Minnesota Vikings

The Vikings-Eagles turnover-fest led to the ugliest quarter of the NFL season

Published Nov. 15, 2016 1:51 p.m. ET

Chris Chase

Sunday's game between the Minnesota Vikings and Philadelphia Eagles featured the teams ranked No. 1 and No. 2 in fewest NFL giveaways this season, respectively. The Vikings had only one turnover over their first five games while the Eagles were just behind with two. Philly had half as many turnovers as the teams ranked No. 3. The median number of team giveaways was eight. The Carolina Panthers, last year's NFC champion, had 16. So, if there was one thing you could be pretty sure of on Sunday was that ball security wouldn't be much of an issue.

Right up until it was very much of an issue.

After trading punts to open the game, here's how the next five possessions looked:

Interception/Interception/Fumble/Fumble/Interception

It started with Wentz getting picked deep in Eagles territory, setting up what appeared to be a certain Vikings touchdown. But penalties knocked back Sam Bradford, and four plays after Wentz's pick, Bradford threw one of his own into the end zone. Three plays after that, Wentz fumbled on a bad snap and it was recovered by the Vikings. On the very next play, Bradford matched him again with a fumble that was recovered by the Eagles. Despite the pattern developing, Wentz actually made it two clean plays before throwing another interception on the third. All of that happened over a span of four minutes, 13 seconds.

Through a total of 10 games and 617 plays, the Vikes and Eagles had three turnovers. In a span of 12 plays, they combined for five. Sports, man. Some more statistical delights:

• Minnesota had one turnover in its first five games (or 20 quarters) of the season. It had two turnovers in 1 minute, 38 seconds during the first quarter. Two turnovers in two drives after one turnover in the first 57.

• Before Sunday, Wentz was responsible for one of Philly's two turnovers, which gave him and Cowboys rookie Dak Prescott a run at interception-free records to start a career. He tripled his turnover output in three drives in half of one quarter.

• The Eagles and Vikings had been the ninth and 10th teams in NFL history to have four games without a turnover in their first five games. I'll have to check my sources, but I'm pretty sure they're the first and second teams in NFL history to follow that up by treating the first quarter of their sixth game like it was a high-school fumbling drill.

• The teams combined for five first downs and zero points in the first quarter. Points + first downs = turnovers.

These teams have excellent defenses and, until today, efficient offenses, so you'd think the giveaways were simply a case of good defense thriving. You'd be wrong. This was offensive ineptitude, football ugliness, take-the-kids-out-of-the-room play. Five turnovers in 12 plays is just bad ball.