The Minnesota Vikings were flying high after their win against arch-rival Green Bay in Week 1. The game was highlighted by a passing attack that look unstoppable at times. And there was renewed hope for a rejuvenated defense that recorded four sacks and two turnovers in the game. That optimism took a nosedive Monday night as the Vikings were trounced by the Philadelphia Eagles 24-7 at Lincoln Financial Field.
The fact that the score could even have been worse just put additional salt in the wound. Head coach Kevin O’Connell and staff have to be shaking their heads as they prepare to play the Detroit Lions in Minnesota on Sunday. Let’s take a look back at how the Eagles completely dominated the Vikings, sending them home with a 1-1 record.
Minnesota Vikings Offense Stymied
We see you, @swervinirvin_!!
— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) September 20, 2022
????: @ABC pic.twitter.com/5Q0vGwzyHT
For as good as the offense looked against the Packers, they did a 180-degree turnaround against Philadelphia. Quarterback Kirk Cousins was harassed all night by the swarming Eagles defense and never seemed to find his rhythm. Although he was able to connect with Justin Jefferson and tight end Irv Smith early on, the Vikings could only muster one scoring drive that culminated in an Irv Smith two-yard touchdown reception.
Cousins struggles intensified as the game wore on. He threw three second-half interceptions, all of which came while the Vikings were deep in Eagles’ territory. The first one was caused by Jefferson cutting off his route, allowing Eagle’s cornerback Darius Slay to step in and make the play. The other two were simply miscues on Cousin’s part.
And the Eagles were able to sack the Minnesota quarterback three times. To make matters worse, two of the sacks were due to Vikings’ left guard Ezra Cleveland failing to pick up Eagles’ stunts. Then, the third sack was on a well-timed Philadelphia blitz. The Minnesota run game was non-existent as the Philadelphia front seven proven to be an impenetrable force.
Minnesota Vikings Defense Has No Answers
Who is your @Toyota Player of the Week? #ToyotaPOW | #FlyEaglesFly
— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) September 20, 2022
The Minnesota Vikings’ defense was stymied all night by Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts and an offensive line that manhandled the Vikings’ front seven. The Vikings could not exert a consistent pass rush, and when they were able to penetrate the backfield, the elusive Hurts made them pay for it.
Minnesota seemed to be playing a type of prevent defense which allowed Hurts ample space to locate receivers in the middle of the field. And when he did throw deep, the Vikings’ secondary had no answers. In particular, Cam Bynum and Patrick Peterson were beaten by the Eagles’ receivers all night. And middle linebackers Jordan Hicks and Eric Kendricks missed numerous tackles on Philadelphia running backs and could not shut down the Eagles’ inside passing routes.
Injury and Looking Ahead
Head Coach Kevin O’Connell on Harrison Smith‘s status in the concussion protocol. pic.twitter.com/iG7oAehbHu
— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) September 21, 2022
Adding insult to injury, safety Harrison Smith was forced to leave the game due to a concussion. His status for the Lions game has not yet been determined.
So, coach O’Connell will look to pick up the pieces and get the Minnesota Vikings back on track. Right now, there are more questions about this team than there are answers. It will be up to the Vikings’ coach and his staff to unlock this team’s potential. They are certainly an open book as we enter Week 3 of the NFL season.
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