The Final Verdict on Falcons at Vikings Prediction
It’s Week 2, and the Minnesota Vikings will once again play in primetime, fresh off the steam of a stunning comeback victory over the Chicago Bears on the road in Week 1.
Here’s the final verdict on Falcons at Vikings. Fans have weighed in and offer a nearly unanimous prediction on the SNF outcome this week.
This time, Minnesota is favored to win by three or four points, according to oddsmakers, as J.J. McCarthy and Michael Penix Jr. will renew somewhat of a college rivalry in the pros.
Per usual, we asked a panel of Vikings fans for their winner and score predictions. Here’s what they said.
The People Predict Falcons at Vikings
The group is confident in the purple team.
Score Predictions | Week 2 | from Fans
The verdict was almost unanimous in favor of Minnesota. These are the score predictions.
Bruce Johnson | @sachikojohnson: MIN Wins, 30-17
Chris | @skol227: MIN Wins, 35-24
Eric Horstman | @ehorstman23L MIN Wins, 31-28
Ivan the Czar | @up4discussion_7: MIN Wins, 30-20
Jens | @rednpurple77: ATL Wins, 20-17
Skol Tom | @SkolFrom WI: MIN Wins, 31-20
Steve Berglund | @VikesIn18: MIN Wins, 30-24
Tadd | @ST7CUbs: MIN Wins, 24-20
The man from Norway, Jens, took the contrarian approach. He’s a wee bit skeptical.
In Week 1, Tadd most accurately predicted the outcome of Bears-Vikings. He chose Minnesota by three, and that’s what happened.
Current Standings
These are straightforward. The whole panel picked Minnesota last week.
Bruce Johnson: 1-0
Chris: 1-0
Eric Horstman: 1-0
Ivan, the Czar: 1-0
Jens: 1-0
Skol Tom: 1-0
Steve Berglund: 1-0
Tadd: 1-0
Not this week — but these marks will eventually diversify and separate.
The Final Verdict as a Group
As a consensus, it wasn’t too difficult to determine the winner: most of the group rolled with Kevin O’Connell and friends.
Official Prediction from the People: Vikings Win, 28-22
From NFL Punditry
SI.com‘s Will Ragatz picked Minnesota, too: “After knocking off three quarters of rust and coming to life in the fourth quarter on Monday, I’m expecting the Vikings’ offense to hit the ground running in this one. J.J. McCarthy’s big finish should give him all kinds of confidence heading into his first home game. Jordan Mason figures to be more heavily involved in the first half than he was last week. And even with A.J. Terrell across from him, Justin Jefferson typically doesn’t stay quiet for long. This Falcons defense, outside of a few players, isn’t very good.”
“On the other side of the ball, the Vikings not having Andrew Van Ginkel and Blake Cashman is a bit concerning, but they should still be able to generate plenty of pass rush with Jonathan Greenard, Jonathan Allen, Javon Hargrave, and Dallas Turner. At linebacker, Eric Wilson is a capable fill-in for Cashman. Michael Penix Jr. and Bijan Robinson will put up yards, but Brian Flores’ defense will also come up with a key takeaway or two in a 10-point win.”
Tony Liebert from the same site went with Atlanta by four: “The Falcons and Vikings both had hard back-and-forth Week 1 games with their second-year QBs, but Minnesota was the only one to leave with a win. J.J. McCarthy and Michael Penix Jr. last faced in the 2024 college football national championship when Michigan took down Washington.
“I think Penix gets revenge this week at U.S. Bank Stadium and Minnesota struggles to defend Atlanta’s pass catchers. McCarthy’s first start at home gets spoiled in a close loss.”
And Bleacher Report‘s Brent Sobleski picked Atlanta to cover the spread: “A missed field goal cost the Falcons dearly in Week 1. However, the offense moved the ball with 358 yards against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.”
“Michael Penix Jr. is a far more decisive thrower than Caleb Williams, which will make the Vikings job far more difficult on defense in Week 2, because the Bears QB had multiple throws and plays he outright missed during Monday Night Football. Penix is more likely to take advantage of those situations, especially against a suspect secondary versus Atlanta’s talented group of skill-position performers.”
The Vikings haven’t won consecutive games in a quarterback’s first two career starts since Daunte Culpepper in 2000.
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