Minnesota Vikings vs. Philadelphia Eagles Prediction: NFC Foes Share the MNF Spotlight to Wrap Up Week 2

Both teams looking to build off of satisfying season-opening wins.

Author:
Matt Josephs (Mid Major Matt)
Publish date:
Sep 17, 2022

The latter half of a "Monday Night Football" doubleheader features a pair of 1-0 NFC teams as the Philadelphia Eagles host the Minnesota Vikings. These two have played some interesting games in Philadelphia the past few years, with the home team getting a 38-7 win in 2018 that led to their first-ever Super Bowl. Go back a few more years and there was a game played at the Linc on a Tuesday in December where Joe Webb and Adrian Peterson beat Michael Vick 24-14. Overall the Vikings have taken four of the last six meetings in this series.

The Vikings had one of the more impressive Week 1 performances by holding down Aaron Rodgers and the Packers in a 23-7 home victory. Rodgers looked ordinary with 195 passing yards and one interception in the loss. Meanwhile, it was the Justin Jefferson show as the receiver had nine receptions for 184 yards and two touchdowns for the Vikings. It was part of an efficient effort by Kirk Cousins, who had just nine incompletions and no interceptions in 32 passes. They sent a message to the rest of the NFC North, and the conference as a whole, that they will be a factor in the postseason should they make it.

The Eagles were arguably the most hyped team in the offseason but nearly lost in Detroit 38-35 in Week 1. Philly got some crucial first downs late and held on as they got the victory. Jalen Hurts went 18-of-32 for 243 passing yards but did add 90 yards on the ground on 17 carries. The Eagles' defense had a bunch of free-agent acquisitions, but the unit still yielded almost 400 yards in Week 1.

Monday Night Football: Minnesota (1-0) at Philadelphia (1-0)

Kickoff: Monday, Sept. 19 at 8:30 p.m. ET
TV: ABC
Live Stream: fuboTV (Start your free trial)
Spread: Eagles -2
Tickets: As low as $140 on SITickets.com*

Three Things to Watch

1. Intangibles
Week 2 doesn't present a ton of scheduling opportunities, and focus shouldn't be an issue with the eyes of a lot of the nation on this game. The Vikings have this contest sandwiched in between two divisional home contests, as they host Detroit next week. Philly has an important road contest in Week 3 against their former QB Carson Wentz and the Commanders, but as I said, I don't think they'll be unfocused for their home opener. The team alternates road and home tilts until their Week 7 bye.

2. Woulda, coulda, shoulda
The biggest storyline in this game is the second-year wide receiver out of LSU who is lighting up the NFL record books for the road team. Jefferson should have been an Eagle if Howie Roseman picks him instead of Jalen Reagor in the first round a few years ago. Ask any Philly fan and they'll tell you it's Roseman's biggest mistake since selecting JJ Arcega-Whiteside over DK Metcalf. The irony of this is that the Eagles finally got rid of Reagor and sent him to the Vikings, where he is the team's punt returner. Reagor returned one punt for seven yards against Green Bay and will be booed mercilessly every time he touches the field by the fans at the Linc.

3. Still the preseason for some?
Both of these teams rarely used their starters in the NFL preseason, yet they got different results in Week 1. The Eagles sent Hurts out there for one series way back in Game 1 and then didn't use him again the next two games. The team's defense barely touched the field outside of some joint practices with the Browns and Dolphins, and you could tell that their rustiness showed up in Detroit. The team's fitness also somewhat came into question because key players looked really tired late. We'll see if there are improvements in both areas for Monday because Minnesota's offense will take advantage of any mistakes. Cousins never touched the field in the postseason and clicked right from the start.

Final Analysis

Putting aside the fact that the author is an Eagles fan, I'm expecting a better effort from their defense despite defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon, who has failed to put together solid game plans against the better offenses his team has faced. I think we see less of Hurts running the ball and more of him getting it to A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith. I think the home team gets the win despite Jefferson putting up big numbers once again