The Minnesota Vikings kicked off the 2022 NFL season on a strong note after taking down a division rival at home with an impressive showing at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis. Early in the new year, the Vikings were riding high entering a primetime road contest in Week 2 while taking center stage on ABC on Monday Night Football.
In the first primetime game of the 2022 campaign, Minnesota hit the road to square off against the Philadelphia Eagles in Philadelphia, looking to build off that strong Week 1 performance against a solid NFC opponent. The Vikings didn’t replicate the performance seen in the season opener, falling to the Eagles 24-7 to drop to 1-1 now heading into Week 3.
Not only was Week 2 showing a disappointing one for the Vikings, but it brings them back down to reality at the early stages of the new year.
Minnesota Vikings Week 2 a Return to Reality
Performance in Philadelphia
For most of the game on Monday Night Football, Minnesota couldn’t get much going offensively and didn’t stop Philadelphia’s offense in all four quarters. Throughout the game, the Eagles owned the Vikings in time of possession, offensively, defensively, and more en route to a convincing victory.
For Minnesota, it held possession of the ball for just over 23.5 minutes of game time compared to Philadelphia’s 36-plus minutes. It seemed like the Eagles had the ball almost the entire game, and the time of possession marks reflect that. Offensively, the Vikings couldn’t get things rolling either while totaling just 264 yards compared to the Eagles 486 yards of total offense. Quarterback Kirk Cousins completed just 27 of his 48 pass attempts for 221 passing yards, throwing one touchdown and three interceptions. Minnesota’s ground game struggled as well, totaling just 62 yards on 11 carries, with Cousins being the lead rusher on the team with 20 yards on two carries.
Defensively, the Vikings didn’t take a stand as seen from them in Week 1 against the Green Bay Packers, allowing the Eagles to operate with ease throughout the Monday Night Football contest. Minnesota gave up 333 yards and one touchdown through the air, as well as 163 yards and two touchdowns on the ground in the running game.
Overall, it was a disappointing performance for the purple and gold, taking a step back in nearly every area from what was witnessed in the regular season opener a week ago.
Looking Ahead
NFC North Battle at Home
Now back at the .500 mark on the season entering Week 3, Minnesota will be faced with another NFC North showdown in the third week when the Detroit Lions arrive in Minneapolis at 1 p.m. ET on Sunday.
That game will not only be an interesting one between the Vikings and a so-far improved Lions squad, with both teams coming into the contest at 1-1 overall. Detroit, which is averaging 35.5 points per game through two weeks, is always a tough opponent and that will likely be the case once again in Week 3 at U.S. Bank Stadium.
Back to New Orleans
Following that divisional showdown in Minneapolis, Minnesota then departs overseas to take on the New Orleans Saints in a game that will be played as part of the NFL’s 2022 International Series in London. The Vikings and Saints will take the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium field at 9:30 a.m. ET on Oct. 2 in London.
The battle between Minnesota and New Orleans highlights an evolving rivalry between the two teams, with the Week 4 contest being the latest chapter in the book of that rivalry. It will not only be a tough test for the Vikings in facing the Saints, but teams always seem to get off to slow starts and underperform when playing in London games.
Mid-Season Stretch Begins
Following those games in Week 3 and Week 4, Minnesota will then square off against the Chicago Bears in Week 5 in Minneapolis before hitting the road to face a tough Miami Dolphins squad in Week 6 in Miami. The Vikings will then enter their bye week in Week 7 before returning to action in Week 9.
The upcoming schedule isn’t too daunting for the Vikings, but a stretch they will have to take seriously to enter the mid-season bye with an above .500 record. After a strong start to the regular season, Minnesota has come back down to reality as it now settles into the new year to try and remain near the top of the NFC North and NFC standings.
Main Photo: Embed from Getty Images
