The Eagles climbed a very steep Mountain in defeating the previously unbeaten Minnesota Vikings, but not everyone was smiling once they reached the top. While some Eagles ran rampant against the Vikings, other seemed to struggle. Here are the winners and losers from the Eagles win over the Vikes.
Winners:
Jordan Hicks:
Snaps played: 100%
Tackles: 11
Sacks: 1
Tackles for a loss: 3
Passes Defensed: 2
Simba finally took over the Animal Kingdom on Sunday with a performance that you’d struggle to replicate in Madden. Hicks had been relatively quiet compared to his stunning 2015 season, but that all changed against the Vikings.
The second year linebacker dominated the trenches and contributed heavily to the Eagles pass rush. Hicks silenced his critics on Sunday, proving that he can be just as effective under Jim Schwartz as he was last season.
Brandon Graham:
Snaps played: 75%
Tackles: 3
Sacks: 1
QB hits: 5
Graham continues to make his case for Eagles Defensive MVP with another stunning stat line. Tearing apart the Vikings O-line and hitting former teammate Sam Bradford five times, Graham’s hot run of form is only getting hotter as the season progresses.
The Defensive End made some clinical plays away from the pass-rush and setting the edge too. This, for instance..needs no explanation. Just wow.
.@Eagles @brandongraham55 has been the Eagles best defensive player all year for 1 reason…BG #hustleshisassoff pic.twitter.com/cqWO5kJpvd
— Brian Baldinger (@BaldyNFL) October 24, 2016
Josh Huff:
Snaps played: 34%
Receiving Yards: 39
Receptions: 4
Targets: 4
98-yard kick return TD
Huff saw an unusually high snap count against the Vikings..but made the most of the opportunity given. Leading the team in receiving yards, Huff caught everything thrown his way..and of course, returned a kickoff for a touchdown.
Huff was a receiver who fell out of favor over the Summer, but don’t write him off just yet..the former Oregon Duck looks like he’s got plenty more to give.
Halapoulivaati Vaitai:
Snaps played: 100%
After an embarrassing NFL debut, the former TCU lineman rebounded just as Pederson hoped he would. The rookie appeared to play with a chip on his shoulder against the Vikings who are by no mean’s an easy challenge, posing one of the most intimidating threats in the league.
Carson Wentz was not sacked a single time on Sunday..and Vaitai’s protection played a large part in that. The rookie bounced back tremendously well, whether he can sustain that level of play in the absence of Lane Johnson remains to be seen.
Losers:
Ryan Mathews:
Snaps played: 45%
Rushing yards: 56
Carries: 14
Fumbles: 1
The Eagles lead rusher is yet to make a real impact this season. 56 yards sound relatively impressive on the surface, but 20 came on a lone run. Then, there’s the other side…the fumbles.
Twice this season in the fourth quarter, Ryan Mathews has fumbled the football. Ball security has always been an issue with Mathews, but it seems more detrimental than ever in 2016. If the Eagles don’t find a way to iron out those errors and increase ball security..there’s a hungry committee chomping at the bit to take his place.
Zach Ertz:
Receiving yards: 14
Receptions: 1
Targets: 3
The slow start of Zach Ertz is yet to turn around, following a game where he picked up just 14 receiving yards. His production has been way lower than many anticipated, especially after being paid so handsomely in the offseason.
Ertz is one of the most explosive weapons on the roster..but through a mix of passes being thrown elsewhere when being open and a struggle to find space to begin with, his production has been limited. We’re now six games into the season and yet to see any kind of “big play” from the franchise tight end..which is frankly a little worrying.
Jason Kelce:
Snaps played: 58%
Poor snaps, miscommunications and some poor blocking have all seemingly become the norm for the Pro Bowler, but MORE penalties (increasing his season total to 7) just put the icing on the cake. Kelce can’t take full responsibility for some of the errors the Offense endured on Sunday, but he could have helped prevent a few. Kelce’s struggles have chained the O-line down in recent weeks and while they weren’t as damaging on Sunday, they were still visible.
Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
