What to know when the Vikings host the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday night:
Vikings at Falcons
When: 7:20 p.m. Sunday
Where: U.S. Bank Stadium
TV: NBC
Radio: KFAN
Line: Vikings -3.5
Over/Under: 44.5
Keys for the Vikings
— As much as young quarterback J.J. McCarthy struggled at times in his NFL debut, head coach Kevin O’Connell seemed more concerned with the stretches of sloppiness from the offense as a whole. On that note, the Vikings need to show more discipline against the Falcons, especially considering the benefits of taking an early lead amid what’s expected to be rowdy crowd at U.S. Bank Stadium. If the Vikings can gain the upper hand shortly after the opening kickoff, it will open up the playbook for defensive coordinator Brian Flores to potentially make life miserable for the Falcons.
Keys for the Falcons
— The best way for the Falcons to take control would be to get McCarthy off his spot with hopes of forcing a turnover. That would give young quarterback Michael Penix Jr. a chance to get on schedule without having to worry about falling into a shootout. Though the Falcons are talented enough to put up a lot of points with their skill position players, they don’t want to give the Vikings too many chances to force a turnover of their own.
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