Eagles vs. Vikings: Everything you need to know about the Birds’ Week 7 matchup against Carson Wentz

After suffering two straight losses, the Eagles are back on the road in Week 7 to take on the Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium, the site of the Birds’ first Super Bowl win. As the Eagles look to avoid three consecutive losses, they’ll be facing a quarterback who was a key part of that 2017 team: Carson Wentz, who was eventually benched for the Eagles’ starter on Sunday, Jalen Hurts, and subsequently demanded a trade.

And Wentz isn’t the only former Eagles Super Bowl champion suiting up against his former team in Minneapolis — there’s another player who wanted to make sure fans knew this wasn’t a “revenge game” after he left in free agency.

Clearly, there are plenty of storylines for fans watch. Here’s everything you need to know heading into the Birds’ Week 7 matchup …

The Eagles will kick off against the Vikings in Minnesota at 1 p.m. ET on Fox.

Fans looking to stream the game can find it on the Fox Sports app. Adam Amin and Greg Olsen will be on the call for Fox, with Pam Oliver on the sideline.

If you’d rather listen to Merrill Reese and Mike Quick call the game, the radio broadcast can be found on 94.1 WIP. If you want to watch the game with your fellow Birds fans while the team is on the road, here are a few spots to check out.

» READ MORE: As Eagles face the Vikings, one ESPN analyst has some concrete ideas how to fix the Birds’ offense

For the Eagles, tight end Grant Calcaterra is out again with a concussion, while Jalen Carter (heel) is questionable after being a limited participant in practice this week. He’s also dealing with a shoulder injury, but said earlier in the week that he expects to play against the Vikings.

The only other Eagles player with an injury designation for Sunday was right guard Landon Dickerson, who is questionable with an ankle injury, but he was a full participant in Friday’s practice. And cornerback Quinyon Mitchell, who exited last week’s loss to the New York Giants with a hamstring injury, is good to go.

» READ MORE: Landon Dickerson and Jalen Carter questionable vs. Vikings; Quinyon Mitchell set to play

The big story on the injury front, however, is that Vikings second-year quarterback J.J. McCarthy (ankle) will be out again, paving the way for Wentz to make his fourth straight start, and the second of his career against his former team. McCarthy returned to practice this week, but was only able to take limited reps, and head coach Kevin O’Connell previously said McCarthy would only start if he was 100%.

As of Friday afternoon, the Eagles are heading into Sunday’s game as 2.5-point favorites on FanDuel and 1.5-point favorites on DraftKings. The projected point total for Sunday is 43.5 for both sportsbooks.

You can also check out individual player props for Hurts, Wentz and many more. And you can find the Eagles’ latest Super Bowl odds here.

Wentz’s start against the Eagles on Sunday will be his second against his former team, after losing the Eagles in 2022 while with the Washington Commanders. He’s with his fifth team in the last five seasons, but has played well since taking over for McCarthy, going 2-1 in his three starts with five touchdowns and a pair of interceptions.

So is there any extra motivation playing against his former team, especially with all the drama leading up to his exit?

“Not really. Maybe earlier in my career maybe I had a different feeling,” Wentz told reporters on Wednesday. “But at the same time, you look over there, and I’m not even sure there’s anyone on the defensive side that I’ve played with. It just looks different. So it’s another opponent. A lot of respect for those guys. There’s still guys in that organization, there’s a lot of good people that I still have a lot of care for and respect for. But, at the same time, that feels like multiple lifetimes ago at this point.”

Wentz, the Eagles’ second-overall pick in 2016, was the favorite to win MVP in 2017 before tearing his ACL and giving way to Nick Foles, who led the team to its first Super Bowl title. Injuries and regression led to Wentz eventually being benched for Hurts in December 2020, and requesting a trade after the season.

For more details on how things unraveled with Wentz and what he’s been up to since, click here.

» READ MORE: Carson Wentz feels like his time in Philly was ‘multiple lifetimes ago’ as he prepares to face the Eagles

What is the Eagles’ offense going to look like? The Birds have struggled in both the pass game and the running game to start the season, culminating in the disaster at MetLife Stadium against the Giants. Can they turn it around after an extended break?

One contributing factor, especially in their two straight losses, has been Jalen Hurts’ second-half struggles …

» READ MORE: The Eagles offense has made turnarounds after breaks before. Can they do it again?

More storylines to follow …

9-3: Nick Sirianni’s record coming off a break of 10 days or more. The Eagles needed a reset after the loss to the Giants, and they’ve had a lot of time during the mini-bye to get things right.

» READ MORE: Inside the numbers of the Eagles' Week 7 game vs. Minnesota

Here are our writers’ predictions for this Sunday’s game in Minnesota …

Jeff McLane: I don’t know what to make of this Eagles team through six games. I thought there would be early season struggles, and predicted a 4-2 start. I just didn’t think it would look like this. … I foresee a tough, grind-it-out outcome, so the game could go either way. But I have a hard time riding with Wentz. Eagles 19, Vikings 17

Jeff Neiburg: Jalen Carter’s return and Quinyon Mitchell’s health are a big deal for a defense that got outworked last week vs. the Giants. Mitchell will have a tough time with Justin Jefferson, but the Vikings, no matter who plays quarterback, don’t have the dominant passer to give the Eagles fits. Eagles 24, Vikings 20.

