Eagles-Vikings Preview: Countdown to Kickoff
For teams in two different divisions, the Eagles and Vikings sure have developed a history in recent years.
They will meet for the fourth time in four years on Sunday at 1 p.m. inside U.S. Bank Stadium in downtown Minneapolis. The Eagles are 2-1 in the previous three meetings in that span, including a 38-7 romp in the 2017 NFC Championship Game.
The Vikings got their revenge on the Eagles’ home field last year, taking advantage of two fumbles to notch a 23-21 win.
Then there was 2016, when the Vikings showed up at Lincoln Financial Field with former Eagles quarterback Sam Bradford having guided his new team to a 5-0 record. The Eagles sacked Bradford six times that day on their way to a 21-10 win.
Bradford was 24-for-41 for 224 yards. Three players who sacked him then are still on the team: Rodney McLeod, Brandon Graham, and Nigel Bradham. The other three sacks came from Jordan Hicks, Connor Barwin, and Steven Means.
“They always come prepared, they come ready, so we just have to make sure we don’t stink it up,” said Graham. “That’s what you hope for every week, be always in the game.”
The Eagles have also developed a fond appreciation for the state of Minnesota since it is there that they won the franchise’s only Super Bowl title, having done it over the New England Patriots on the Vikings’ home field on Feb. 4, 2018.
There will be very little reminiscing about that conquest that day, according to many of the 30 still on the roster from that Super win. This is an important game for a number of reasons as one team will be 4-2 after it is over, the other 3-3.
“I won't address it from the standpoint of what we did a couple years ago, but I'll address it from the standpoint of this is the next game for us,” said head coach Doug Pederson. “It's a great opponent. It's going to be hostile. The crowd is in their favor. We have to handle the crowd noise much like we did in the Atlanta game this season.
“It's going to be a different environment. The building is the same, but we still have to go play and I'm not worried about what happened in the past. It's all about what's in front of is right now.”
5…EAGLES TO WATCH
Carson Wentz. The quarterback has helped the Eagles win two in a row, but there is growing concern about his sinking completion percentage (60.3 percent) and low yards per attempt (6.62). Still, Wentz has taken good care of the football, throwing just two interceptions to 10 touchdowns.
“Hopefully we’re not jinxing it or anything,” said Wentz. “I feel confident dropping back going through my progressions quickly, guys making plays, I feel really confident in the guys we have out there they’re going to be where they need to be and I can play on time.
“It’s not something I’m sitting here thinking I’m not going to put it in harm’s way. That stuff’s going to happen, but I feel confident with what we’re doing in the passing game.”
Jordan Howard. Earlier in the week, Pederson said Howard was his lead back. It was a formality, really, since Howard had already been playing like one, averaging 4.7 yards per carry. Having spent the first three years of his career with the Bears, Howard played the Vikings twice a year and leads all NFL running backs in carries (116), rushing yards (545) and touchdowns (three) against Minnesota.
Nelson Agholor. Will this be the week Agholor becomes visible again? He has had only one catch during the Eagles’ two-game winning streak.
Fletcher Cox. Sacks are coming, so said the defensive tackle that is still looking for his first of the season after getting 10.5 of them last year. Against a struggling and injured (shoulder) rookie center in Garrett Bradbury and a backup guard because Josh Kline (foot) won’t play, Cox may be right, and those sacks – or at least one – will come.
Brandon Graham. Coming off a career-high three sacks against the Jets, the veteran defensive end now leads the NFL on third- and fourth-down pressures with 11, ahead of Chicago’s Khalil Mack, who has 10. Graham is now also sixth on the franchise’s all-time sacks list with 45.5, five behind tying Greg Brown for fifth.
4…KEYS TO VICTORY
Contain Dalvin Cook. A no brainer, really, since Cooks it he NFL’s second-leading ground gainer behind Carolina’s Christian McCafferty. Cool will try to become the first opposing back to break 100 yards against the Eagles in the past eight games. “We have to get him on the ground,” said Eagles cornerback Rasul Douglas, “because he makes a guy miss and he’ll be off to the races.”
Pressure Kirk Cousins. The Eagles put up 10 sacks and scored two defensive touchdowns in their win over the Jets. They won’t get that this week, but Cousins has been known to give it up when under attack. The Eagles have six interceptions this season, which is tied for fourth heading into Week Six, behind New England’s 11. Green Bay and San Francisco each have seven.
Offensive line must hold up. This Vikings defensive front is big and athletic and Mike Zimmer’s defense can be terribly complex with an assortment of blitzes. Center Jason Kelce will be challenged all day by nose tackle Linval Joseph, who had a 64-yard scoop-and-score fumble recovery in last year’s game. Tackles Jason Peters and Lane Johnson will face an equally challenging day matching up against Everson Griffen and Danielle Hunter.
Stay ahead of the chains. The Eagles faced too many first- and second-and-long situations by committing penalties on those early downs or not executing plays successfully. They are second in the league in third down success, but entered last week as the NFL’s top offense on that down.
3…FUN FACTS
- The Eagles have scored 10 touchdowns and one field goal in their last 11 trips inside the red zone. They are converting touchdowns inside the red zone at a 68.4 percent efficiency rate, which ties them with Green Bay for fifth-best in the NFL. It is the team’s highest mark after five games since 2010 when they were cruising at a 75 percent clip. “It’s hard to get down there so we want to make sure we finish when we’re down there,” said Wentz.
- Running back Miles Sanders has recorded at least one 30-plus play from scrimmage in three straight games. His three 30-plus yard catches this season are the most in the first five games by a rookie running back in the league since at least 1991.
- The Eagles have scored 30 or more points in three of their five games this season.
2…IMPORTANT MATCHUPS
Alshon Jeffery and Zach Ertz vs. Xavier Rhodes and Harrison Smith. With the Eagles offense struggling to throw the ball deep without DeSean Jackson, Jeffery and Ertz must find a way to get open underneath if the Eagles want to sustain long scoring drives. Rhodes is one of the league’s top cornerbacks and Smith one of its better safeties.
Fletcher Cox and Hassan Ridgeway vs. Interior of Vikings O line. If there is one matchup the Eagles can exploit it is the Vikings offensive line, which will be without starting guard Josh Kline (foot). Cox joked this week that he’d like to be able to pay money for a sack since he doesn’t have one yet this year. He may not have to break out his wallet to get one against this line. As for Ridgeway, Viking coach Mike Zimmer singled him out for playing well against the run.
1…QUOTE
“We’re in mid-season, this is when teams start to separate themselves and this is when good stuff starts to happen. Even though we’ve been playing good for five weeks, they’re tough. We’re 3-2, we’ve had some nail-biters, some crazy finishes, but for us, I love the fight that we have and I love the preparation that we have going into these games. I’m just excited to see how do on Sunday, especially against a (top-ranked) running team. We know it’s going to be a physical game. We have to make sure we come out on the right side of it.” – Eagles defensive end Brandon Graham
0…PREDICTION
I got back into the win column by picking the Eagles to beat the Jets to lift my personal record to 3-2. That was easy; this game, not so much. I love the Vikings defensive front, so this will be a big challenge for the Eagles’ offensive line. That said, I think the Eagles will be able to contain Cook to an extent and make Cousins throw. Cousins is 5-3 in his career against the Eagles, but I think the defensive line will pressure the Minnesota quarterback enough to get him to throw an interception or two. This is a game that will be won on turnovers.
EAGLES 23, VIKINGS 17
