Eagles’ Jalen Hurts, Darius Slay power team to 24-7 win over Vikings | Observations

PHILADELPHIA – As an American flag was unfurled and the green, red, and blue fireworks were going off around the outer ring of Lincoln Financial Field and up into the night sky, it was a sign that the Eagles were back for a meaningful game, facing the Minnesota Vikings on Monday Night Football.

After Vikings kicker Greg Joseph approached the kicking tee and sailed the ball into the hands of kick returner Quez Watkins, the onslaught began. The Eagles had over 300 yards of offense in the defense held the Vikings offense to seven points, finishing with a 24-7 win to move their record to 2-0.

The Eagles showed they have the potential to be one of the best teams in the NFC, and be tough to defend on offense while getting by with its defense.

Here are six observations from Monday night’s impressive win over the Vikings:

Jalen Hurts comes out on fire

Hurts could not have started the game any better, completing his first nine passes, including five passes on the opening drive, which led to a touchdown. He completed 26 of 31 passes for 333 yards, a touchdown and an interception for a 108.7 passer rating. He added 57 yards rushing and two rushing touchdowns. Hurts took advantage of the offensive line’s solid pass blocking and navigated within the pocket to buy time and take occasional shots downfield — including a 53-yard TD to receiver Quez Watkins. Hurts’ performance in the first two games of the season should give head coach Nick Sirianni and offensive coordinator Shane Steichen confidence in the young quarterback.

Jonathan Gannon redeems himself

After the defense gave up 35 points to the Detroit Lions in the season-opening win, defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon’s unit limited the Vikings to 264 yards while forcing three turnovers. The Eagles had only one sack, which is concerning, but they hit quarterback Kirk Cousins seven times and forced a fumble. The defense also limited the effectiveness of Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson, who finished the game with six catches for 48 yards. With a smothering secondary, the defense can be one of the best in the NFL if the Eagles can muster a sustained pass rush.

Darius Slay has a big night

The veteran cornerback limited the chances for Vikings receiver Justin Jefferson and made two interceptions — one in the end zone — and probably could have had more. He also had five passes defended and a tackle. It looked like Cousins was trying to force the ball into Jefferson, and Slay came away with big plays.

Special teams blocking issues continues

The Eagles, who nearly had a punt blocked against the Lions, suffered a blocked field goal in the third quarter. Vikings cornerback Patrick Peterson came off the edge and blocked Jake Elliott’s 41-yard attempt. Holder Arryn Siposs saved a touchdown by tackling Peterson at the Eagles’ 40-yard line. Special teams play has been sloppy over the first two weeks.

Eagles use of the no-huddle effective early

The Eagles began their first drive using a lot of no-huddle and had early success with it. By forcing the tempo on the drive, the Eagles were able to force the Vikings to play a lot of their base coverage, and Hurts took advantage by finding the soft spots and attacking. When the offense appeared to stall in the second quarter, the Eagles went back to it, and it led to a drive that culminated in Hurts’ 26-yard touchdown run.

Illegal man downfield penalties stalled drives

The Eagles fell back into the trap of running the run-pass option (RPO) Monday night and paid for it with three illegal man downfield penalties. Two of the calls were on left guard Landon Dickerson, and the other was on right guard Isaac Seumalo. While the RPO plays were there to pick up yards, the timing was off because the linemen fired out as if it was a run play, and the quarterback had to make a quick decision and get the ball out quickly. The Eagles had issues last year running RPOs and took it out of their offense for a while, something that could be on the table again.

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Chris Franklin may be reached at cfranklin@njadvancemedia.com.

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