Olivia Reiner: The [Brian] Flores-led Vikings defense has been sound in the passing game, but they’ve been leaky in the running game, allowing 132.2 rushing yards per game (the ninth-highest average in the NFL). In theory, this should be the perfect game for the running game to get right. Still, we said that last week about the Giants, who haven’t been much better than the Vikings against the run. Vikings 19, Eagles 17

Matt Breen: Flores is a mastermind and has made it difficult this season for opposing QBs against the Vikings. Flores vs. Kevin Patullo’s stagnant passing attack feels like a mismatch. Minnesota is allowing just 175 passing yards per game and the Vikings will play plenty of zone defense, which has caused the Birds problems this year. Vikings 27, Eagles 21.

Check out our full staff predictions here.

» READ MORE: What we know (and don’t) about the Eagles entering Week 7 vs. the Vikings

Here’s a look at how the national media is predicting this game …

That’s an aggregate of how each outlet’s expert panel is voting, but you can check out the breakdown here.

Here’s a look at what our columnists are saying about the Eagles, starting with David Murphy, who thinks the Eagles won’t be trading A.J. Brown or trading for Bengals edge rusher Trey Hendrickson this deadline …

Murphy: “The A.J. Brown thing is simpler than the Trey Hendrickson thing. But both of them boil down to a some pretty basic observations. 1) The Eagles can’t possibly think they can win a Super Bowl this season with an offense that does not include Brown (or some other wide receiver who can impact the game the way Brown has since arriving in Philadelphia). … 2) The Eagles can’t possibly think it sensible to trade Cooper DeJean, or Cam Jurgens, or Landon Dickerson, or Jalen Hurts for a 30-year-old free-agent-to-be who is making $29 million.” Read more.

Meanwhile, Marcus Hayes believes it’s up to Vic Fangio and Jeff Stoutland to right the ship for the Birds.

Hayes: "Defensive coordinator Vic Fangio and offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland built their reputations by working miracles. Given the state of their entire defense and the struggling offensive line, this season is turning out to be a tougher task than anyone anticipated. Both are among the highest-paid coaches at their positions. The Eagles are 4-2, and the two losses largely happened because their units underperformed. If the Birds manage to mount a decent defense of their Super Bowl championship, Fangio and Stoutland will have more than earned their money." Read more.

» READ MORE: The Eagles have problems that need solving. The recent play of Jalen Hurts is one of them. | Mike Sielski

Sunday brings another opportunity for the Eagles run game to get going after a lackluster start. Although Saquon Barkley hasn’t been nearly as productive as last season, Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell is still focused on limiting the run.

“Obviously, [Barkley’s] one of the best players in the league,” O’Connell told reporters earlier this week. “He’s the starting point of what you have to try to limit … They’ve proven time and time again that if they have success running the football, they can time the possession, eat up clock, keep things manageable, Jalen can make a bunch of plays on third down to extend drives and give them more opportunities to run it.

“But, it’s also the explosive runs. … [Barkley] can change [the game] in a heartbeat with one touch.”

» READ MORE: Week 7 NFL power rankings roundup: Eagles tumble after two straight losses — and new teams rise to the top

Here are a few more quotes from the Vikings this week …

Jonathan Allen on not underestimating the Eagles: “I’ve been playing them twice a year for my entire career. So, I know the physicality they want to bring and we’re excited to be able to match that. I think for us, the last thing we need to do is underestimate Philly. They are the reigning Super Bowl champions for a reason. So, we’re going into it focusing on what we have to do to improve, and we’re excited to show you guys what we can do.”

Isaiah Rodgers on Philly’s weapons: “There’s a lot of playmakers over there. You can’t come into the game looking at the stats or anything like that. You got to give them the respect that they’ve earned. There’s a lot of playmakers over there and they can turn it on and make it a game anytime they want. … Just got to lock in and go into the game with full amount of respect. … Practicing with those guys, I know what they’re capable of. Can’t go into a game looking at the stat sheets.”

Click here to read more about what the Vikings are saying about the Eagles.

How much grace does Kevin Patullo deserve to get the Eagles’ offense right? On First Take, Chris Russo argued that he’s not worried about the Eagles’ long-term prospects, and that the first-year coordinator just needs time to work out the kinks.

“It’s going to take the new guy a little bit to get himself together,” Russo said. “You’ve got to give him a chance. I’m expecting Philadelphia to recover. They did last year. They didn’t two years ago, but they did last year.”

But Stephen A. Smith disagreed, saying that since Patullo has been in the organization for years, the Eagles shouldn’t be experiencing the same growing pains they might with an external hire.

“With the Philadelphia Eagles, what possible excuse do you have, with all that talent?” Smith said. “Yes you have a new offensive coordinator, but he’s not somebody who was brought from the outside, he was there last year. You’re familiar with these players, with the system, with Nick Sirianni, why are you down in every category compared to Kellen Moore?”

Click here to read more of what they’re saying, including whether or not Sunday is a must-win game for the Eagles and a potential cornerback trade that could help the Birds defense.

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