Game Recap Eagles and Vikings: Team Eagles 24 Team Vikings 7 The Eagles made a prime-time statement with their dominant 24-7 win over the Minnesota Vikings on Monday Night Football in their opening game at home at Lincoln Financial Field.
The Eagles gave fans plenty to cheer because quarterback Galen Hurts was brilliant, throwing for 333 yards on 26 of 31 passes. He opened the contact game on his first 11 pass attempts, setting a new career level. Hurts had one pass to land—a BOMB jet to Quez Watkins for 53 yards—and two descents plus another 57 yards to the ground.
Game Recap Eagles and Vikings: Team Eagles 24 Team Vikings 7
The defense stopped the end of the deal after the Eagles advanced 24-7 in the first half by catching the Vikings without goals in the second half. Cornerback Darius Slay has positioned himself to be the NFC Defensive Player of the Week with two interceptions and five passing assists, keeping Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson in check.
The defense forced three turnovers - all of Kirk Cousins' interceptions - and the Eagles 2-0 with their first NFC East encounter next Sunday in Washington. Here's how the game develops.
Game Summary: Eagles, Vikings first half
The Eagles took the opening game kick-off and walked 82 yards in 11 plays as Galen Hurts finished the lead by penetrating three defensive Vikings for a 3-yard run, his second of the season. DeVonta Smith earned his first pass of the season in the first play of the melee, a 5-yard gain.
The lead play was a third and 13th pass to AJ Brown, his first reception as an eagle at Lincoln Financial Field, for 19-yard gains for the Minnesota 10-yard line. Hurts was 5-for-5 for 63 yards complete with four different receivers. Miles Sanders added 14 ground yards on two buggies. The Eagles led 7-0 with 9:09 remaining in the first quarter.
The Eagles finished the first quarter with a 7-0 score as they forced the defense twice. Darius Slay broke up a pass dedicated to wide receiver Justin Jefferson in third on the Viking's first drive. Next, James Bradbury denied the pass assigned to Irv Cross to end the second half. The Vikings only managed to control the 10-yard distance in the first quarter.
Galen Hurts went deep into Quiz Watkins, who stood behind the entire Minnesota defense to hit 53 yards to extend the Eagles' lead to 14-0 with 14:52 left in the first half. Hurts are 10 by 10 for 154 yards and touchdowns.
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The Vikings responded again after Watkins with a nine-play, 75-yard touchdown drive. The Vikings turned two third-place cases - the third and one with a finish around Galen Regor for 17 yards and then the third and 6 with a pass to KJ Osborne for 15 yards. Tight end Irv Smith caught a 2-yard touchdown pass from Kirk Cousins to get Minnesota on the board.
Galen Hurts completed his first 11 passes. The first shortfall came with 7:08 in the first half remaining on a well-positioned ball to close a blow on Dallas Goedert in traffic that the Vikings were able to break up.
With 1:58 left in the first half, the Eagles extend the lead with a 26-yard lead run by Galen Hurts. The drive began with back-to-back passes to DeVonta Smith who gained 19 yards and 16 yards, respectively. Two games later, Boston Scott ran in the middle to win 16, and two games after that, Miles Sanders added 9 yards to the ground before the scoring play. The Eagles lead 21-7.
Just like last week in Detroit, the Eagles capitalized on a breakout lead to lead 24-7 into the break. Jalen Hurts was pinned to the 5-yard line, and it opened with a 9-yard gain on a designed track. After turning the first down, the Eagles were facing the third and sixth when the Vikings called a timeout. He hurt his team DeVonta Smith for 16 yards and then called Dallas Goedert in back-to-back plays of 19 and 24 yards, respectively, to put the team in position to score a 38-yard field goal as the game ended.
Galen Hurts finished the first inning with 251 yards on 17 of 20 attempts, 50 dash yards, and three touchdowns total. Dallas Goedert leads the passing forwards with 64 yards, but Quays Watkins (69 yards) and DeVonta Smith (64) are right behind him.
Game Summary: Eagles, Vikings, second half
A promising campaign for the Vikings was thwarted by Darius Sly's first interception of the year on a Kirk Cousins card assigned to Justin Jefferson. I thawed Slay Jefferson for a good part of the night. The Vikings were at the Eagles' 19-yard line before the goal line was intercepted.
After a spin, the Eagles were poised for another three-point hit, but the Vikings blocked Jake Elliott's 41-yard attempt. Patrick Peterson canceled the show and brought Minnesota back to the Eagles' 30-yard line. The Eagles earned the scoring position thanks to two complements to AJ Brown who scored 23 and 12 yards, respectively.
The defense took her away again after blocking the field goal. Kirk Cousins' third and seventh bid for Adam Thielen was intercepted by Avonte Maddox in his first pick of the season. Maddox brought him back to the Eagles' 15-yard line.
It was all defending the Eagles in the second half. Fletcher Cox came with a sack and forced the Vikings to recover to end a run and return the ball to the Eagles with just 8:18 left with the score still 24-7.
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The Vikings impose a spin as Kenneth Jewell couldn't collect the short pass on a corner or Texas road from quarterback Galen Hurts and was intercepted by former Eagle Jordan Hicks. He was returned 19 yards to the Eagle's 9-yard line.
The Pro Bowl quarterback scored his second interception of the game in the end zone on a pass assigned to wide receiver Justin Jefferson to get the ball back for the Eagles just before 7:07.
The Vikings were 1 for 4 in the red as end defensive Josh Sweet finished the night with a sack from quarterback Kirk Cousins in the game's final -- a third and goal from the Eagles' 11-yard streak. He went on to lose 7 yards.