NFL
By: Steve Rogers
What: NFL Week Two Matchup
Who: Minnesota Vikings Vs. Philadelphia Eagles
Where: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
When: 7:30 PM CN Monday, September 19, 2022
Watch: ABC/ESPN+
Welcome to week two of the NFL season. here we have a doubleheader on Monday Night Football. The first game is Tennessee Titans going to Buffalo and taking on the Bills. In the second game, the Minnesota Vikings head into hostile shark-infested waters, and that’s just the crowd in Philadelphia to face the Eagles. Both teams are coming into Monday night one and 0. However, they got there in entirely different ways.
The Eagles managed to miraculously score three more points than the Detroit Lions. I give credit to the Lions. They looked better than I thought. On the other hand, the Eagles didn’t look that good having to go blow for blow toe to toe with the third-best team in the NFC North. They were able to come out on top by a field goal. I don’t think hanging on by a field goal will be good enough against the current number one team in the NFC North. I also don’t think it’s wise to open the same holes they did for D’Andre Swift; for Dalvin Cook he’ll gash them for not 144 but more like 200! A . J. Brown had a great debut with the Eagles, he will be a factor to watch out for as he is the best receiver the Vikings have faced this year. Miles Sanders ran for 96 yards and a touchdown, and the quarterback Jalen Hurts had 90 yards on the ground and a score. They would like to continue that kind of rushing success against the Vikings on Monday night. The Eagles’ defense should have their hands full with all these special weapons in purple coming to town.
According to the oddsmakers, the home team is getting a whopping two-point favorite. That to me is interesting as I believe that is how they felt about the Vikings at home against the Packers a three-point underdog in their own home opener. How did that work out again? Oh, that’s right a 23-7 spanking! Let the expert underestimation continue I say, and I’ll keep taking house money cha-ching! I’m gonna say that 30-plus points against the Vikings’ defense is unrealistic, more like 17 to 24 for the Eagles. On the flip side, I’m gonna say the Vikings’ offense continues where it left off last week and goes up from 23 to between 31-38. With the over under at 50.5, that’s right about where I think the combined score will be. So, I”m cautiously taking the over.
Now for some purple perspective. For some players on this team who were here in 2018 are looking at this as a shot at redemption from that NFC championship destruction. Then there’s Justin Jefferson whos out to prove what the Eagles missed on drafting him when they had the chance. What they missed out on is the most explosive, dynamic, and complete wide receiver in the game. Not only is he a problem but then you have Adam Thielen lining up at WR 2 just the best red zone target in the past 2-3 years. Now add in the emerging WR 3 K.J. Osborn and you now have no way to double-team any single guy as the other two will burn you. Then there’s the running game led by Dalvin Cook. Who again if he sees holes like Detroit did he might just rush for 200 yards himself. It appears that the Vikings are just going to have to play show and prove it every week, and it appears that’s just fine for them too. Deep Purple put “Smoke on the Water” now the Vikings are putting purple smoke on the turf.
