Week two of the NFL regular season kicks off on Thursday at Lincoln Financial Field as the Philadelphia Eagles can start the year with a 2-0 record for a second successive campaign when they host the Minnesota Vikings.
Last Sunday, the reigning NFC champions held onto a 25-20 victory over the New England Patriots, while Minnesota were narrowly beaten 20-17 by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Match preview
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After months of anticipation, the Eagles came out flying in the opening quarter at Foxborough on Sunday, jumping out to an early 16-0 lead but, in the end wound up only just surviving, as they have now won 10 of their last 11 regular season contests away from home.
Among the big questions surrounding this team heading into 2023 was whether they could be as dominant along the line of scrimmage as they were last season when they led the league in team sacks (70), and week one was a struggle for them in that department, with Philly only registering two sacks on Pats QB Mac Jones.
The other concern was how they would manage on the ground after the league's fifth-leading rusher from 2022, Miles Sanders, left over the off-season to join the Carolina Panthers, and that was another area they had trouble with, averaging fewer than four yards per carry in their opener (3.9).
After coming so close to capturing a second Super Bowl title during the 2022 campaign, losing on a last-second field goal to the Kansas City Chiefs (38-35), unfinished business are the words being talked about in 2023 for a team that have never missed the playoffs in two seasons under Nick Sirianni.
In his sophomore campaign as head coach last year, he guided Philadelphia to a franchise record 14 victories in the regular season, including a best-ever start, going 8-0, with two of their three losses coming at home.
Philly have not lost a regular season contest versus an NFC North opponent since December 2020 (30-16 at the Green Bay Packers), winning their last four matchups against that division.
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It was a game full of missed opportunities and costly mistakes for the Vikings in their season opener, as they have now lost their week one encounter in three of their previous four campaigns.
Kevin O'Connell saw his team turn the ball over three times on Sunday, and that seemed to kill any momentum they had built up with the Vikings fumbling deep on their side of the field once, while also tossing an interception and losing the ball once more when they were driving towards the red zone.
During the 2022 regular season, Minnesota rarely had difficulty moving the ball through the air, finishing sixth in the league regarding passing yards per game (263.8), and they seemed to pick up where they left off last year, with 238 yards in their opener, while eight players had at least one catch.
Based on what we saw from them on the ground, though, it would seem that running the ball could be another trouble spot for them in 2023, as the Vikings only ran for 41 yards as a team versus the Bucs and are coming off a season in which they had the fifth-fewest rushing yards per game in 2022 (97.7).
Finishing a regular-season with a 13-4 record, as they did a year ago, is sure to earn you plenty of praise, but the underlying numbers suggest this team also had several flaws in 2022, notably on the defensive side of the ball, as Minnesota ranked 31st out of 32 teams for total yards allowed (6,608).
The Vikings were memorable for the right and wrong reasons last year, notably pulling off the greatest comeback in NFL history when they rallied from a 33-0 half-time deficit to defeat the Indianapolis Colts in overtime a season ago (39-36), but they also became the first-ever team in the league to win at least a dozen games and have a negative point differential heading into the playoffs (-3).
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Team News
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Nakobe Dean has been ruled out for the Eagles this week, with the linebacker currently dealing with a sore foot, defensive back James Bradberry is doubtful as he is in concussion protocol, while Fletcher Cox, Reed Blankenship and Kenneth Gainwell could all the game-time decisions because of rib injuries.
Pro Bowler Jalen Hurts, who was an MVP finalist in 2022, went 22-33 for 170 yards and one touchdown on Sunday, with that TD catch coming courtesy of DeVonta Smith, as he and AJ Brown led the team with seven grabs each, while Gainwell carried the ball 14 times for 54 yards.
Five-time Pro Bowl cornerback Darius Slay collected his first interception of the year, Blankenship led all players with eight tackles, and the Eagles top selection at the 2023 NFL Draft, Jalen Carter, registered his first sack as a professional.
Minnesota may be missing Marcus Davenport and Christian Darrisaw on Thursday due to ankle sprains, while Garrett Bradbury has a back injury.
Kirk Cousins completed 33 of his 44 passes versus the Bucs, with an interception plus a touchdown pass to Jordan Addison and Alexander Mattison, respectively, while the 2022 Offensive Player of the Year, Justin Jefferson, had another stellar outing, leading all players with nine catches for 150 yards.
Mattison ran the ball 11 times for 34 yards, Ivan Pace led the Vikings in tackles with six, while Danielle Hunter was the only Minnesota player to register a sack on Baker Mayfield.
Head To Head
The overall series between these two teams is nodded at 15-15, with the Eagles winning 24-7 the last time out in September 2022 on a day where Hurts rushed for a pair of scores, found Quez Watkins for a two-yard TD pass, while Darius Slay collected a couple of interceptions and Avonte Maddox had one himself.
The Vikings have not won in Philadelphia since 2018, when Linval Joseph had a 64-yard fumble recovery for a touchdown, Adam Thielen caught a three-yard TD pass from Cousins, Stefon Diggs had 10 receptions for 91 yards, while Joseph, Stephen Weatherly and Danielle Hunter each had a sack in a narrow 23-21 victory.
That victory came nearly nine months after the Eagles blew out Minnesota in the NFC Championship Game during the 2017-18 campaign, on a night when Nick Foles led Philly with three touchdown passes, two to Alshon Jeffrey, while Patrick Robinson had a pick-six and LaGarrette Blount ran for a second-quarter score, helping them to a 38-7 triumph, ruining the Vikings hopes of a Super Bowl home game, as Philadelphia would go on to win the Lombardi trophy two weeks later.
We say: Philadelphia Eagles 27-21 Minnesota Vikings
These are two teams with some game-breakers on the offensive side of the ball, and we expect to see some big plays from each on a prime-time stage in the City of Brotherly Love.
The Eagles have not lost at home to an NFC North team since 2019 (27-24 versus the Detroit Lions), and ultimately, their ability to create takeaways in the secondary could make the difference in this one.
