Minnesota Vikings offensive MVP vs. Eagles in Week 5
The Minnesota Vikings traveled to Philadelphia this week and beat the Eagles at Lincoln Stadium. It was both revenge and redemption for the Vikings, whose players and coaches stepped up to both outplay and outwit the Eagles in a crucial road win.
In this surreal world of ours, where a Minnesota Vikings placekicker can’t seem to hit a field goal from extra point range consistently, the professional football team from the North found other ways to prevail on Sunday. Their victory over the defending World Champions had its precarious turns, but in the end, was convincing.
Offensively, the Vikings certainly showed a variety of signs that they had learned from their 38-7 loss to the Eagles in the NFC Championship Game, and their game-plan and its execution was successful for a much-needed win for a struggling team.
Most Valuable Players/People vs. the Eagles
Co-winners: John DeFilippo, Offensive Coordinator, and Kirk Cousins, Quarterback
The Vikings new offensive coordinator John DeFilippo almost appeared to be hired for this game in the offseason. Despite being a highly qualified offensive mind with superlative leadership qualities, we all knew that DeFilippo came directly from the enemy, and for that reason was all the more valuable.
On Sunday, the Vikings cashed in on DeFilippo, and the young coach proved a very good bet.
Everyone has heard about “scripted plays” to start a football game. The New England Patriots do it all the time. In the case of Sunday’s game in Philadelphia, DeFilippo seemed to have not only the beginning of the game scripted, but nearly each of their offensive possessions.
That’s easy enough in theory and design, but in this game, DeFilippo needed a trigger-man, a quarterback with steely nerves and dead-on accuracy to execute his advances, and he knew he had him in Minnesota signal-caller, Kirk Cousins.
Together, DeFilippo and Cousins put together Viking drives that used the pass on first down, quick-hit screens and medium-range crossing plays, misdirection runs and even the bold long ball, that in one third-quarter series after an Eagles fumble, took them 93 yards in two plays.
Cousins threw into the dragon’s teeth all day long, going 30-37 for 301 yards and a touchdown. Several decisive throws came a split-second before Eagles defenders got to him.
There is no team tougher to run on, and no team more difficult to score on in inside their own ten-yard line than Philadelphia. But despite another disappointing day by the Minnesota kicker (until that 52-yarder at the end!), the Vikings made play after play, both with the lead, and Eagles QB Carson Wentz and his team came charging in the fourth quarter.
It was a great win, a nerve-jangling, but ultimately satisfying win, and both men earnestly earned our praise and their paychecks for it.
Honorable Mentions:
Co-winners: Adam Thielen, Wide Receiver, Stefon Diggs, Wide receiver
While Thielen made the splash plays by creating consistent separation and hooking into open spaces in the Eagles’ zone defense, Diggs wrote another chapter of his open-field ballet biography with his electrifying quickness, balance, and nose for the first down marker.
Combining for 17 catches and 207 yards, Thielen and Diggs are burying the competition for the NFC Pro Bowl voting at this point. As their quarterback counted on them, they delivered on Sunday, even as the Vikings’ offensive line gave him little time to make his throws.
Next. Vikings player rankings for Week 6. dark
Hate to play the “if” game, but this win gives me a fair chance to be optimistic. If the Minnesota Vikings can play better on the offensive line and in the run game, they could easily turn the corner to look at control of their division.
If they can’t, Thielen and Diggs are good enough to keep them in every game.