The Philadelphia Eagles defeated the Minnesota Vikings on Thursday night by using the ground game.
By Chris Murray
For the Philadelphia Sunday SUN
For much of the first half of Thursday night’s home opener against the Minnesota Vikings, the Philadelphia Eagles offense seemed to be mired in a funk. They failed to take advantage of two first-quarter turnovers from the Vikings, and quarterback Jalen Hurts was not only sacked twice but also threw an interception.
But after the Vikings took what turned out to be their only lead of the game in the second quarter, the Eagles offense found its rhythm via the running game, putting the ball in the hands of running back and former St. Joe’s Prep star D’Andre Swift.
The result was a 16-play, 75-yard drive where the Eagles ran the ball 13 times, — Swift has seven carries for 40 yards — and culminated in a one-yard Hurts touchdown run. The Eagles never looked back.
Swift gained a career-high 175 of the Eagles 259 rushing yards and because the Vikings couldn’t seem to get out of their own way, came away with a 34-28 win in front of a sell-out crowd at Lincoln Financial Field.
Eagles running back D’Andre Swift makes a touchdown. Photo by Webster Riddick
For Swift, who hadn’t played a football game in Philly since his high school days, was glad to have the best performance of his career during his homecoming as 30 members of his family and friends looked on.
“It’s a blessing to be back and have the support and love from the people I grew up around in high school,” Swift said. “It was definitely a blessing.”
The most colorful commentary about Swift’s performance came from wide receiver Devonta Smith.
“He’s a bad mother-f—ka,” Smith said.
Getting the run game going was just the tonic the Eagles needed to get out of the rut they were experiencing early in the game.
“When you’re really able to run the ball effectively, I think it makes everything else easier,” Eagles center Jason Kelce said. “I think when you can hang your hat on one thing and then you go to the auxiliary things, you’re taking shots, it feels a lot easier to get to those.”
Eagles’ Fletcher Cox and Josh Sweat tackle Vikings QB Kirk Cousins. Photo by Webster Riddick
What helped the Eagles in this game was the unintentional generosity of the Vikings, who committed four turnovers. One of those Minnesota turnovers came near the end of the first half. Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins hit All-Pro wide receiver Justin Jefferson with a 30-yard pass to the Eagles one-yard line. In an attempt to reach the ball over the goal line, the ball, thanks to a good tackle by Eagles safety Terrell Edmunds, fell out of Jefferson’s hands into the end zone for a touchback.
The play was initially ruled a reception at the one-yard line, but the replay official overturned the call and ruled it was a touch back. It was the turning point of the game.
It took the Eagles 30 seconds to move the ball from their own 20 to the Vikings 43 thanks to running of Swift and Boston Scott. With time running out in the first half, Jake Elliott kicked a 61-yard field goal to the Birds a 13-7 lead at intermission.
“Just a phenomenal hustle effort by Edmunds to get that ball out going into the end zone,” said Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni. “But I think the operation there was outstanding by our offense and then the operation of the field goal by our special teams was outstanding.”
On the Vikings first possession of the second half, the Eagles got another takeaway thanks to defensive end Josh Sweat’s strip sack of Cousins at the Vikings 18-yard line. The loose ball was picked up by defensive tackle Fletcher Cox, who ran the ball to the Minnesota seven-yard line.
Two plays later, Hurts turned the Vikings turnover into points on a one-yard touchdown run to give the Eagles a 20-7 lead. After the defense forced a three and out on the Vikings next possession, Hurts threw a 63-yard touchdown pass to Devonta Smith (four receptions for 131 yards and one touchdown to give the Eagles a 27-7 lead.
When Minnesota cut the lead to 27-21 with 7:47 left, Swift and the Eagles closed the show with an eight-play, 75-yard drive capped by a two-yard touchdown run by Swift to give the Eagles an insurmountable 34-21 lead with a 4:31 left. Swift got the bulk of the yards on a 43-yard from the Vikings 47 to the four-yard line.
The Vikings got a late touchdown with 1:10 left in the game on a touchdown pass from Cousins to tight end T.J. Hockenson but came no closer.
The only real controversy in this game happened on the Eagles sideline when TV cameras caught a heated discussion between Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown and Hurts along with Sirianni, who refused to talk about it with reporters afterward.
Meanwhile, Hurts downplayed the argument and attributed it to Brown’s desire to be a contributor. The former Ole Miss star was targeted six times and caught four passes for 29 yards.
“I think everybody wants to make plays and everybody wants to contribute,” Hurts said. “I have no worry about him. He’s a great player, a great teammate, and a great friend. We won. I don’t want to make it any bigger than it is.”
Because the team’s next game is a nationally televised Monday Night Football tilt on Sept. 25 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Eagles have a little more time to work on rounding out the offense. You can catch that game on ESPN or if you don’t have cable, 6ABC, starting at 7pm.
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