Stuttering Eagles and Vikings meet in NFC Championship game rematch
Watch the Vikings @ Eagles, live on Sky Sports Action from 9.25pm on Sunday
Sunday 7 October 2018 15:04, UK
What a difference a year makes.
Rewind back to January 21, and a most unlikely of NFC Championship games. The Philadelphia Eagles hosted the Minnesota Vikings under the lights of Lincoln Financial Field, just 60 minutes from a place in Super Bowl LII.
Few had expected either team to get that far, particularly given the plague of injuries that both teams had suffered. A possible league MVP (Carson Wentz) out of action here, a potential star rookie running back (Dalvin Cook) down there.
To see Nick Foles and Case Keenum line up under centre, competing for a place on the NFL's biggest stage, seemed barely believable.
The build-up was tremendous, with the Vikings dining out on the 'Minnesota Miracle' - Stefon Diggs' dramatic touchdown in the dying seconds of their divisional round win over the New Orleans Saints - and the Eagles channeling a true 'underdog' spirit through the playoffs as many had written them off following Wentz's injury.
Sadly, the game itself was an anti-climax, as Foles threw three touchdowns to ease Philadelphia to a 38-7 win. Then it was on to the Super Bowl, and the fairy-tale ending that was the Eagles beating Tom Brady and the New England Patriots for their first Vince Lombardi trophy.
As the dust settled on the 2017 season and the previews for 2018 began, most observers agreed the Eagles and Vikings were good enough to reach such heights again. However, as we approach their highly anticipated rematch in Week Five - live on Sky Sports Action, 9.25pm, Sunday - you could forgive most for reconsidering that view.
Whisper it, but the Eagles and the Vikings have not been very good.
Neither team comes into this Sunday's contest in Philly with a winning record - the Eagles are 2-2, the Vikings 1-2-1. Their seasons have shared a number of parallels: the victories have been unconvincing and some of the defeats - Philadelphia to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Minnesota against the Buffalo Bills - have been embarrassing.
As a rule, championship-calibre teams don't make those mistakes. They don't concede four touchdowns to Ryan Fitzpatrick, or get blown out by 20 points to perhaps the worst team in the league.
There have also been missed opportunities. Minnesota's tie against Green Bay came after two missed overtime field goals, with their kicker was promptly cut afterwards, while Philadelphia blew a 17-3 lead against the offensively-challenged Tennessee Titans last week.
There is no easy explanation for such struggles. Neither have suffered too greatly from the annual free agency circus. There have been no Le'Veon Bell-style holdouts or star players departing for bigger contracts. When the two teams meet again meet on Sunday, it will be with largely the same line-ups as last year. Minnesota, in fact, have strengthened, adding quarterback Kirk Cousins to the tune of $84 million through free agency and, so far, he has played very well.
Also, neither team have had particularly difficult schedules this far. There are exceptions: the Eagles' opener against the Atlanta Falcons was tricky, but safely negotiated, and Minnesota's trip to Los Angeles last week to take on the explosive Rams is possibly the toughest fixture in the NFL right now. But otherwise, the matches have been very winnable.
So, the talent is there and the fixture list has been kind, but yet the results haven't met expectations.
There is an argument to say that it is still too early in the season to panic. After all, last year's Vikings started 2-2 before reeling off 10 wins in 11 games to top the NFC North. Conversely, in 2016, Philadelphia started 3-1, before finishing 7-9 and missing the playoffs. And, the Patriots have become notorious for their September struggles - it has never hurt them too much.
While a four-game stretch doesn't make or break a season, both teams know they must start winning. To do that they need to improve in some areas that have let them down - and those areas have come as a shock.
In Philly, the chief problem is on offense. They just don't score enough. Last year, they ranked third in the NFL with an average of 28 points per game, but this year they have yet to notch that total once. They are still gaining the yards, but can't seem to get the ball in the endzone.
Naturally, if not wholly fair, questions have been hovering over the quarterbacks. In Foles and Wentz, the Eagles have both the Super Bowl MVP and front-runner for last year's league MVP till injury but, in their two respective starts this season, they have not played like it. Foles' postseason magic has worn off, while Wentz is still a fraction off the pace as he continues his comeback.
But, the quarterback makes for an easy target for criticism and it is the offensive line which must too shoulder some of the blame. They have given up more sacks in their last three games than their last nine of 2017 and, as Eli Manning, Russell Wilson and Deshaun Watson can attest to, it doesn't matter who is under centre if they aren't being protected. If the Eagles continue to struggle up front, they will continue to under-perform.
While the Eagles can't score, the Vikings - incredibly - can't stop anyone from scoring. For years, their stellar defensive unit has been among the best in the league, carrying the franchise through some lean offensive seasons. Now the tables have turned.
In 2017, the Vikings gave up a league-lowest 15 points and 275 yards per game. This year, those figures have soared to 27 points and 380 yards. It is the worst they have ever been during defensive guru Mike Zimmer's four years in charge, and roughly as bad as the 2011 season. They went a dismal 3-13 that year.
What does this mean this weekend's meeting? It could be a meeting of an unimpressive Philadelphia offense and a suffering Minnesota defense. The stoppable force and the movable object.
The stakes may not be as high as last time, but the players will not treat it that way. The road back to the playoffs is bumpy one, but it starts with a crucial win on Sunday.
Watch the Minnesota Vikings @ Philadelphia Eagles as part of our Sunday-night NFL triple-header, live on Sky Sports Action from 9.25pm. Tune in for build-up from 5pm, with the Jacksonville Jaguars @ Kansas City Chiefs at 6pm.
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