Week Seven Game Recap: Minnesota Vikings at Philadelphia Eagles
Post-game review
After an unexpected 5-0 start to the year, the Vikings came crashing down to Earth in Philadelphia. The Eagles forced the Vikings’ offense into their first four turnovers of the season as the Eagles handed the Vikings a 21-10 defeat for their first loss of the season.
Vikings’ quarterback, Sam Bradford, was under duress all game as he was sacked six times and hit another 19. Bradford went 24 of 41 passing for 224 yards, one interception and four fumbles, losing two of them, in what was his worst performance in a Vikings uniform. He hit receiver, Cordarrelle Patterson, for the only Vikings’ touchdown on the day; well after the game had been decided.
The Vikings’ defense managed to hold up their end as they kept Eagles’ rookie quarterback, Carson Wentz, to just 138 yards passing and only one touchdown, while picking him off twice. The defense also recovered two fumbles and limited the Eagles’ offense to just a total of 239 yards, despite not recording a sack. Unfortunately, much of the yardage was surrendered during the second half as the offense lacked the ability to sustain a drive.
Special teams were also a problem for the Vikings, as key players had serious gaffes that directly contributed to Eagles’ scores. Kicker, Blair Walsh, missed what should’ve been a tackle on Eagles kick return man, Josh Huff, who went 98 yards for a score, midway through the second quarter. Early in the fourth quarter, Marcus Sherels turned the ball over on a fumble, leading to three more points for the home team.
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MVP
Give credit to the entire defense here. Despite not bringing down Carson Wentz all game, they still managed to affect his throws as he only managed 138 yards and one touchdown. They picked off the rookie twice and surrendered just 15 of 21 points to the offense, the other six were given up by the special teams coverage on a kickoff return.
LVP
The entire offense was dreadful so take your pick. Bradford had three of the team’s four turnovers, but he got absolutely no help from his offensive line. However, it did appear on a few of those plays that he missed the blitz during his pre-snap reads, which may have led to some of the six sacks surrendered. Even when Bradford did make an adjustment, the offensive line play was so atrocious, it made no difference in the game. Too many missed blocks and too little time to get the ball down the field; this was a game where the Vikings protection issues finally caught up with them.
Play of the game
Andrew Sendejo’s interception and return to the Eagles two-yard line was the closest the Vikings would come to controlling this game. His picks was a matter of being in the right place at the right time as Wentz overthrew his intended receiver and the ball went into the waiting hands of Sendejo. Unfortunately the VIkings would turn it back over just a handful of plays later on Bradford’s first interception of the season.
Next up
The Vikings will head to Chicago, for their first of two meetings with the division rival Bears, next Monday night. The Bears will limp home with a 1-6 record after their Thursday night loss to the Green Bay Packers. The Vikings swept both head-to-head meetings in 2015, winning at Soldier Field for the first time since 2007.
The Vikings offense will need to regroup after a dreadful showing in Philadelphia. Despite the many defensive issues the Bears have, getting to the quarterback doesn’t seem to be one of them as they’ve racked up 13 sacks this season. The Eagles finally took advantage of the Vikings’ greatest weakness which may have provided future opponents with a blueprint on just how to attack this group. If the Vikings want to rebound, the offensive line needs to step up; quick, fast, and in a hurry. They are by far the weakest link on a team capable of competing for a chance at a Super Bowl championship.
Clayton R. Brooks II writes for cover32 and covers the Minnesota Vikings. He can be followed on Twitter @ClaytonRBrooks2. Like and follow vikings32 on Facebook, and Twitter.
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