Atlanta Falcons defensive end Takk McKinley was not shy about expressing his high expectations for the 2019 NFL season opener against the Minnesota Vikings. It is safe to say that his boasts have since backfired.
Upon seeing the release of the schedule back in mid-April, McKinley suggested that he would get at least two sacks against Minnesota. The Vikings official Twitter wasted no time in reminding him what was supposed to happen.
Easy. https://t.co/tzKP9LYX3Y
— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) September 9, 2019
There was initially good reason for McKinley to be optimistic about his chances going into Week 1. He was coming off a solid 2018 campaign in which he registered 22 tackles and 7.0 sacks. Atlanta had high hopes that the pair of edge rushers they had in him and Vic Beasley would provide them with one of the most talented tandems in the league.
However, McKinley did not fare very well against the Vikings front. He finished the game with 3.5 tackles and failed to get to quarterback Kirk Cousins all game. The only one to reach Cousins was defensive tackle Grady Jarrett.
Of course, Minnesota did not give them very many opportunities thanks to their strong run game. Not only was Atlanta unable to put any kind of pressure on Cousins but they struggled mightily against the run after giving up 172 yards and three touchdowns on the ground. This was made much easier by their defense and special teams being able to force costly turnovers.
Although the year may have just started, it is clear that Vikings Twitter is already in midseason form.
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