The Atlanta Falcons must rebound from a crushing Week 1 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and it won't be easy.
For the second time in five NFL starts, Michael Penix Jr. will take to the road on Sunday Night Football, this time against the Minnesota Vikings.
To leave Minnesota with a win, the Falcons will need some heroic efforts from their superstars.
3 bold predictions for the Falcons in Week 2 against Vikings
1. Darnell Mooney breaks 130 yards with two touchdowns in season debut
The offense's struggles to get the ball down the field in Week 1 had a lot to do with Darnell Mooney's absence; he is the one who brings speed and quickness next to Drake London.
The Vikings are in a tough spot with their secondary, with Harrison Smith dealing with an illness and Jeff Okudah being ruled out.
London should see a lot of Byron Murphy, setting Mooney up to feast on second-year UDFA Dwight McGlothern. Expect to see the deep-passing game open up with his return.
2. A.J. Terrell shuts Justin Jefferson down... again
The media rarely talks about A.J. Terrell as one of the league's best cornerbacks, and it is a shame.
Last year, he routinely shut down some of the NFL's best wide receivers late in the season, including Terry McLaurin and Sunday's opponent, Justin Jefferson. He held both of them to one catch for seven yards.
So, why wouldn't we think he can do it again? Especially after his strong performance against Mike Evans in the season opener.
Another factor in this is that J.J. McCarthy and Jefferson didn't have great chemistry last week, connecting on four passes for 44 yards and a score.
3. Falcons' special teams scores a touchdown
Last week's special teams performance was a nightmare; they struggled covering kicks and punts, and we all know what happened with Younghoe Koo.
One way to bounce back is to put six points on the board. Doing so will be a bit harder with Jamal Agnew's injury, but we saw Dee Alford return a punt for a touchdown in his first preseason game.
There are also other ways to make this bold prediction come true, but no matter how they do it, they must make a positive impact on this game, and scoring a touchdown would do just that.