The Eagles halted their first two-game losing streak since 2023 with an impressive performance in Minnesota, topping their former quarterback, Carson Wentz, and the Vikings, 28-22, to improve to 5-2 on the season.
A moribund passing game came to life in the form of 316 yards against what had been the No. 2 passing defense in the NFL coming in.
Jalen Hurts finished with a perfect passer rating of 158.3 and receivers DeVonta Smith and A.J. Brown combined for 304 receiving yards and three touchdowns, with Smith snaring nine receptions for a career-high 183 yards, including a 79-yard touchdown.
The other impactful part of the win was the red-zone defense, which held the Vikings to just 1-of-6 in high-leverage situations.
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THE BULLS
PERFECTION – Hurts completed 19-of-23 passes for 326 yards (a career-high 14.2 yards per attempt), three touchdowns (all for 25-or-more yards), no interceptions, and the 158.3 passer rating.
Hurts is the only the third player in Eagles history to post a perfect passer rating, joining Nick Foles on Nov. 3, 2013, at Oakland and Donovan McNabb on Sept. 23, 2007, vs. Detroit..
Hurts also recorded his most passing yards since Dec. 4, 2022, against Tennessee when he had 380.
DYNAMIC DUO – Smith finished with nine catches for 183 yards and the touchdown on 11 targets, not only the career high in yardage for Smith but the most for any receiver in the NFL this season.
Meanwhile, Brown totaled 120-plus yards and two-plus TDs in a game for the first time since Oct. 29, 2023, at Washington. His 30.3 yards per reception is the fourth-highest for any game in Eagles franchise history.
RIDICULOUS RED ZONE – Minnesota entered the red zone six times on Sunday, and the Eagles allowed only one TD.
The stingy Philadelphia D in tight quarters proved to be the difference in what was a one-possession game.
THE OPENER – The Eagles set the stage for Hurts’ perfection with a flawless first drive, taking the opening kickoff and moving 75 yards on 12 plays in 8:01, ending on a fourth-and-four play in which Hurts hit Brown for a 37-yard TD.
The Vikings were playing from behind for the rest of the afternoon.
PICK-SIX – Defensive coordinator Vic Fangio baited Wentz by dropping Jalyx Hunt into coverage in front of Justin Jefferson in the middle of the field early in the second quarter.
A ferocious rush by Jalen Carter on Vikings backup center Blake Brandel only complicated matters for Wentz, who did not see Hunt lurking. The one-time Cornell safety snared the pick and returned 42 yards to paydirt.
THE BEARS
THE RUNNING GAME – There wasn’t a ton to complain about, but after a strong start on the opening drive, the running game went AWOL, and the Eagles finished with only 45 yards against what is a poor run-support team.
All-Pro Saquon Barkley’s troubling season continued with 44 yards on 18 carries, and he was evaluated for a concussion at one point.
OUTSIDE THE NUMBERS – Vikings WR Jordan Addison is probably still open somewhere in U.S. Bank Stadium. The talented WR2 dominated the Eagles’ cornerbacks on out-breaking routes, even Quinyon Mitchell, to the tune of nine receptions for 128 yards.
TROUBLING TREND – Despite the win, the Eagles were again outgained (387 to 361) for the seventh consecutive time this season. Entering the game, only 82 teams had been outgained six straight times to start a season, and only five of them made the postseason. None made a Super Bowl run.
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