National Football League

5 keys to victory: Minnesota Vikings at Philadelphia Eagles

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

foxsports

What will the 5-0 Minnesota Vikings need to do in order to defeat the Philadelphia Eagles during their week 7 National Football League contest on the road?

Oct 9, 2016; Detroit, MI, USA; Philadelphia Eagles running back Darren Sproles (43) runs past Detroit Lions defensive end Kerry Hyder (61) during the fourth quarter at Ford Field. Lions win 24-23. Mandatory Credit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports

The Minnesota Vikings are the only undefeated team in the National Football League. However, that doesn’t last forever, as there are many teams would love to have the honor of handing the team their first loss of the season.

On Sunday, October 23, the team that will have that opportunity is the Philadelphia Eagles.

Sam Bradford and the Vikings will travel to Pennsylvania for this game, which will put the Vikings quarterback up against his former team. Don’t expect too warm of a homecoming for Bradford since the Eagles have moved on to their first round draft pick Carson Wentz.

But there is a lot more to this game than just the quarterback play. This should be a tough game with strong play in all aspects of the game. But what will the Minnesota Vikings need to do in order to get a win in week 7?

Let’s start by talking about that rookie quarterback in Philly.

Oct 16, 2016; Landover, MD, USA; Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz (11) throws the ball against the Washington Redskins in the third quarter at FedEx Field. The Redskins won 27-20. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

From Wentz He Came

Carlson Wentz is a rookie, but you wouldn’t know it from watching him play. He’s got a maturity and patience beyond his years and is always willing to take a hit if it means making a big play for his team.

He hasn’t seen anything like the Minnesota Vikings defense though. Mike Zimmer has a way of putting personnel on the field in a way that shows one look, but is actually something completely different.

Wentz will be tested in a way that he hasn’t been before during this game, and it will be interesting to see how he responds. So far, the Vikings have been able to confuse and frustrate former NFL MVPs and Super Bowl champions, so it will be paramount to make him feel the same kind of pressure.

Oct 3, 2016; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Bradford (8) hands off the ball to running back Jerick McKinnon (21) against the New York Giants in the first quarter at U.S. Bank Stadium. The Vikings win 24-10. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports

Keep Bradford upright and run the ball

There is no debate that the Philadelphia Eagles have some big boys on their defensive line. Fletcher Cox is an absolute monster and guys like Bennie Cunningham and Connor Barwin can do some real damage if they can take advantage of a situation.

And the situation in Minnesota isn’t a good one. They’ve lost many offensive linemen so far this season and have backups starting at both tackle positions. Jeremiah Sirles is doing a good job so far at right tackle, but T.J. Clemmings is still adjusting to the challenge of protecting Sam Bradford’s blind side.

This should be a major thing to watch during week 7 of the NFL season. While the Eagles have struggled against the run, they do have an excellent pass rush. If the Vikings can establish that run and Bradford can use his excellent play action skills, this could quickly turn from a negative into a huge positive.

Dec 27, 2015; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Vikings defensive end Brian Robison (96) celebrates a sack of New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning (10) during the second quarter at TCF Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports

Get Dem Sacks!

One thing that the Minnesota Vikings do extremely well is getting to opposing quarterbacks. With a combination of tough pass rushers, the team has 19 sacks through 5 games, making them tied for 3rd most in the NFL.

Carson Wentz has been sacked 12 times through 5 games, which is not a good sign for their offensive line when it comes to facing off against Mike Zimmer’s defense. Honestly, it would be disappointing if the Vikings were unable to sack Wentz at least 3 times during the game.

The Eagles rookie quarterback already has a reputation for trying to stay in the pocket as long as possible to let plays develop, but that might not be the smartest move against the Minnesota defense, who will be swarming him from all angles.

This could be key in the field position battle that is likely to happen in this game. 3rd and long or deep 4th down punts could lead to great things, especially considering how well Marcus Sherels is returning on special teams this year.

Oct 9, 2016; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Adam Thielen (19) catches a pass against the Houston Texans for a touchdown in the first quarter at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports

Light up the scoreboard

The Eagles are deceptive when it comes to scoring points. With a rookie quarterback, a new offense, and a lot of new faces around the squad, they are tied for the fourth most points scored per game in the league.

Over the course of the season, Vikings fans have seen their team get better offensively. Maybe that is Sam Bradford getting used to his offense or just an evolution of the offense with a new passer under center, but things seem to be looking up for putting points on the board.

With Philly averaging 27 points per game and Minnesota at 23.8, the gap isn’t massive, but the Vikings are facing a team that can rush the passer with the best of them, even if it hasn’t resulted in a huge number of sacks.

Also, there is doubt as to whether or not the Eagles will be able to score 27 against a Vikings team that is averaging giving up only 12.6 points per game and the most points they have allowed is 16 against the Titans in the home opener.

Oct 16, 2016; Landover, MD, USA; Washington Redskins running back Matt Jones (31) carries the ball as Philadelphia Eagles defensive end Brandon Graham (55) makes the tackle in the second quarter at FedEx Field. The Redskins won 27-20. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

Stay aggressive

The Philadelphia Eagles are an odd team. On paper, they aren’t that great, as they tie for giving up the third most yards per rush and are middle of the road when it comes to yards allowed per pass.

However, those numbers are quite misleading, as the Eagles tighten up in a big way when it comes to the red zone. They have only allowed 8 offensive touchdowns through 6 weeks of the NFL season but also have 8 takeaways to make that even scarier .

When you combine that with an efficient offense that doesn’t turn the ball over often (only two times so far this year) with this tough young defense, you have a formidable team that looks to grind their opponents into submission while bending, but not breaking.

If that sounds familiar, that’s because it’s very similar to what the Minnesota Vikings do on a weekly basis.

Don’t miss the Minnesota Vikings taking on the Philadelphia Eagles at noon central time on Sunday, October 23, 2016. This could be a matchup of two similar styled teams which could be very competitive.