Carson Wentz will attempt to drive the Vikings to a victory over the Eagles. (Photo by Stephen Maturen/Getty Images)
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The Minnesota Vikings are presumably well-rested and prepared to take on the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles, a team that has stumbled badly the past two weeks against the Denver Broncos and New York Giants.
The Vikings will once again have former Eagle Carson Wentz starting at quarterback in place of J.J. McCarthy. Head coach Kevin O’Connell has been talking up McCarthy for almost two years, but he is still feeling the impact of a high ankle sprain that has kept him out of action since the end of their loss to the Atlanta Falcons in Week 2.
Perhaps McCarthy is not the be-all and end-all performer that O’Connell was hoping while he was discussing his many assets. The other factor is that he’s just not healthy enough. Wentz has been solid in winning two of three games, and now he gets the call as the Vikings begin a four-game stretch that will decide the direction of their season.
The Vikings face the Chargers, Lions and Ravens after hosting the Eagles, and the Chargers game comes on a short week. If McCarthy is not ready to start against the Eagles, the likelihood is that O’Connell will not think he is prepared to start Thursday night at SoFi Stadium.
The Vikings are going to have to protect Wentz against his former team. That means they must control Jalen Carter, who returned to practice this week after missing time with a heel injury. He was limited in Thursday’s session, so he is not at 100 percent, and that may give the Vikings offensive line some breathing room against the Philadelphia front.
If Wentz gets adequate protection, he will get to attack cornerbacks Adoree Jackson and Kelee Ringo if Quinyon Mitchell is hampered by his hamstring issue. Mitchell looked solid at Thursday’s practice, but competing at full speed against Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison could be a bridge too far. Neither Jackson nor Ringo is up to the prospects of keeping either of the Vikings receivers in check.
Vikings defense needs to make a statement
The return of Blake Cashman should enhance the Vikings defense. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
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As much as the quarterback issue has dominated for the Vikings this week, the defense has to tighten up against Jalen Hurts and the Eagles offense. The return of linebacker Blake Cashman is an excellent development because he is their best all-around defensive player.
Cashman has observed that the Vikings defense has been ordinary against the run. This is an area where Cashman can have a direct impact.
This is clearly going to be an issue against the Eagles, who will try to unleash superstar Saquon Barkley. He was dominant last year when he ran for 2,005 yards and averaged 5.8 yards per carry. His numbers are way down this season, as he has just 325 rushing yards and is averaging 3.4 yards per attempt. The Vikings can’t allow Barkley to return to top form.
“We’ve got to finish on ball carriers better,” Cashman said. “There’s a lot of leaky yardage we let up because we didn’t get the ball carrier down at, let’s say, 4 or 5 yards.”
Cashman does not make the spectacular plays, but he is a hard-hitting and sure tackler and he gives the defense quite a bit of freedom to attack since he always takes care of his responsibilities. His return is great news for Josh Metellus, who can play any position that defensive coordinator Brian Flores asks of him.
Metellus can help the Vikings create takeaways, because that’s what both O’Connell and Flores want to see from the defense. The Vikings did a spectacular job in that area in Week 3 when cornerback Isaiah Rodgers returned both an interception and a fumble for touchdowns against the Cincinnati Bengals. Rodgers is a former Eagle, and he wants to show his former team just what they are missing. He will be motivated for another big game.
His chances of delivering will most likely depend on Jonathan Greenard, Jonathan Allen, Javon Hargrave and Dallas Turner up front. The Vikings pass rushers have been limited to this point. Jalen Redmond leads the team with 3.0 sacks, while injured pass rushed Andrew Van Ginkel and Hargrave have 2.0 each. Turner and Greenard have been limited to 1.0 sack each, and that has to change if the Vikings are going to keep the Eagles in check.
Most of the attention may be on the QB position, but the defense is likely to determine the outcome of this vitally important game against the Eagles.