Eagles snap losing streak
OUTPLAYED: Vikings coach disappointed in team’s performance Sunday
PHILADELPHIA — Josh Huff returned a kickoff 98 yards for a touchdown, Carson Wentz outplayed Sam Bradford and the Philadelphia Eagles beat Minnesota 21-10 on Sunday, handing the Vikings their first loss of the season.
The Eagles (4-2) snapped a twogame losing streak while the rested Vikings (5-1) hardly looked like an unbeaten team after having a bye.
“I thought we played embarrassing in two phases,” Vikings coach Mike Zimmer said. “I’m very disappointed in the performance.’’
Bradford returned to Philadelphia for the first time since his trade to Minnesota eight days before the season-opener paved the way for Wentz to start. Bradford was 7-7 in his only season with the Eagles and won his first four starts for the Vikings. But the Eagles pressured and harassed their former quarterback all game, sacked him six times, and forced his first three turnovers this season.
“I thought he missed some throws that he normally makes, but he got hit a lot,” Zimmer said. “It’s probably hard to evaluate his performance when (the line) looks like a sieve.”
Wentz also struggled early, tossing two interceptions. But he recovered to lead the Eagles on a couple of scoring drives, including a five-yard TD pass to Dorial Green-Beckham in the third quarter for an 18-3 lead.
“That’s a great defence we played,” Wentz said. “I have to be smarter with the football. We found a way to win. That’s huge for us.” Both teams had a sloppy start. After combining for only three turnovers in 10 games, the teams traded giveaways on five consecutive series in the first quarter and totalled eight turnovers. The Vikings started two straight drives inside the red zone, but squandered both chances.
Blair Walsh hit a 48-yard field goal to give the Vikings a 3-0 lead before Huff broke loose for his second career touchdown return. Huff sprinted up the right side, ran through Walsh’s attempted arm tackle at the 40, raced untouched to the end zone and capped it with a somersault. Wentz ran in from the one for the 2-point conversion to give the Eagles an 8-3 lead.
Quotable
Vikings: T Jeremiah Sirles: “If Sam doesn’t feel comfortable back there, it’s our fault. It’s not one guy’s fault. It’s five guys’ fault.”
Eagles: Huff said: “He’s a kicker. I couldn’t let a kicker tackle me or I’d be mad at myself.”
Fantasy stats
Vikings: Bradford was 24-41, 224 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT. Matt Asiata had 55 yards rushing. Cordarrelle Patterson had seven catches for 67 yards and a TD.
Eagles: Wentz was 16-28, 138 yards, 1 TD, 2 INTs. Ryan Mathews had 56 yards rushing. Huff caught four passes for 39 yards.
Missed opportunities
The Vikings had the ball at the Eagles two after Andrew Sendejo intercepted Wentz’s pass and returned it 16 yards. But Bradford tossed his first pick when Rodney McLeod caught a lofted pass in the end zone.
The Eagles gave it right back when Darren Sproles fumbled Wentz’s handoff. But on the first play from the Philadelphia 17, Connor Barwin stripped Bradford and Malcolm Jenkins recovered. Jenkins returned it 76 yards for a score, but he was ruled down by contact after a video review.
Wentz threw another interception on the next series, a diving play by Xavier Rhodes. But Minnesota’s offence didn’t do anything again.
Down 18-3, the Vikings couldn’t get a yard on third and fourth down from the Eagles 6 early in the fourth quarter.
Going for it
Doug Pederson took a point off the board after a roughing penalty on the Vikings against Caleb Sturgis and went for the 2-point conversion. Wentz ran it in up the middle on a draw.
Pederson went for fourth-and-2 from the Vikings 44 with 1:21 left in the first half. Wentz gained six yards on a keeper and the drive ended with Sturgis making a 35-yard field goal for an 11-3 lead.
“For me, it was an easy situation and I had trust in our guys,” Pederson said about the risky calls.
Injuries
Eagles: CB Ron Brooks was carted off the field after injuring his right ankle trying to make a tackle in the first quarter. Brooks was immediately ruled out and the injury appeared serious . ... LT Jason Peters didn’t finish the game after injuring his biceps . ... LB Kamu Grugier-Hill came out with a hamstring injury.
Vikings: Sendejo didn’t return after injuring his ankle in the first quarter.
Franchise first
The Eagles have returned kickoffs for touchdowns in consecutive games for the first time in team history.
Wendell Smallwood returned one 86 yards for a TD in last week’s 27-20 loss at Washington. Huff had a 107-yard TD return as a rookie in 2014.