Red zone struggles, Wentz interceptions hurt Vikings in loss to Eagles

Jalen Hurts threw three touchdown passes and the Vikings settled for too many field goals at U.S. Bank Stadium.

Oct 19, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown (11) makes a catch during the first half against the Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium. | Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images

In the NFL or any other level of football, touchdowns are almost always going to beat field goals. That's the simplest way to tell the story of what happened on Sunday at U.S. Bank Stadium.

The Vikings made six trips into the red zone and settled for five field goals. Meanwhile, Jalen Hurts outplayed former teammate Carson Wentz, throwing three touchdown passes in a 28-22 Eagles victory over Minnesota.

Wentz didn't help the cause with two early interceptions against his old team, including a pick-six in the first quarter. He threw for 313 yards and ran for 28 more, but he made crucial mistakes and wasn't sharp enough when the Vikings needed him to be.

Even with Wentz's picks contributing to an early 14-3 deficit, the Vikings had all kinds of chances in this game. Their secondary was leaky all day, but Minnesota's defense was otherwise very solid. The Vikings simply couldn't convert their red zone trips into touchdowns, while the Eagles struck for touchdowns from outside of the red zone. That was the story of the day.

Total yards were 387-361 in favor of the Vikings. Minnesota only committed three penalties. But the turnover margin was 2-0 and Hurts destroyed the Vikings with deep passing. DeVonta Smith and A.J. Brown combined for 304 yards and three touchdown receptions on just 13 catches (23.4 yards per reception). It was a game to forget for Vikings cornerbacks Byron Murphy Jr. and Isaiah Rodgers, among others in the secondary.

The dagger came when Hurts hit Brown for 45 yards on 3rd and 9 with less than two minutes remaining. A stop would've given the Vikings' offense a chance.

Center Blake Brandel also had a rough game for the Vikings, who fall to 3-3 and now have to quickly get ready to play the Chargers in Los Angeles on Thursday night.

Game rewind

The Eagles' offensive game plan was very clear on their first possession of the game. Their first four plays were runs with Barkley. They converted a fourth and short near midfield with a tush push, despite the Vikings' creative defensive alignment to try to stop it, and then threw the game's first big punch with a 37-yard touchdown pass from Hurts to Brown on fourth and 4. The Vikings couldn't get any pressure on the play and had Josh Metellus in man coverage on Brown.

Wentz's shaky day started on the Vikings' opening possession. He found Jordan Addison for a 34-yard completion, but the ball was thrown off of Wentz's back foot, forcing Addison to come back and dive for it. He had all kinds of deep separation for a potential 66-yard touchdown if the ball had hit him in stride. A few plays later, Wentz missed Addison on a swing pass out of the backfield — which was another play that could've been a touchdown with an accurate throw. The Vikings had to settle for a field goal.

And things got worse for Wentz after that. On the Vikings' second possession, he had Eagles star defensive tackle Jalen Carter bearing down on him, so Wentz tried to get rid of the ball over the middle of the field. Jalyx Hunt, who he never saw, picked off the pass and went 42 yards for a touchdown to give Philadelphia an early 14-3 lead. On the very next possession, Wentz threw another pick, this one an arm punt on a deep ball from near his own goal line.

Despite the poor start from their offense, the Vikings hung around because of their defense. After the opening-drive touchdown, the Eagles went three and out on their next three possessions. The Vikings mounted a long drive in the second quarter but had to settle for a field goal, so the halftime score was 14-6 Philly.

To begin the second half, the Vikings had to settle for another short field goal after an intentional grounding penalty from Wentz in the red zone. The Eagles then struck with a 79-yard touchdown pass from Hurts to Smith to retake a two-score lead.

The Vikings went on a 10-0 run to make it a 21-19 game, but they were never able to take the lead. Brown's second touchdown catch and the 45-yard reception in the final minutes were the daggers.

Barkley only had 42 yards on 19 touchdowns. But Hurts' ability to extend plays and find his top two receivers deep made the difference in the game for the Eagles.