Atlanta Falcons cornerback A.J. Terrell Jr. went down with a non-contact injury in the third quarter. It was during the final minutes of the second quarter when he clutched his left hamstring in pain while covering a Vikings receiver. Although the cornerback stayed on the field for a few more minutes, he later limped to the sideline.

Soon, Terrin Waack reported that the cornerback was officially ruled out with a hamstring issue and will miss the rest of the game. “Q3: With A.J. Terrell Jr. questionable to return with a hamstring injury, Dee Alford is in at cornerback,” Waack wrote on X. In his absence, Dee Alford stepped in at cornerback for the Falcons. The team re-signed the 27-year-old back in April. Over three seasons with Atlanta, he has tallied 149 tackles across 49 games. Last season, he recorded a career-best 83 tackles, along with one sack and one forced fumble, while starting 11 of his 16 games. Despite Alford, Terrell’s absence was felt immediately.

On the very first play after the injury, JJ McCarthy threw a 50-yard pass to Justin Jefferson. This helped the Vikings to be in range for a field goal just before the second quarter ended. Falcons’ blitzes in the first half went well against McCarthy. The team had five sacks in the first half, which is their most in a single half since 2009. This was Terrell’s 80th career start for the Falcons.

He has started all of his games with the team since joining in 2020. After racking up 66 combined tackles, six pass defenses, and two picks across 17 games last season, he played 58 of Atlanta’s defensive snaps in Week 1. The cornerback is a key piece of the Falcons’ defense system.

Much to their relief, the Falcons managed to overcome the void left by Terrell and stay ahead, ultimately clinching a 6-22 win against the Vikings. Now, not just the Falcons, the Vikings were also bitten by the injury bug. After Ryan Kelly walked out due to his injury, the Vikings saw yet another player, Justin Skule, getting sidelined.

What’s interesting here is that despite all the hurdles, the Falcons’ defense shone in the game.

The Falcons’ defense had a great game

Coach Raheem Morris can be at peace in knowing that the defense was strong. Perhaps the best aspect was that almost all the Falcons’ young defenders contributed in the game. Jalon Walker and James Pearce Jr., r recorded their first career sacks, while Leonard Floyd had his first sack as a Falcons player on a 1st and 10n in the second quarter, and Zach Harrison had a strip-sack in the 4th quarter.

So, the Falcons’ dominance over the Vikings’ offense in the 22-6 win was impressive. The team managed to limit them to just 198 total yards while forcing three turnovers from J.J. McCarthy. Billy Bowman came up with an interception in the second quarter that gave Atlanta possession at the Vikings’ 38-yard line in the second quarter. Then, in the fourth, Xavier Watts stepped up with his first career pick, sealing the win for the Falcons.

On the offense side, Bijan Robinson impressed with his speed and agility. He had 143 rushing yards and added three receptions on five targets for 25 yards. This was a memorable game, and they will hope to carry the momentum to their next game against the Panthers in Week 3.