PLAYER NOTES
–LT Jason Peters hasn’t been his usual Pro Bowl self these past couple of weeks. Some of that may have to do with his age (36) and some may have to do with the fact that he is still bothered by a quad strain that he is trying to play through. “From time to time it flares up on him, but he’s tough,” said head coach Doug Pederson. “He’s working through it. He’s managing it and getting treatment on it every day.”
–RB Darren Sproles continues to struggle recovering from a hamstring injury suffered in the opener. He has missed three straight games and could sit out this Sunday’s game, too. “I’m expecting for Darren to continue to work and work through his injury,” said head coach Doug Pederson. “He’s day-to-day. Again, as a runner, I just want to make sure that he’s 100 percent.”
–DT Tim Jernigan, a key cog in the team’s run to the Super Bowl last year, hasn’t played since having offseason surgery for a herniated disk in his back. He was expected back in November, but head coach Doug Pederson didn’t sound optimistic about that during the week. “He’s a guy that we’ll just continue to monitor,” said the coach. “I don’t want to put a cap on him. Don’t want to limit him in any way, and any other expectation than just him getting better and healthy at this time.”
PLAYER SPOTLIGHT: CB Jalen Mills. The Eagles cornerback has been targeted a lot and challenged deep by defenses all year long, and figures to be tested mightily again by the Vikings. He has come under fire by fans in Philadelphia for being overmatched. The Eagles are sticking with him, though.
“I’m firmly behind Jalen Mills as a corner,” said defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz. “One of the reasons we had a big parade on Broad Street (after winning Super Bowl LII) was Jalen Mills. And he’s played a lot like a 2-2 corner. We have played a lot like a 2-2 defense, played a lot like a 2-2 team right now.
“There have been inconsistencies all around, but it’s our job to help him through that. It’s his job to get out of that, and I’m firmly behind Jalen Mills. That guy’s played a lot of good football for us, and he epitomizes a lot of things we’re about defensively: toughness, competitiveness and ability to bounce back. And I’m confident he will.”
GAME PLAN: Minnesota’s ground game shouldn’t factor into the outcome of this one. The Vikings rank dead last in running the ball, averaging just 63 yards per game. The Eagles, meanwhile, are ranked first in stopping the run, allowing 63.8 per game. Looks can be deceiving, though, according to defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz.
“They haven’t been able to run the ball because they’ve been behind in some games and have been in some shootouts in others,” he said. “I think it’s a little easy to get deceived with the run game with them being 32 in the NFL right now. They have a defensive coach (Mike Zimmer); he’s not going to stand for that very long. They want to establish the run. It’s our job to keep them from doing that and keep big plays off the board.”
To prevent the big points being put up, the Eagles will need to stop Cousins and his cupboard full of weapons, especially receiver Adam Thielen, who, with 40 catches already, is on pace to make 160 receptions this season.
Stopping the big play has been the Eagles’ big trouble so far this year, so that will be a challenge. It won’t only need the back end to cover, but the Eagles’ pass rush will need to be better than it was against the Titans.
The winner could also be the team that does the better job of getting off the field on third down. Both defenses are very good at it, with the Eagles’ defense ranking first in that department; the Vikings fifth.
MATCHUPS TO WATCH
–Vikings WRs Adam Thielen and Stefon Diggs vs. Eagles secondary. The Eagles are ranked 19th in pass defense while the Vikings have a high-powered passing game that is ranked fifth in the league led by Thielen and Diggs who have combined for 67 catches and five touchdowns in four games. The Eagles struggled in Tennessee playing their first game without safety Rodney McLeod, but there have been issues all season long with corners Ronald Darby and Jalen Mills. Three receivers have already torched the Eagles for more than 100 yards receiving, including Atlanta’s Julio Jones (169), Tampa Bay’s DeSean Jackson (129), and Tennessee’s Corey Davis (161).
–Eagles pass rush vs. Vikings OL. The Vikings have allowed 13 sacks and 81 pressures, which puts them on pace to give up 324 pressures this season. Tackle Riley Reiff gave up 12 pressures against the Bills while Mike Remmers has been moved from tackle, where he was ineffective, to guard. Guard Tom Compton has also struggled and tackle Rashod Hill has been slowed by injury. The Eagles’ pass rush, which has been led by former No. 1 pick Derek Barnett, who has 2.5 sacks in the last two games, is much better at home than on the road.
