Eagles schedule preview: Vikings

The Eagles return to the site of their Super Bowl win.

When and where: Week 6, at the Stadium of Bird Death

Last season: 8-7-1. Offense: Scoring 19th, Yards 20th, DVOA 18th; Defense Scoring 9th, Yards 4th, DVOA 4th

Notable additions: Josh Kline

Notable losses: Nick Easton, Mike Remmers, Sheldon Richardson

What are they good at?

Keeping it close. The Vikings under Mike Zimmer rarely get blown out (*cough* 38-7 *cough*), and they rarely blow out other teams. Since 2016, 34 of the Vikings 50 games have been decided by 14 or fewer points. That’s how Mike Zimmer wants it, illustrated by firing John DeFilippo for not running the ball more despite the WRs his expensive QB has to throw to. So expect this game to be close, like it was last year.

What are they bad at?

Asset management. Only the Patriots are spending more at QB this year. Only the Dolphins are spending less on their OL. Eight other teams are spending more on their defense than their offense, and they all fit into two groupings. The first are the Texans, Ravens, Jets, and Cardinals who all have starting QBs on rookie contracts, which isn’t the case in Minnesota. Then there are the Dolphins, Jaguars, Broncos, and Panthers who are all coming off losing seasons and aren’t contenders. The Vikings think they’re a Super Bowl contender, but they aren’t really built like one.

Why the Eagles will win

If not for a fumble at the 5 yard line, the Eagles beat the Vikings last year. And they humiliated them the year before. The better team doesn’t always win, but they usually do, and the Eagles are the better team.

Why the Eagles will lose

QB and WR coach Kurt Coupons is 5-3 against the Eagles. I don’t know what we did to upset the gods but it seems that the punishment is to face the quarterback equivalent of, well, this:

(I lost my appetite looking at those, I apologize if you did too)

And then watch him somehow emerge victorious against the Eagles. But being Kirk Cousins, he has to do it in the most meaningless way possible. Last season he and the Vikings beat the Eagles in a game that was sort of a must win as the Eagles were 2-2 and the Vikings were 1-2-1, but also not a must win because it was in Week 5, when seasons are not won or lost. And lo and behold, the Eagles made the playoffs and the Vikings didn’t. Mid-October against the Eagles? 425 yards, 3 touchdowns en route to a 9-7 season.