The Philadelphia Eagles defeated the Minnesota Vikings by a score of 24-7 on Monday Night to pick up their second victory of the new season. The stars on the offensive and defensive side of the ball shined brightly as the Eagles dominated the entire game. Here are the five takeaways following the Eagles’ victory in Week Two.
Jalen Hurts Is Developing Into A Next Level Quarterback
This was supposed to be a make or break year for the third-year quarterback and he has so far answered the call. Hurts completed his first 11 pass attempts in the game and went 26/31 overall for 333 yards, a touchdown pass, and one interception. He added in 11 carries on the ground for 57 yards and two rushing touchdowns. Jalen Hurts showed the value of being a dual threat quarterback for the second week in a row.
In an improvement from Week One, Jalen Hurts got more playmakers involved. He completed a pass to eight different receivers/backs. It was great to see Hurts spread the ball around as the Eagles could do whatever they wanted on offense on Monday Night.
Eagles Have A Deep Receiving Threat
In Week Two, Dallas Goedert was the leading receiver with 82 yards. Devonta Smith and A.J. Brown were both heavily involved as well. Quez Watkins showed his big play ability making a catch on Jalen Hurts’ 53-yard strike as the Eagles took a 14-0 lead.
The Eagles don’t always have to use their number one receiver, A.J. Brown. They have a Heisman winner Devonta Smith, speedy Quez Watkins, and Zach Pascal who is a third down threat. After struggling for years to find receiver talent, the Eagles are deep at the position now. The Eagles should be able to counter whatever opposing defenses try to stop.
The Defensive Gameplan Quieted The Vikings Attack
Fans were critical after the Eagles allowed 35 points to the Lions in Week One. Minnesota was entering the game with a dangerous offense which could have made this a high scoring game. Jonathan Gannon and the Eagles defense shut down Minnesota’s top playmakers.
Quarterback Kirk Cousins went 27/46 for 221 yards, one touchdown, and three interceptions. The Eagles brought pressure and sacked him two times. Philadelphia allowed just 62 rushing yards in the game. The Vikings’ best receiver, Justin Jefferson, had eight catches but only 48 receiving yards. Darius Slay was the star of the game with multiple pass breakups and two interceptions.
The Eagles’ defense was able to quiet down the potent Vikings attack and allowed just seven points. Their next challenge comes on Sunday against former Eagles’ quarterback Carson Wentz.
Penalties Need To Be Addressed
One of the negatives coming out of the game is the penalties. The Eagles committed penalties in critical situations which slowed down their offensive attack. There were three intantces in when the Eagles had an offensive lineman run down the field before the pass was thrown. At the conclusion of the game, the Eagles had eight penalties called on them for 60 yards. The Vikings had five penalties for 25 yards.
Through two games, the Eagles are second in the NFL in total penalties (18). This needs to be cleaned up as the season progresses.
Are The Eagles An NFC Favorite Yet?
It is still early in the season, but the Eagles are generating a lot of buzz through two weeks. The Eagles are just one of three teams in the NFC that are 2-0. One of them is the Giants and they have a brand-new coach and Daniel Jones at quarterback. The other is the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with an aging quarterback in Tom Brady.
There are plenty of other teams in the NFC that present a threat to the Eagles, but so far Philadelphia is looking like an early favorite. The Eagles go on the road to Washington D.C. this upcoming weekend and then will have games against two other NFC contenders in mid-October (Cardinals and Cowboys).
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