The Minnesota Vikings were poised to take a lead Thursday night on the Philadelphia Eagles with just under a minute to play in the first half, but Vikings receiver Justin Jefferson lost control of the ball as he reached for the pylon. The fumble went out of bounds in the end zone resulting in a touchback, and the Eagles turned the turnover into a 61-yard field goal and a 13-7 halftime lead. Here’s what you need to know:
- The Eagles led 27-7 in the third quarter after two Jake Elliott field goals and three total touchdowns from quarterback Jalen Hurts.
- D’Andre Swift, who had just one rush in Week 1, rushed for 62 yards on 12 attempts in the first half.
- Vikings receiver Justin Jefferson tied Lance Alworth as the fastest to reach 5,000 yards in the second quarter when he hauled in a four-yard pass from Kirk Cousins.
- His fumble, however, was one of three Vikings turnovers in the first half.
The Athletic’s instant analysis:
Eagles getting it done on the ground
The Eagles cashed that late-second quarter takeaway for a 61-yard Elliott field goal to lead 13-7 at halftime. It’ll be interesting to see what adjustments the Eagles make at halftime. Can they get their passing game back on track, or will they continue to take advantage of Brian Florres’ blitz-happy defensive front and rack up rushing yards? — Jones
Turnovers hurting Minnesota
The Vikings lost three fumbles in the first half against the Eagles, including one Jefferson fumble at the 1-yard-line. Turnovers ruined their chances at winning last Sunday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and again are playing a role. Running back Alexander Mattison fumbled on one run, and punt returner Brandon Powell fumbled in the first quarter. The Vikings did intercept Hurts but they remain -2 in the turnover margin. Last year, 38 times a team lost the turnover margin by three or more, and only one of those times did the team win the football game.
For all of the narrative surrounding Kirk Cousins’s struggles in primetime, he has been money Thursday night. He’s 13-for-17 for 140 yards and a touchdown. Simultaneously, due to a banged-up offensive line, he has not had much time to throw. Overall, he has distributed the ball the way the Vikings are going to need him to in the second have to have a chance. — Lewis
Required reading
(Photo: Tim Nwachukwu / Getty Images)
