As Week 2 of the NFL season unfolds, all eyes are set on the primetime showdown between the Eagles and the Vikings at the iconic Lincoln Financial Field. The stage is set for the Eagles‘ home opener, and the atmosphere promises to be electric. Fresh off a hard-fought victory against the Patriots, the Eagles aim to maintain their winning momentum. On the other side, the Vikings, nursing the sting of a disappointing loss to the Buccaneers, are hungry to right their course. Dive with us into some of the most likely predicitons for this Thursday night matchup.
TJ Hockenson over 45.5 Receiving Yards
In the opening game, TJ Hockenson ranked second in team targets for the Vikings, snagging 9 passes from Kirk Cousins. He successfully caught 8 of these, tallying up to 35 yards.
When the Vikings clashed with the Eagles in Week 2 of last season, Coach Kevin O’Connell evidently saw an advantage at the tight end position. That game had the tight ends targeted 11 times, ending in 7 successful receptions. Observing the recent trends and the 92 yards the Eagles surrendered to opposing tight ends in their first game, it’s likely that Hockenson will have a standout game with significant yardage while the Philadelphia secondary will have their hands full with Addison and Jefferson.
Hockenson was a favorite for Kirk Cousins in Week 1
Kirk Cousins over 0.5 Interceptions
Week 1 wasn’t smooth sailing for Kirk Cousins. He did manage an impressive 344 yards with a couple of touchdowns but failed to seal a win for the Vikings. Historically, two things are true; the Vikings have often not done well when facing the Eagles, and Kirk Cousins’ performance dips during primetime games.
The Eagles boast one of the NFL‘s top defenses and Cousins has a track record of averaging 0.8 interceptions during primetime games. Notably, in their last face-off with the Eagles during a primetime slot, he threw two interceptions. Given the scenario, there’s a reasonable chance Cousins might throw up a sitter to the Eagles secondary
Jalen Hurts over 1.5 Passing Touchdowns
Jalen Hurts had a shaky start against the Patriots in the Eagles‘ opener, with only 170 passing yards and a single touchdown to his name. This performance was quite unexpected, especially considering his MVP contender status the previous season.
Nonetheless, there are signs of a comeback this week as he takes on the Minnesota Vikings. Notably, the Vikings gave up 173 yards and two touchdowns to Baker Mayfield in Week 1. If Mayfield managed a couple of TDs against the Vikings, one can reasonably expect Hurts to possibly surpass that. Keep an eye on Hurts; he might just cross this over, maybe even before halftime rolls around in what many anticipate to be a high scoring game.
