The Falcons have not won a road outdoor game since 2012 when they defeated the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. However, the Falcons had a chance to snap the losing streak on Sunday when they faced the Minnesota Vikings at TCF Bank Stadium because they came into the game as a four-point favorite. That was not the case because the Falcons defense gave up 558 yards of total offense, which led to a 41-28 loss.
Most of the Vikings yards came from rookie quarterback Teddy Bridgewater who tallied 344 total yards and one rushing touchdown. But he wasn’t the only Viking to get in on the action. Jerick McKinnon, who played college ball Georgia Southern and high school ball at Sprayberry, rushed for 135 yards on 18 carries. And Matt Asiata, the Vikings starting running backs rushed for 78 yards and three scores.
Asiata got his first touchdown on the Vikings opening series as he scored from three yards out. He got his second touchdown on the Vikings second series after the Falcons scored via Matt Ryan 24-yard touchdown pass to Roddy White.
The Falcons tied the game at 14 in the second quarter when Ryan threw a 1-yard touchdown pass to Patrick DiMarco. But Minnesota answered on the ensuing drive Bridgewater scored on a 13-yard run. The Vikings would end the first half with a Blair Walsh 18-yard field goal to increase the lead to 10.
The Vikings would add on to their lead at the start of the third quarter when Walsh kicked a 41-yard field goal. But the Falcons would not go away as Ryan threw a 36-yard score to Devin Hester on the next series. And after the defense getting a stop, the Falcons took the lead when Anton Smith scored on a 48-yard run. The lead would not last for too long because the Vikings put together a 9-play, 78-yard drive early in the fourth quarter, which ended with a 1-yard touchdown run by Asiata. Walsh would add on the Vikings lead later in the fourth with a 55 and 33-yard field goal, respectively.
What could go wrong on the Falcons did go wrong at Minnesota. They lost offensive linemen Justin Blaylock, Joe Hawley and Lamar Holmes to injuries as well as safety William Moore. Also, the defense did not come up with a sack or a turnover, and only forced the Vikings to punt twice.
The only good thing about the game was the Falcons racked up 411 yards on offense and Matt Ryan threw for 298 yards and three touchdowns. He did throw two interceptions and he now has five on the year, all coming from the two road games. Also, the Falcons were able to run the ball effectively, rushing for 123 yards on 22 carries. Smith had 62 yards while Steven Jackson has 49.
The Vikings improve to 2-2 and they are trailing the Detroit Lions for the NFC North lead by one game. The Falcons drop to 2-2 and they are tied with the Carolina Panthers for first place in the NFC South. They will have another road game next Sunday as they take on the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium.
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