Four turnovers and an inability to stop Philadelphia’s running game proved fatal for the Minnesota Vikings as they fell to 0-2 with a 34-28 loss to the Eagles on Thursday Night Football.
Final stats for key players:
- Kirk Cousins: 31 of 44 for 364 yards and 4 touchdowns
- Justin Jefferson: 11 catches for 159 yards
- Jordan Addison: 3 catches for 72 yards and a touchdown
- T.J. Hockenson: 7 catches for 66 yards and 2 touchdowns
- K.J. Osborn: 3 catches for 34 yards and a touchdown
- Alexander Mattison: 8 carries for 28 yards and a fumble
While the Eagles offense ran through the Vikings defense with ease, Minnesota’s offense was coughing up the ball left and right. The Vikings now have seven turnovers through two games, including six fumbles. It’s the most lost fumbles by an NFL team in the first two games of a season since the Rams (7) in 2003.
Punt returner Brandon Powell fumbled the ball after a solid return into Philly territory in the first quarter. Alexander Mattison fumbled on his first carry of the game, which came one play after the Vikings intercepted quarterback Jalen Hurts. Justin Jefferson lost control of the ball while reaching for the goal line and the fumble was ruled a touchback late in first half. And then Kirk Cousins was stripped by Josh Sweat, who ran around left tackle Oli Udoh on the second play of the second half.
Despite the first three turnovers, the Vikings only found themselves down 13-7 at the half and they got the ball to begin the second half. But after Sweat stripped Cousins the Eagles scored two plays later – on Hurts’s second QB sneak score of the night – to go up 20-7.
The Vikings then went three-and-out, punting the ball back to the Eagles who responded with a 63-yard bomb from Hurts to Devonta Smith, who beat second-year cornerback Akayleb Evans for the touchdown and a 27-7 lead. It was Smith’s second deep ball of the game, having caught a 54-yarder on the first drive of the game.
Oh man, @DeVontaSmith_6 🔥 A dime from @JalenHurts, and the @Eagles extend their lead, 27-7.#MINvsPHI on Prime Video
Also available on #NFLPlus https://t.co/eMkDgB2kEz pic.twitter.com/ncoYYl5tLo— NFL (@NFL) September 15, 2023
Down 27-7, the Vikings responded with a 62-yard touchdown pass from Cousins to rookie Jordan Addison, cutting the deficit to 27-14 with 9:09 left in the third. It’s Addison’s second touchdown in as many games to start his career.
.@Vikings answer back! On 3rd and 10, Kirk tosses a beauty to @Espn_Jordan who runs it in for the TD. #MINvsPHI on Prime Video
Also available on #NFLPlus https://t.co/eMkDgB2kEz pic.twitter.com/9ZR5Mjdb9m— NFL (@NFL) September 15, 2023
The Vikings were able to put together a 9-play scoring drive capped with a touchdown pass from Cousins to KJ Osborn with more 7:41 left in the game to cut the deficit to 27-21, but the Eagles responded with a touchdown drive fueled by DeAndre Swift’s 43-yard run to set the Eagles up inside the Vikings’ 5-yard line.
Two plays later Swift scored to give Philly a 34-21.
The Vikings – on a second touchdown pass from Cousins to Hockenson – trimmed the lead to 34-28 with 1:10 to play but the onside kick was recovered by the Eagles and that was all she wrote.
The Eagles ran the ball 48 times for 259 yards and three touchdowns. The Vikings ran the ball nine times for 28 yards. The dominant ground game led to the Eagles offense owning possession for more than 39 minutes.
