The Minnesota Vikings were not dealt the most accommodating 2025 schedule in the NFL, as the beginning of the season could do more damage to new starting quarterback J.J. McCarthy than people think.
Minnesota's long road trip overseas in late September and early October has gotten the most attention, with games against the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cleveland Browns in Dublin and London in back-to-back weeks. Even their road game against the Chicago Bears on "Monday Night Football" in Week 1 and their Week 3 home game against the Cincinnati Bengals will give the Vikings fits.
Minnesota's Week 2 showdown with the Atlanta Falcons isn't getting as much attention as it should, though, as it is not only a potential trap game, but a revenge game for Falcons starting quarterback Michael Penix Jr. also.
History between Minnesota Vikings QB J.J. McCarthy and Atlanta Falcons QB Michael Penix Jr. sets up a brutal Week 2 matchup
Before their NFL careers began, McCarthy and Penix faced off in the 2024 college football national championship game against each other as McCarthy's Michigan Wolverines faced Penix's Washington Huskies. McCarthy came out on top of that game with a 34-13 blowout win for the Wolverines over the Huskies to win the national title.
McCarthy got a lot of help in that game thanks to Blake Corum and Donovan Edwards each rushing for over 100 yards and two touchdowns in the win. The Wolverines quarterback passed for 140 yards and ran for another 34.
Penix had a different experience as he passed the ball 51 times for 255 yards and one touchdown to two interceptions in the loss. While his passing stats were superior to McCarthy, it was McCarthy who got the win.
After the game, Penix would get the last laugh as he was Atlanta's eighth overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. Just two picks later, McCarthy would be selected by the Vikings as the 10th overall pick.
Both the quarterbacks' 2024 campaigns went differently, with McCarthy missing the whole year with a torn meniscus he suffered during preseason. Penix would replace former Vikings starting quarterback Kirk Cousins for the last three games of the season, as he went 1-2 in those games, throwing for 775 yards and three touchdowns to three interceptions.
This is a revenge game for both quarterbacks for different reasons. Penix wants revenge on McCarthy for that national championship game in 2024. McCarthy wants to prove that he should have been the pick for the Falcons instead of Penix.
These are the future star quarterbacks of the NFL, and a win in Week 2 against each other would set their seasons up for success. McCarthy has a little more to prove than Penix, but the talented Vikings roster will only help McCarthy.
In a league with few errors to make, McCarthy can't stumble against the Falcons as the Vikings are favored to win it. A loss to Penix and Atlanta would derail any momentum McCarthy and Minnesota need early in the season.