Sam Bradford and the Minnesota Vikings look to extend their undefeated streak on Sunday against the Philadelphia Eagles. The birds will be itching to set the record straight after losing two consecutive games where the team stood in their own way. But against a vicious Vikings Defense and a quarterback who knows every nuance of the playbook, just what do the Eagles need to do to end the Vikes unbeaten run?
Conservative Linebacker play:
The Eagles Linebackers aren’t exactly impressive or consistent in coverage. Mychal Kendricks and Stephen Tulloch continue to miss tackles and squander opportunities while Bradham and Hicks are at the opposite end of the spectrum, balancing the scales and holding down the fort.
The Vikings Offense is extremely multi-dimensional and even though they’re without Adrian Peterson, it doesn’t mean that their backfield will be any less efficient. Bradford has found ways to utilize the likes of Asiata and McKinnon in the passing game, just as he would have with Sproles in Philly. With this in mind, the Eagles have to stay cautious with their linebackers if they’re to remove that threat.
For instance here, Bradford rolls out of the pocket which caught nearly everyone on the field off guard. A simple dump pass to Asiata nearly sent the Vikings into the endzone, as many expected the quarterback with a reputation of a pocket passer to carve the Texans up underneath in these sorts of situations, just as he had been all game. It’s a looming threat that the Eagles can’t overlook, especially with their inconsistent linebacker play this season.
Step outside of the comfort zone:
Throughout the opening games of his career, Carson Wentz has been subject to “dink and dunk” criticism..but if he is to succeed against the Vikings Defense, he will need to step out of his comfort zone and dispel the absurdities once and for all. The reason being? The Texans Offense functions in a similar fashion to Pederson’s..but the Vikes D was more than prepared for the challenge ahead.
The Vikings do a great job of removing intermediate threats. Osweiler looks for Lamar Miller out of the backfield but the speed in which Eric Kendricks read the play was phenomenal. The Vikings Linebackers are supreme in coverage and it shows here. Forcing the incompletion, Kendricks is on Miller like glue within seconds of the snap..which could mean bad news for the likes of Darren Sproles on Sunday.
The Eagles also run a lot of drag routes and plays underneath. Against the Vikings, this is going to be tricky to do on a consistent basis. They pick up the plays so quickly and engage double coverage before applying pressure to Osweiler to force the incompletion. The Eagles Offense is designed to open up layers like an onion..the Vikings linebackers look to keep that onion in its original skin. If the Eagles are going to beat this Vikings Defense, they need to get creative.
The bucket:
Bradford’s ability to drop the ball in the bucket will be all too familiar to Eagles fans..and even in the absence of Stefon Diggs against the Texans, the former Eagle still found a way to get the ball down the field. Thielen was targeted on deep passes three times in two drives and then again in the second half in week five..why? Because in one-on-one coverage, a well placed Bradford ball would give any receiver a healthy advantage.
Thielen runs a great route here to dissect and defeat zone coverage, cutting to the outside of an unaware corner and catch a deep pass inside the endzone for a touchdown. Bradford reads the play and drops the ball perfectly in the bucket..and with the Eagles cornerbacks having depth and overall consistency issues, Bradford will be looking to pick them apart all game with plays like this. It will likely be up to Rodney McLeod to redefine the term security blanket..and give as much help to his corners as possible.
It’s that one-on-one matchup that Bradford loves to exploit..and both Mills and Carroll have struggled at the line of scrimmage this season. Adam Thielen and a returning Stefon Diggs will prove problematic for the Secondary if they can create separation in the ways they have all season.
The pressure is on the tackles:
The story of Halapoulivati Vaitaai is a well documented one..and his NFL career is showing no signs of getting any easier as he faces a pass rush that already has 19 sacks this season. But Jason Peters has given up five penalties in as many games this season and hasn’t been as impressive as many assume he has been. The Vikings Defensive ends pose more than a worrying threat to the Eagles O-Line, especially when they can make plays like these so consistently.
The Vikings pass rush focuses on the term “rush”. Everson Griffen beats his man with ease, slides inside and chases down a scrambling Osweiler like it’s nothing. There was little that Duane Brown could do against a powerful Griffen..but the sheer power and pace to bring down a scrambling quarterback who had the head start is impressive..but worrying for a slowing Jason Peters.
I don’t even think I need to describe this play. There’s collapsing the pocket..and then there’s crushing a plastic cup. Hunter and Griffen quite literally dismantled the pocket in a heartbeat and sandwiched Osweiler to the ground. Ouch.
Big V struggled against Ryan Kerrigan a week ago..but if the Vikings pass rush performance in week 5 is anything to go by, those problems may only just be beginning. Like the Eagles Defense, the DE’s are crucial to the success of the pass rush..and an arguably weak tackle spot is going to be marked with a big red X by the Vikings Defense.
Eagles receivers vs Vikings Secondary:
The Vikings Secondary is impressive..but it isn’t unbeatable. As DeAndre Hopkins showcases below, they are susceptible to being beaten off the line against the right receiver. Hopkins does a great job of getting outside and creating separation, despite the pass falling incomplete. With speed in mind, Bradford knows the ins and outs of every receiver on the roster..except speedster Bryce Treggs. If the birds really want to throw a curveball to catch the Vikings off-guard, rotating Treggs in as a deep threat for just a few plays could have a huge impact.
The problem is that most of the time, guys like Xavier Rhodes are just too consistent in man-coverage. Hopkins just gets completely taken out of the equation here on a deep pass that would have gone for a touchdown if completed. Hopkins is one of the most explosive receivers in the game, but Rhodes turned into a human barrier and was able to fairly get physical and ensure the pass fall incomplete. The play is nothing short of exceptional..but with the Eagles receivers struggling as it is, it doesn’t bode well.
Catches and ball security have also been a prominent issue for the Eagles this season..and when you have cornerbacks like Terrence Newman who can leap over his receiver and bat a ball down without drawing a flag, it makes life that much more difficult for the Eagles, who will likely aim to beat corners underneath fairly often on Sunday. Dorial Green-Beckham could see his name called far more frequently as his height advantage could be one of the only lifelines other than the completeness of Jordan Matthews that the unit carries into this game.
The Vikings Defense ranks fourth against the run..and we’re accustomed to seeing the Eagles run the ball frequently inside the redzone, with the exception of Trey Burton’s first career touchdown a few weeks ago. However, the Eagles may be forced to get creative inside the ten, because they’d likely be running into a brick wall. It was one thing the Texans actually did right in their loss to the Vikes, cutting underneath the esteemed corners and “dunking” their way into the endzone.
There’s no doubt that this has Defensive showdown written all over it, despite the headlines focusing on the quarterbacks. The Eagles pride themselves on winning the time of possession..but the Vikings are no strangers to that statistic either. They were able to drain over five minutes off of the clock in the second quarter against the Texans on one drive and run very similar plays to the Eagles..(I wonder why.) But if the Eagles can find a way to move the chains and keep things fresh on both sides of the ball..they may, just may be able to cause yet another upset.
Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports
