Week 1 of the 2025 season featured an epic matchup between the Baltimore Ravens and Buffalo Bills on “Sunday Night Football.” Josh Allen led his squad to an improbable win despite trailing 40-25 in the fourth quarter.
NFL fans would love to watch another thriller this Sunday night on NBC. However, they’re not exactly fond of the matchup. That’s because Michael Penix Jr. and the Atlanta Falcons are taking on J.J. McCarthy and the Minnesota Vikings.
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The Falcons started off their season with a 23-20 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Penix played fairly well, completing 27 of 42 passes for 298 yards with a touchdown. This game would’ve gone into overtime had Younghoe Koo converted a late field goal attempt.
The Vikings, meanwhile, erased a 17-6 deficit against the Chicago Bears to start the season 1-0. McCarthy came alive in the fourth quarter, leading Kevin O’Connell’s offense on three touchdown drives. It was an impressive performance in his first career start.
Even though Atlanta and Minnesota have plenty of playmakers, including Justin Jefferson and Bijan Robinson, some NFL fans claim this matchup isn’t good enough for “Sunday Night Football.”
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Aug 9, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy (9) scrambles for a gain against the Houston Texans during the first quarter at U.S. Bank Stadium.Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images.
“Aint no way in hell this is the week 2 Sunday night game bruh,” one fan said.
“NFL tryna push J.J. McCarthy agenda so bad,” a second fan wrote.
“Why is this a Sunday night game lol,” a third fan commented.
Penix and McCarthy have history.
In April 2024, Penix and McCarthy were both drafted in the top 10. They weren’t Week 1 starters last fall, but that doesn’t really matter considering they’re leading their organizations now.
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Back in January 2024, Penix and McCarthy met during the national title game. Michigan ultimately defeated Washington 34-13 thanks to a strong performance from Jim Harbaugh’s defense. It also doesn’t hurt that Blake Corum had 134 rushing yards and two touchdowns for the Wolverines.
We’d have to imagine Michigan fans will be watching Sunday night’s game to see if McCarthy improves his NFL record to 2-0.
This story was originally reported by The Spun on Sep 13, 2025, where it first appeared in the NFL section. Add The Spun as a Preferred Source by clicking here.