TVA Predictions: Will there be a hometown Super Bowl for the Minnesota Vikings?
By Adam Patrick
Tim Vallie:
Vikings win 27-16
Two elite defenses. Two journeyman quarterbacks. Two of the most elite defenses in the NFL. This is shaping up to be a low scoring, close game on the surface, and that’s just how Mike Zimmer and the Minnesota Vikings want it to be.
The Philadelphia Eagles were the third-best scoring offense in football during the regular season, but they have been sputtering since the season-ending injury to quarterback and MVP candidate Carson Wentz. The Vikings were the best scoring defense in the NFL during the regular season and they also had the 10th-best scoring offense.
The biggest difference? Minnesota also brings the second-best passing defense to the party, while the Eagles defense finished ranked 17th in the regular season when it came to stopping the pass.
The Vikings are going to try and rattle the cage of Philadelphia quarterback Nick Foles and see if he buckles under the pressure of the blitz, and I predict he does.
Next: 3 keys to a Vikings victory over the Eagles
The game will be close for the first half. But in the second half, the Vikings’ passing attack will make enough plays to pull away and Foles will show the world he’s no Drew Brees.