Jalen Hurts outduels predecessor Carson Wentz as Eagles hold off Vikings, 28-22

MINNEAPOLIS — Eagles 2, Carson Wentz 0.

In facing their former quarterback Carson Wentz for a second time, the Eagles emerged victorious again, defeating the Minnesota Vikings, 28-22, on Sunday afternoon.

Jalen Hurts, the player who replaced him permanently in Philadelphia in 2021, was the better quarterback in the duel. He went 19 for 23 for 326 yards and three touchdowns, earning a perfect quarterback rating of 158.3.

Wentz went 26 for 42 for 313 yards and two interceptions. He did not have a passing touchdown. His QB rating was 64.9.

Here’s our instant analysis from the Eagles’ Week 7 win that snapped their two-game skid:

Hurts may not be using his legs much on designed quarterback runs — aside from the Tush Push — but he certainly had a knack for using them to extend plays on Sunday afternoon.

His first touchdown came on a scramble drill, even though it didn’t require him to flee the pocket. The Eagles had decided to go for it on fourth-and-4 from the Vikings’ 37-yard line on their opening drive. Hurts first looked to his right for DeVonta Smith, who was covered by former Eagles cornerback Isaiah Rodgers.

Hurts then looked to his left for A.J. Brown. Vikings safety Josh Metellus had him covered at the sticks, but Hurts pointed his way, directing him to keep running upfield. Brown breezed past Metellus and snared Hurts’ 37-yard pass for a touchdown to put the Eagles up, 7-0.

After going three-and-out on three consecutive drives and failing to get into field goal position on the fourth just before the end of the first half, the Eagles offense woke up in the third quarter. They had been handed less-than-ideal field position when tight end Cameron Latu was called for an illegal double-team block on the kickoff.

But that didn’t matter to Hurts. On second-and-5 from his own 21, Hurts dropped back for a rare under-center play-action pass (behind a sixth offensive lineman in Fred Johnson), a formation and a play type that the Eagles utilized more frequently on Sunday. With plenty of time in the pocket, Hurts unleashed a deep ball for Smith, who had beaten Rodgers on a vertical route.

Rodgers dived after Smith at the Vikings’ 10-yard line, but he couldn’t catch the wide receiver as he dashed into the end zone to make it 21-9, Eagles. Smith’s 79-yard touchdown reception was the longest of his career. It was the second-longest touchdown pass for Hurts.

Smith said in the locker room afterward that they had the play in their back pocket “the whole game.” They got the right look to execute it — left tackle Jordan Mailata said left guard Landon Dickerson had noticed that the Vikings were bringing a safety down to the box when the Eagles were in their jumbo package, assuming it was going to be a run play.

“We came back in here during halftime,” Smith said. “That’s all I was saying was, ‘Call this play,’ ‘cause they’re playing this, playing that. So when they called it, I was just happy. I was like, ‘OK, it’s here. I know it’s going to hit.’ It’s just a matter of us going out there and executing.”

Hurts hit Smith again halfway through the fourth quarter on a scramble-drill hookup. Smith found a soft spot in the Vikings’ secondary, settling down and hauling in a 21-yard pass. The play set up a 26-yard touchdown throw to Brown, giving the Eagles a 28-19 lead.

Smith had a career-high day, finishing the game with nine receptions for 183 yards and a touchdown. Brown was productive, too, adding four receptions for 121 yards and two touchdowns, including a third-and-9 conversion with a 45-yard reception to seal the win late in the fourth quarter.

» READ MORE: Eagles grades: Jalen Hurts a perfect passer, DeVonta Smith and A.J. Brown soar in victory against Vikings

The Eagles defense saw a familiar face under center in Wentz, who made his second career appearance in a game against his former team on Sunday (in 2022, he lost, 24-8, to the Eagles while at quarterback for the Washington Commanders).

Wentz didn’t fare well for the most part. He tossed back-to-back interceptions in the second quarter, with one returned for a touchdown. On third-and-5 from the Vikings’ 39-yard line, Vic Fangio channeled his inner Brian Flores and called a simulated pressure.

Five Eagles defenders were at the line of scrimmage before the snap. Afterward, though, Jalyx Hunt dropped into coverage in the middle of the field to replace Zack Baun, who blitzed from the second level. Wentz never saw Hunt and lobbed a pass over the middle intended for Justin Jefferson, which the Eagles’ 2024 third-rounder out of Houston Christian easily corralled.

Hunt turned upfield and returned the intercepted pass 42 yards for a touchdown to put the Eagles up, 14-3.

Wentz gave the Eagles a freebie again on the ensuing drive. Back-to-back negative plays (an offensive holding on first down and a Wentz backward pass out of bounds on second down) brought the Vikings to second-and-27 from their own 9.

Feeling the pressure from Moro Ojomo, Wentz rolled out to his right and heaved the ball downfield, this time looking for Jordan Addison. But Drew Mukuba jumped the pass from underneath for his second career interception.

The blunders continued in the second half. As Wentz attempted to avoid a sack on second down in the red zone, he tossed the ball on the turf with no intended receiver in the area and was flagged for intentional grounding. The play proved costly, as the following third-and-18 pass to tight end T.J. Hockenson was short of the sticks, forcing the Vikings to settle for a third field goal and bringing the score to 14-9, Eagles.

The Vikings’ lone touchdown came from the Wildcat formation, with running back Jordan Mason taking the direct snap at the Philadelphia 1-yard line for the touchdown. The play cut the Eagles’ lead to 21-16 late in the third quarter.

» READ MORE: Jalen Hurts has never been better in saving the Eagles against the Vikings

Wentz took his first sack of the game at the worst possible time. In the fourth quarter, Ojomo brought down the Vikings quarterback on third down in the red zone, forcing them to settle for another field goal.

After a Hockenson touchdown was waved off in the fourth quarter as the Vikings were driving in the red zone, Joshua Uche added a sack, marking the first of his Eagles career.

Mailata remarked on Wednesday that establishing the run game would “take care of everything” for an Eagles offense still in search of its identity.

The Eagles failed to do so. Barkley finished the game with 18 carries for 44 yards, averaging just 2.4 yards per carry.

The run game’s woes were highlighted late in the third quarter and early in the fourth when the Eagles were just outside of the red zone. With 5 yards to the sticks, Barkley failed to pick up yardage on back-to-back carries on second and third down. Elliott missed the 42-yard field goal attempt.

Barkley was injured on a carry halfway through the fourth quarter. However, he returned after just one play on the sideline. The Eagles announced that he was evaluated for a concussion and he was cleared to return.

“Saquon is the best,” Hurts said. “I don’t want him to feel like he’s carrying that by himself. It is a group effort. Everyone is involved in that. Everyone has to look inward and say, ‘Well, how can we help get something going the way it needs to go?’

“Offensively as a unit, as a team, it doesn’t matter how it looks. In hindsight, it’s about finding ways to win games. But we want to make sure all areas of our yard are green and in a good place.”

Three Eagles players exited the game due to injury in the first quarter — center Cam Jurgens (knee), edge rusher Azeez Ojulari (hamstring), and linebacker Jeremiah Trotter Jr. (ankle).

Jurgens played just two drives in the first quarter, then Brett Toth took over at center for the rest of the game. All three players were ruled out in the third quarter.

Adoree’ Jackson went down in the third quarter after he appeared to hit his head while colliding with Hockenson. He was quickly ruled out with a concussion.

Ojomo was also evaluated for a concussion in the fourth quarter when he collided head-first with Kelee Ringo, who had entered the game in relief of Jackson.