented themselves. 

The final touchdown drive from Baker Mayfield and the Bucs will take center stage in this discussion, but the Falcons had several opportunities to flip this game before that. Safety Jessie Bates III said the defense had the chance to flip the game but repeatedly came up short against Tampa on Sunday. 

“We just gotta catch ‘em,” he said. “I think we have four or five that we could have had last week, and this week is no different. You've got to be able to catch the ball when they throw it to us, make them pay, because those things change the game.” 

In addition to finishing catches, this defense will be tasked with finishing off sacks against a quarterback making his second-career start in J.J. McCarthy. They had a top-10 pressure rate (40.5%), but they only managed a single sack on Sunday. 

McCarthy will bring comparable athleticism to what Mayfield did in the game, but the Falcons will need to be much better at keeping him inside the pocket. Against Tampa, they gave up five rushing first downs to Mayfield on scramble plays, but none to running backs on designed rushes. 

The former Michigan Wolverine showed last Monday that he is up for the challenge in primetime, but the Falcons will need to step up if and when he gives them any opportunities.