MNF Preview: Vikings Heading to Face Eagles in Battle of NFC Dark Horses

The Vikings' Week 2 road matchup with the Eagles on Monday Night Football was always going to be a big game, but the results of the NFL's opening weekend raised the anticipation even further.

The Eagles, a trendy pick as an NFC contender, held on to beat the frisky Lions 38-35 in Detroit. Philadelphia rolled up over 450 yards of offense in the game, dominating on the ground and through the air. The score was 38-21 after three quarters, so although the Eagles have some things to clean up defensively, it wasn't quite as close of a game as the final score suggests.

In the late window on Sunday, the Vikings put the league on notice with a 23-7 beatdown of the Green Bay Packers at home. Kevin O'Connell's head coaching debut was a smashing success, with Justin Jefferson exploding for a career day that backed up everything he said this offseason about being this year's Cooper Kupp. Defensively, Ed Donatell's unit held Aaron Rodgers and company to a single touchdown, sacked him four times, and forced two turnovers. It was a highly encouraging outing for the Vikings on that side of the ball as well.

There's more animosity to this matchup than your typical cross-division series, mostly stemming from the 2017 NFC championship game. It's going to be a hostile, rowdy environment at Lincoln Financial Field in Philly. For the millions watching at home, Joe Buck and Troy Aikman being on the call for ESPN will help add to the big-game feel.

The Vikings are currently 2.5-point underdogs against the Eagles, according to SI Sportsbook. They also opened as slight 'dogs against the Packers, but wound up being favored by Sunday because of Green Bay injury news.

Here are a few storylines to keep in mind as the week progresses.

A showcase of elite receivers

Jefferson is out to stake his claim as the best wide receiver in football this year, and he's off to a great start. He torched the Packers for 184 yards and two touchdowns, averaging nearly six yards per route run in one of the most efficient WR performances of the past decade. Green Bay used mostly zone coverage and the Vikings exploited it by lining up Jefferson all over the formation and frequently putting him in motion. How will the Eagles adapt to try to slow Jefferson down? I'd expect him to see plenty of Darius Slay, double teams, and cloud coverage. The Vikings will then have to counter those adjustments and find ways to get Jefferson the ball.

The Eagles have an elite No. 1 receiver of their own in A.J. Brown, who they acquired from the Titans this offseason. Brown dropped 155 yards on ten catches against Detroit, trailing only Jefferson in the yardage department. He's an incredible route runner with great hands and major ability after the catch. Both Patrick Peterson and Cameron Dantzler will have their hands full whenever they line up across from Brown.

Watch out for the running games

The Eagles have arguably the most dangerous ground game in the NFL, in large part because quarterback Jalen Hurts is such a threat in that area. They led the league with 159.7 rushing yards per game in 2021 and picked up right where they left off. They ran for 216 yards and four touchdowns against the Lions, with Hurts (17-90-1) and running back Miles Sanders (13-96-1) leading the way. This will be a major test for the Vikings' run defense, which allowed the Packers to gain 6.6 yards per carry.

The Eagles also appear to be vulnerable to the run, though; the Lions racked up 181 rushing yards and three scores on just 28 carries. D'Andre Swift had an incredible game with 175 total yards and a touchdown on 18 touches. This could be a spot for Dalvin Cook to go off.

The trench battles should be vicious

A big reason why both of these teams could be NFC contenders is the talent they have in the trenches. When the Vikings have the ball, their tackles will be tested by edge rushers Josh Sweat and Brandon Graham. More importantly, Minnesota's interior O-line faces a huge challenge against Fletcher Cox, Javon Hargrave, and first-round rookie Jordan Davis.

When the Eagles have the ball, Harrison Phillips and Dalvin Tomlinson will be counted on to stuff the run against Jason Kelce and the Eagles' interior OL. How impactful Danielle Hunter and Za'Darius Smith can be against tackles Jordan Mailata and Lane Johnson will have a big impact on the outcome.

Revenge games

Players facing their former teams is always fun, as we saw with Smith and Chandon Sullivan taking on the Packers last week. There will undoubtedly be plenty of discussion about Vikings receiver Jalen Reagor going back to Philly to play against the team that drafted him in the first round two years ago. Reagor didn't see any offensive snaps in his Vikings debut, but he could be eventually be worked into the mix in addition to his punt return duties.

It's not just Reagor: Eagles starting safety Marcus Epps was drafted by the Vikings in 2019, and edge rusher Janarius Robinson was just signed by Philadelphia off the Vikings' practice squad.

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