The Key Plotlines That Will Swing Eagles at Vikings
Sep 19, 2022; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown (11) runs with the ball against Minnesota Vikings safety Harrison Smith (22) during the first quarter at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images.
The Philadelphia Eagles at Minnesota Vikings will bring a couple of sweet ārevengeā angles for two main players, as the purple team hopes to nudge its record to 4-2 and avoid a 3-3 stalemate entering Thursday Night Football next week.
The Vikings and Eagles will square off in Minneapolis for the first time since 2019, and along the way, these are the main storylines to monitor.
Philadelphia won the Super Bowl last year, but as of late, it hasnāt quite looked like a repeat candidate. Meanwhile, Minnesota is becoming healthier by the minute after a barrage of early-season injuries.
The Main Storylines for Vikings-Eagles
Hereās the juicy stuff to watch.
Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz (11) studies the Chicago Bears defense on Nov 26, 2017, during second-quarter action at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The young signal-callerās composure and pre-snap reads defined his breakout season, as the Eagles continued their dominant run toward what would become a Super Bowl-winning campaign that year. Mandatory Credit: James Lang-USA TODAY Sports.
1. The Carson Wentz Revenge Game
The Eagles drafted Carson Wentz with the second overall pick in 2016, staying committed to the North Dakota State product for five seasons. It later pivoted to Jalen Hurts, a decision that produced a Super Bowl win in 2024.
Wentz bounced around the NFL ā basically a new team every year ā and Minnesota is his latest adventure. Through some scheduling serendipity, heāll play his former team on Sunday, although he has already downplayed the ārevengeā angle.
The Eagles faced Wentz once before in 2022 and defeated his Washington Commanders by a score of 24-8. Now is Wentzās chance to even the score.
2. Eagles in Desperation Mode?
Philadelphia lost its last two games to the Denver Broncos and New York Giants. Those clubs feelĀ decentĀ out of the gate in 2025, but theyāre not sure-fire Super Bowl contenders.
Nick Sirianniās team desperately needs a get-right game ā or basically a dub of any kind.
Of course, heāll try to produce that outcome against Minnesota at U.S. Bank Stadium. The Eagles canāt really afford to lose another game with the rest of the NFC East playing impressive ball in the last couple of weeks.
Siranni said this week about his teamās recent woes:
Youāre always working on identifying your issues and identifying your strengths and working to get better from it. Thatās what we do. Those are the things you think about. Every teamās a little different. Every message could be a little bit different based off of where you are or where the team is. I think where confidence comes from is your process and the things that you go through on a weekly basis, the things that you can control on a weekly basis to put yourself in the best position to succeed. Confidence also comes from past experiences and knowing that youāve been there, youāve done these things before.
Again, the other thing that I say a lot is that adversities are going to happen. They happen for every team in the NFL. They happen for every team. They happen for every person. You think back on your old experiences, you look back at adversities that weāve had. Iām thankful for those. Obviously, this is a new year and new things, but Iām thankful for ā23. Iām thankful for how ā24 started off because it put us in a position to do what we ultimately wanted to accomplish, our goal last year. That is a mindset that is really critical to have, that adversities that you go through make you stronger if you allow it to.
3. The Rushing Offense and the Rushing Defense
Since Kevin OāConnell took the reins in 2022, the gap between the Vikingsā success and failure on the ground has been striking. The numbers donāt necessarily prove cause and effect, but they paint a pretty clear picture: if Minnesota keeps the chains moving and commits to the run, it usually has a real shot to win. When the ground game stalls, though, the results turn upside down fast.
Minnesota Vikings defensive lineman Jalen Redmond (61) lines up on Jan 13, 2025, against the Los Angeles Rams during the NFC Wild Card playoff game at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. The young defender contributed key snaps amid a high-pressure postseason atmosphere, gaining valuable experience as Minnesotaās defense battled to contain the Ramsā balanced attack. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images.
With OāConnell, the Vikings win 80% games when his team rushes for 80 yards or more. That win percentage dips to 40% when the box score says less than 80 rushing yards in a game.
On defense, Minnesotaās dropped just two games this season ā and both tell the same story. The first came at home against the surprisingly sharp Atlanta Falcons ā the same group that just embarrassed the Buffalo Bills earlier this week. Bijan Robinson, maybe the best halfback on the planet, shredded the Vikingsā defense and carried Atlanta to a decisive win.
Two weeks later in Dublin, the Steelers showed up without their RB1 Jaylen Warren ā and it didnāt matter. Kenneth Gainwell ripped through Brian Floresā defense like few expected.
The trend is simple: when Floresā unit limits the run, the Vikings win. When it doesnāt, they donāt.
Stop Saquon Barkley, and the Vikings probably walk out 5ā2.
4. The Isaiah Rodgers Revenge Game
Eagles NationĀ posted on X this week, āPer Ed Kracz, the Eagles prioritized re-signing CB Isaiah Rodgers in the offseason. They likely would have āat leastā matched the Vikings offer. However, itās unclear that he and his management ever gave them a chance, as it leaked he had agreed to the Minnesota deal 2 days before the start of Free Agency.ā
Rodgers disagreed with that accountās assessment of his free agency.
He tweetedĀ this in response: āLol donāt believe the media. See yall Sundayšššššššš.ā
Minnesota cornerback Isaiah Rodgers (2) celebrates after breaking up a pass on Sep 21, 2025, during first-half play against the Cincinnati Bengals at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis. Rodgersā coverage and energy helped fuel Minnesotaās strong defensive start in a game that showcased his growing importance in the Vikingsā secondary rotation. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-Imagn Images.
Rodgers will face his former employer in Week 7, one with dueling stories about his departure. If one believes Rodgers ā heās probably not lying ā he may try to stick it to the Eagles because thatās what scored athletes do.
5. Trench Warfare
Minnesota-Philadelphia features some intriguing offensive and defensive line storylines.
a) The Vikingsā offensive line had fantastic personnel entering the regular season, but injuries have rocked the group. As the unit becomes healthier, can it survive the onslaught of Philadelphiaās ferocious interior defensive linemen?
b) ZaāDarius Smith, a name familiar to purple fans and formerly a member of the Eagles, retired this week. Generally speaking, Philadelphia EDGE rushers are underwhelming.
c) Will Minnesotaās DTs and OLBs do enough to disrupt Philadelphiaās offensive line, usually considered one of the best in the NFL?
