Skip to content
Link copied to clipboard

Quick observations on Carson Wentz and others guilty in the Eagles’ loss to Vikings | Marcus Hayes

The Eagles entered the game with 35 penalties for 343 yards, both third-most in the league. They finished with eight more penalties for 52 more yards.

Carson Wentz had a rough day in the Eagles' loss to the Vikings.
Carson Wentz had a rough day in the Eagles' loss to the Vikings.Read moreMichael Bryant / Staff Photographer

The Eagles lost 23-21 to the Minnesota Vikings and are left with a 2-3 record.

Some quick observations on what we saw Sunday.

No, you take it

The Eagles entered the game with a minus-3 turnover differential, tied for fifth-worst in the league. And then … Carson Wentz fumbled for the third time in three games. This one was returned 64 yards for a touchdown in the second quarter. Jay Ajayi fumbled at the Vikings' 5 in the third quarter, which set up a 91-yard touchdown drive.

Mental mistakes

The Eagles entered the game with 35 penalties for 343 yards, both third-most in the league. They finished with eight more penalties for 52 more yards. Michael Bennett was flagged for a specious roughing-the-passer call when he went low on Kirk Cousins late in the second quarter, and the the Vikings scored two plays later to take a 17-3 lead. Left tackle Jason Peters and tight end Zach Ertz committed false starts on the same drive. It was Peters' third false start in five games. Nelson Agholor also had a false start and committed one of the two  formation penalties.

>> GRADE THE EAGLES: No one for Birds to blame but themselves | Paul Domowitch

From Wentz it came

Wentz again looked like a quarterback who missed the preseason and the first two regular-season games. He fumbled the ball away for the third time in three games, and this one was returned 64 yards for a touchdown. He repeatedly failed to recognize blitzes and missed receivers. He took an intentional grounding penalty early in the fourth quarter that knocked the Eagles out of field-goal range when they trailed by 6. He was 24-for-35 for 311 yards and two touchdowns, but was 19-for-29 for 253 yards and a touchdown before a meaningless drive in the final minutes.

>> SOCIAL MEDIA ROUNDUP: Big-guy touchdown, Jalen Mills hate, and look what happened to the Giants

Fifth Cousins

In his four previous starts at Lincoln Financial Field, Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins had a 112.0 passer rating. He went 30-for-37 with a touchdown Sunday evening, a 109.6 rating.

>> PHOTOS: Scenes from the sidelines at Eagles-Vikings

In your head

Vikings quarterback John DeFilippo spent the previous two season as Wentz's quarterbacks coach in Philadelphia. Pederson minimized DeFilippo's advantage, saying he might know "Some of the terminology, some of the calls maybe, hand signals." Maybe more. The Eagles were 1-for-4 scoring touchdowns in the red zone.

>> AS IT HAPPENED: Vikings 23, Eagles 21

Same guy

Embattled cornerback Jalen Mills, who has struggled this season, gave up a 24-yard reception to Adam Thielen in the first quarter then surrendered a a 68-yard reception in the third quarter. When Mills defended two subsequent passes, which limited the Vikings to a field goal, he got into a prolonged argument with Thielen. Defensive tackle Fletcher Cox ran over and shoved Mills away, which upset Mills further. The two chatted later on the sideline.

Offensive lines

Isaac Seumalo replaced left guard Stefan Wisniewski in the starting lineup and promptly got walked back into the pocket on the Eagles' first play, then gave up a sack on the Eagles' third play. Lane Johnson gave up  a sack in the second quarter, which resulted in a fumble and a 64-yard return by Linval Joseph. Jason Peters and Zach Ertz committed false starts, Peters' third of the season. The defensive line had only one sack, by Brandon Graham, who had never gone four games into a healthy season with zero sacks. The defensive line played without Derek Barnett, who has been their best end, and starting tackle Haloti Ngata, who popped up on the injury report Friday as "questionable" with a calf injury.

Kick it

On a day when Packers kicker Mason Crosby missed five kicks, Vikings kicker Dan Bailey missed kicks of 45 and 28 yards in the first half, but his 52-yard field goal with 2 minutes, 47 seconds to play gave the Vikings a 23-14 lead. He made two other field goals as well.

More Eagles-Vikings

>> HIGHS AND LOWS: Doug Pederson, Lane Johnson trending down, Wendell Smallwood trending up after loss

>> READ MORE: The Eagles aren't doing things good teams do | Mike Sielski

>> ANALYSIS: Doug Pederson accepts and deserves blame for Eagles loss | Bob Brookover

>> READ MORE: The Eagles' fastest fix? That's easy: Carson Wentz has to be himself again | Mike Sielski

>> MARCUS HAYES: The Eagles' Super Bowl hangover just got even worse

>> ANALYSIS: Eagles frustrated by Michael Bennett roughing-the-passer penalty in loss to Vikings | Jeff McLane

>> WHAT THEY SAID: Eagles can't blame anyone but themselves following loss to Vikings: 'We're in a mess'

>> READ MORE: Carson Wentz passes well, but Eagles' line play is offensive

>> THIS AND THAT: Despite subbing Maddox for Graham and Seumalo for Wisniewski, Eagles get same result

>> READ MORE: Jay Ajayi thinks the Eagles need to run the ball more

Get insights on the Eagles delivered straight to your inbox with Early Birds, beat writer Zach Berman's newsletter for Eagles fans. Click here to sign up.

Our mission is to provide top-notch coverage for the best fans in sports. We can't do it without your support. Join us: philly.com/birds