The Minnesota Vikings had plenty of opportunities to get themselves a victory over the defending world champions. In the end, however, they simply made too many mistakes to make it happen.
The Vikings came away with just one touchdown in six trips to the red zone at U.S. Bank Stadium, and their inability to convert in those situations left the door open for the Philadelphia Eagles, who defeated the Vikings by a score of in Week 7 action.
The Eagles drew first blood in this one, as they took the opening kickoff and marched 75 yards in 12 plays, capping things off with a 37-yard touchdown pass from Jalen Hurts to A.J. Brown to take an early 7-0 lead.
Minnesota cut into the Philadelphia lead on their first possession, as Will Reichard connected on a 59-yard field goal to make the score 7-3. The field goal attempt was preceded by replacement center Blake Brandel snapping the ball way over Carson Wentz’s head on third down, taking the offense from being in position to score a touchdown to having to settle for the long field goal attempt.
Philadelphia added to their lead early in the second quarter, as Wentz threw a pass right to Eagles’ linebacker Jalyx Hunt, who went into the end zone untouched for a 42-yard pick six to put the visitors ahead, 14-3.
Wentz then followed that up with another interception, when he launched a pass towards Jordan Addison in double coverage that was picked off by Andrew Mukuba to set the Eagles up near midfield. The Vikings’ defense prevented any further damage, and they got themselves into scoring position on their next possession. However, a touchdown pass from Wentz to Jalen Nailor on 4th-and-1 was taken off the board by a holding call on Blake Brandel, and the Vikings called on Reichard again. He connected from 33 yards out, and the Vikings still found themselves down by a touchdown at 14-6.
Reichard cut the deficit more on the Vikings’ first drive of the second half, as he connected from 28 yards out to make the score 14-9. The Vikings pushed down into the red zone on their drive, but Wentz took a pretty inexplicable intentional grounding penalty and forced the purple to settle for three.
It didn’t take the Eagles long to increase their lead after that, as two plays into their next possession Hurts found Devonta Smith for a long 79-yard touchdown that saw him get behind the Vikings’ defense on a blitz. That score made it 21-9 midway through the third quarter.
The Vikings then finally made it into the end zone, as Jordan Mason took a direct snap and outran the Eagles’ defense to the left pylon for a 1-yard touchdown run to make it 21-16 late in the third quarter.
The Eagles had a chance to extend their lead on the second play of the fourth quarter, as they called on Jake Elliott for a 42-yard field goal attempt, but he pushed it wide to the right to keep it a 5-point game. The Vikings then got more scoring from Will Reichard, as he connected from 35 yards out to make it a 2-point game, 21-19.
Philadelphia had another answer on the next drive, as Hurts threw his third touchdown pass of the afternoon. He found A.J. Brown again, as the two of them connected from 26 yards out to put the Eagles ahead, 28-19, with six and a half minutes remaining in regulation.
The Vikings had a touchdown taken off the board late in the fourth quarter, as T.J. Hockenson made an unreal effort on a throw from Wentz that was originally called a touchdown, but after review it was ruled that Hockenson didn’t maintain control all the way through the catch. Instead, the Vikings got Will Reichard’s fifth field goal of the day, a 29-yarder to make it 28-22 with just under two minutes remaining.
It looked like the Vikings might have an opportunity to get the ball back, but Hurts came up huge on a 3rd-and-9 play when he found A.J. Brown for a gain of 45 yards to salt it away for the Eagles.
The Vikings fall to 3-3 on the season, and they now have to turn around on a short week and make a trip to the West Coast when they face the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 8 on Thursday Night Football.
The Vikings lose to the Eagles in their return after their bye week by a final score of 28-22. Thank you to everyone who got their coverage of this week’s game right here at The Daily Norseman!
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