Eagles vs. Vikings Game Preview (2022)

After an exciting but also somewhat concerning victory against the Lions in week 1, the Eagles are set to take on the Minnesota Vikings in primetime this Monday night. This matchup between two very talented rosters should be a nice gauge of just how legitimate this Eagles team really is, and whether or not the staff and players can adjust to fix their weaknesses as the season progresses. Again, here we will highlight each team’s strengths and weaknesses and attempt to predict just who will come out on top of this exciting Monday night showdown.

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Vikings’ Strengths

1. Justin freaking Jefferson

I know it, you know it, we all know it, so I won’t even say it. The reality is, Justin Jefferson is making a case to be the number one ranked wideout in the entire league, and it really doesn’t seem like anyone has figured out a way to slow him down. Whether you opt to give him special attention or not (you should), Jjetas is going to have a very tangible impact on the outcome of this game.

2. Dalvin Cook and company

Aside from Justin Jefferson, who most definitely deserves his own blurb, the Vikings have a pretty nice array of complementary weapons to choose from. Dalvin Cook has the potential to take over games, even running behind a pretty average run-blocking unit. Adam Thielen might be aging, but he’s still a guy who can bully opposing DBs and is a hige threat in the red zone. KJ Osborn and Irv Smith are solid pieces at WR3 and TE respectively, but nothing to write home about – however, the combination of the aforementioned stars with Jefferson is very scary to opposing defenses.

3. Talented defensive stars

There are criticisms to be had about the VIkings defense (that we will get to later) but it’s impossible not to notice just how many elite players make up this unit. The edge duo of former packer ZaDarius Smith and absolute superstar Danielle Hunter are truly a force to be reckoned with, and can make life a nightmare for opposing lines and quarterbacks. On the second level, Erik Kendricks continues to make a case as the best cover linebacker in the league, and behind him, the aging Harrison Smith is still lethal in both the run game and pass defense. All of these players have the potential to take over games in their own right, and having them all on the same defense means playing around one can lead you right into the arms of another.

Eagles’ Strengths

1. The run game

The offensive line had a few hiccups against the Lions last week, but the run blocking was as great as ever. This is a mauling group of players up front, and with Jalen Hurts’ elite rushing ability as both a scrambler and in structure, it’s virtually impossible to contain the run before one of the explosive backs or Hurts himself picks up a big gain. As long as Miles Sanders and the line stay healthy, there isn’t a defensive line in this league who can realistically shut them down for four quarters of football.

2. AJ and Hurts connection

As mentioned last week, the addition of superstar wide receiver AJ Brown had the potential to be a massive boost to this offense, and boy it was. The duo exploded for over 150 yards in their debut (an eagles record) and demonstrated exactly why AJ was given 100 million dollars. This duo combined with the threat of the run should continue to feast, and when defenses inevitably have to give Brown extra attention, the other weapons on this roster who were dormant last week should be able to feast.

3. Defensive TALENT

The Eagles defense has good players. That is indisputable. These good players, in their roles, showed that last week; outside of a few infuriating missed tackles and some very good completions by Jared Goff, the secondary executed what they were asked. In the front seven, the pass rush from the Edge was solid given the talent of the offensive line they were playing against. All it takes is one look at a depth chart to understand this unit’s potential, and any week, they have the opportunity to shut down opposing offenses.

Vikings’ Weaknesses

1. Low-end pass blocking

While the Vikings offensive line is a pretty average run-blocking unit, they falter somewhat in pass protection. Outside of Brian O’Neil, this group is almost completely unproven, leaving room for defenses to get consistently winnable one on one matchups with inexperienced or simply lower level starters. Interior pressure has the potential to be a huge issue against the Vikings, and defensive coordinators would be stupid not to try and attack them.

2. Exploitable run defense

While the Vikings defensive line and linebackers excel in the pass rush, there are some questions in run defense. Harrison Phillips, Dalvin Tomlinson, and Danielle Hunter are all good run defenders, but Za’darius Smith and Erik Kendricks are much more passing down focused players. It isn’t a bad unit by any means, but with unproven defensive coaching, there is room to run the ball against this team.

3. Questionable Corner play

The number one hole on this vikings defense (aside from health concerns) is at cornerback. Patrick Peterson, while aging, is a low-end CB1, but not terrible; the depth, however, is highly unproven. At CB2 and CB3, veteran Cam Dantzler and rookie Andrew Booth have shown very little to be seen as threats against this Eagles’ passing game. In the slot, Chandon Sullivan is a very exploitable target, as the former packer has shown almost nothing to be seen as anything more than replaceable as a pro. A wide receiving corps with depth should be able to attack this cornerback corps’ youth and inexperience.

Eagles Weaknesses

1. JONATHAN GANNON

It seems all of Philly has been complaining about Jonathan Gannon’s defense since the third quarter against the Lions, and rightfully so. This scheme is bland and boring, with Gannon inexplicably stopping his pressure looks after they were incredibly effective and letting D’andre Swift and Jared Goff dice up this defense late in the game. The ways Jonathan Gannon has misused his personnel in the past is well documented, and unless he cleans things up with both himself (and the players, tackling was a major issue) it could be an infuriating season to watch defense-wise.

2. Wide Receiver Depth?

The Eagles offense is very deep when it comes to weapons, and I truly believe the only reason that Devonta Smith, Quez Watkins, and Dallas Goedert didn’t see targets like many wanted is because of AJ Brown’s domination throughout the game. That being said, if AJ is given special attention, we can’t be sure just yet that the other weapons will be able to pull their own weight, which is the reason I have this as a weakness.

3. Run Defense? Pass Blocking?

While this is technically two weaknesses on two seperate sides of the ball, I put them in the same category to demonstrate that these are things that, hypothetically, should not be weaknesses. The Eagles O-line did technically let lots of pressure get to Hurts, especially early on, but that’s also a product of the Lions blitzing constantly. When it comes to run defense, this roster should be equipped to handle things upfront, but last week saw some bad run fits and missed tackles that can be cleaned up. If these things continue, they should be worried about, but right now, I have faith they can be fixed.

Keys to victory

1. Share the wealth

While this offense should still heavily incorporate the lethal running game, it’s going to be extremely imperative to attack the Vikings weak corner depth. With how AJ Brown performed last week, it would be silly of Minnesota not to give him extra attention, making it even more important for Hurts and his offense to target players like Devonta Smith, Quez Watkins, and Zach Pascal.

2. Pray Gannon has a spiritual awakening

As I stated in this section last week, “Jonathan Gannon should easily recognize how great this defensive roster is and not allow short completions in the name of “limiting splash plays”. Allow our players to match up and play creative football against theirs, and because of how talented our guys are, they will win.” Unfortunately, it seems Gannon has not been keeping up with the game previews, because he did pretty much the opposite of what I noted this defense should do. Hopefully, Gannon can recognize his system isn’t working right now, and right the ship before things get out of hand.

Score Prediction

I had a tough time trying to predict this game. The Vikings are a really, really good roster, with an incredible high-powered offense and some very high-end talent on defense. I do think the Eagles have a better roster right now, but the questions that still linger with Jalen Hurts combined with the massive concerns with Jonathan Gannon leads the realist in me to predict a close loss. This is going to be a fun game for both offenses, and I think that if this defense gets toasted like they did last week there will be positive changes in store for the rest of the season.

Score: 34-32 Vikings