A Sunday Night Dub After Devastation

After a devastating loss in the home opener last Sunday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Atlanta Falcons were able to bounce back (22-6) against the Minnesota Vikings.

As heartbreaking as that loss was, Falcons fans were able to witness the growth of Michael Penix Jr.--Atlanta's fresh new quarterback. While Falcons fans saw him a limited amount of time last season, his Week 1 performance showed that he was worthy of that starting position they gave him at the end of last season. He was able to rack up yards in last week's game with 298 passing yards, but they were just short of that win, and that loss wasn't entirely on him.

Atlanta's kicker, Younghoe Koo, struggled and it was evident after he missed the game-tying 44-yard field goal in last week's game. On Saturday, the Falcons ended up downgrading him to the non-injury designation list and he did not travel with the team to Sunday's game.

Parker Romo--the new kid on the block, you could say, replaced Younghoe Koo after a kicking competition in Tuesday's practice. Romo previously played in four games last season for the Vikings and made 11 of the 12 field goals he kicked. On Sunday, he made true to his promise and delivered under pressure in the Sunday Night matchup, helping the Falcons secure their first win of the season.

Much of the game's score on Sunday night was contributed by field goals and the Falcons did not see a touchdown until three minutes remaining in the game. The defense held strong with five sacks, holding McCarthy and his offense to total of six points. However, they cannot keep relying on field goals to win games. Atlanta will face much more competitive and more challenging defenses to come, and while Romo did outstanding, the kicking game still remains under the microscope.

But if one thing is for certain, Falcons fans can remain at peace knowing that they scored a win under the big umbrella that is Sunday Night Football and that they are willing to adapt to changes and setbacks.

Atlanta is set to face the Carolina Panthers at Carolina on Sunday, Sept. 21 at 1 p.m. EST.