Special Preview– NFL, Week 2
Minnesota Vikings at Philadelphia Eagles
Vikings: Week one was the best I’ve seen them look from a complete standpoint. Heading into that game, I said throughout my radio appearances that they always play the Green Bay Packers tough, especially in Minneapolis. I loved their gameplan because it was aggressive and most importantly, they took care of the football. When the Vikings struggle, everyone wants to point the finger at Kirk Cousins. I’ll continue to say it, he hasn’t been the problem. If anything, he’s put them in position to win football games over the years. It’s been the defense that’s let him down and he can’t play on both sides of the ball. Let me discuss Justin Jefferson. I enjoyed his game when he was at LSU and I love what he’s doing now in the NFL. He’s becoming a superstar right before our very eyes. The defense got back to the basics last week. I saw them finishing tackles, the linebackers were pursuing the football and they kept Aaron Rodgers in check throughout the game. It’s not a wild thing to say they could win the division. The Bears are rebuilding, the Lions aren’t there just yet and the Packers do still have a four-time MVP, but they aren’t the same team. On Monday night, they’ll battle in South Philadelphia.
Eagles: If you paid close attention to them last season, they were very run heavy. This is what teams normally do when they start a young Quarterback. The saying is true: The running game is truly a young Quarterback’s best friend. When you want to throw it more consistently, you try to make a splash in that area and that’s exactly why they went out and acquired A.J. Brown from the Tennessee Titans. A.J’s impact was immediately felt, the only thing he didn’t do was score. A.J. finished last week with ten catches and 155 yards receiving. Speaking of impacts, let’s talk about the big guy on the defense! Jordan Davis, the rookie defensive tackle from Georgia. When he was on the field, the Eagles allowed 2 yards per play. Without him, they gave up 10 yards per play. The rookie is already having an impact on this defense. In a wild, yet unpredictable NFC East, the Eagles are the favorites to win the division. The Cowboys could be down for a while and there’s still question marks with the Commanders and the Giants. They will host their home opener on Monday night.
Vikings X-Factor: Dalvin Cook– I sometimes feel he’s the forgotten piece of this Minnesota offense. When he’s healthy, Dalvin is one of the best all-around running backs in the league. He has the total package for a back. He’s big, strong, physical, runs downhill, shifty and slippery in space and he can take would be tacklers with him and still continues to run. Dalvin makes the Vikings a better, yet balanced offense.
Eagles X-Factor: Jonathan Gannon– I decided to jump out of the box here. Jonathan is the Eagles defensive coordinator and I feel all eyes are on him as this game approaches. His defense in week 1 gave up 35 points to a hungry Detroit Lions team. The Vikings are more well rounded as an offense and I can’t wait to see what type of defensive philosophy he brings to table in this one. Will he play Jordan Davis more? What scheme will he run to limit Justin Jefferson?
Final Thoughts: This is a matchup of dark horses in the NFC. Both teams enter 1-0 and got their wins in different ways. Minnesota punched Aaron Rodgers and the Packers in the mouth, there’s no other way around it. The Eagles appeared to be in control in Detroit, then gave up 21 second-half points to the Lions. 2 standout receivers are featured here, Justin Jefferson and A.J. Brown. This will also be the first time Justin has faced the Eagles since they passed up on him in the 2020 NFL Draft. Minnesota must attack the Eagles run defense as they struggled in week 1. Run the ball because I see Philly putting too much emphasis on trying to slow Justin down. I’ll be watching this Eagles offensive line against the Vikings defensive front. This could be a shootout and if it does, I give the edge to the road team in that department.
Prediction: Vikings 31, Eagles 21
