Well, That Was Ugly: Vikings Get Demolished in Philly.
Josh Frey
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The Minnesota Vikings (1-1) went into the City of Brotherly Love to take on the Philadelphia Eagles (2-0) in a Monday Night Football showdown. From the get-go, it just did not seem like Minnesota’s night, and the Vikings got demolished by the Eagles in a 24-7 rout that was the true antithesis to Week 1’s win over Green Bay.
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Things got off to a sour start as the Eagles drove down the field on their opening drive for a 14-play, 87-yard touchdown drive in which Jalen Hurts completed all five of his passes and rushed for a 3-yard TD. The Vikings proceeded to punt on their first two drives, and the Eagles tacked on another 82-yard touchdown drive with a 53-yard touchdown connection between Hurts and Quez Watkins to double their lead up to 14-0.
Finally, the Vikings got on the board when Kirk Cousins hit Irv Smith for a 2-yard touchdown pass to cap off a 75-yard drive. It was the only time Minnesota would find the end zone, or even put points on the board all night.
Hurts was an unstoppable force throughout much of the game, and his sharp passing along with dynamic mobility helped the Eagles tack on another touchdown and a field goal in the final two minutes of the first half, continuing to extend the lead to 24-7. Hurts finished the game 26-of-31 passing for 333 yards and a touchdown while also adding 57 yards and 2 TDs on the ground. The trend of Ed Donatell defenses playing poorly against mobile QBs continues.
Neither team scored in the second half, but it was not without chances. Kirk Cousins threw three interceptions in Eagles territory, including two of them inside the red zone. On top of these miscues from Cousins, Irv Smith dropped a wide-open pass that would have gone for a touchdown, and Adam Thielen didn’t see a single ball thrown his way throughout the first three quarters.
Similarly, the Eagles had a chance to add to their lead, but Patrick Peterson blocked a field goal attempt that Kris Boyd scooped up and brought back to the Philadelphia 30-yard-line before being brought down by Eagles punter Arryn Sliposs. Yeah, it was that type of night for the Vikings.
The good news (or maybe bad news, but we’ll get into that more as the week goes on) is that the Vikings are headed back home to take on the Detroit Lions (1-1). A win would ensure that the Vikings maintain a position atop the NFC North division. As for the Eagles, they go on the road to take on the Commanders (1-1) on Sunday afternoon.
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Josh Frey is a Class of 2020 graduate of The College of Idaho with a bachelor’s degree in Creative Writing as well as minors in History, Human Biology, and Journalism. When he’s not writing about the NFL, Josh can often be found training for a marathon, playing video games, or rooting for the Milwaukee Brewers and Bucks. For more of his takes, NFL and otherwise, check out his Twitter account: @Freyed_Chicken