Can Kirk Cousins Break His MNF Curse Against the Eagles?

Why Worry About Cousins Having Jefferson and Cook Around?

Minnesota Vikings should thank God that Justin Jefferson is their star receiver. While it might still be too early to compare him to Randy Moss, in my opinion, the best WR to ever play for the Vikings, the man is making a strong case thus far.

After his week 1 performance where he took Green Bay’s secondary to school with 184 yards and 2 TDs, Jefferson once again proved that even if Minnesota had a parking cone at QB, if he gets the ball, action is ensured. Jefferson has benefited greatly from having new head coach Kevin O’Connell realize that Minnesota’s offense should be more pass-friendly. Not throwing any shade at Mike Zimmer, but definitely throwing shade at Mike Zimmer.

While Philadelphia’s secondary will pose a much bigger threat than Green Bay’s, Jefferson should once again post up some very good numbers on Monday. Add to that what RB Dalvin

Cook will bring to the table and the Vikings should be set on offense.

Cook is the kind of runner that loves to sneak by defenses, finding small gaps and turning on the jets right after. Against the Packers, who have a much more decent defensive line than Philadelphia, Cook had 90 yards in 20 carries. That’s an average of 4.5 yards per carry. If you can’t agree that those are some very good numbers to start the season off with, then we might as well close shop and call it a day.

In Philadelphia’s win against Detroit, the Eagles’ run defense was put to shame by the Lions’ star RB D’Andre Swift who rushed for 144 yards and 1 TD in 15 carries. While Swift is a good, up-and-coming talent, he’s no Dalvin Cook. If Cook gets going from early on rushing the ball down the field and Cousins can connect with Jefferson to close out each offensive

series, the Vikings should be able to cruise to a win with certain ease.

A.J. Brown, Jalen Hurts, and Philly’s Secondary Should Be on Alert

That Philadelphia Eagles week 1 win against Detroit had a bit of everything. But instead of focusing on the negative, let’s shine a light on the positive. For one, it didn’t take long for new Eagles WR A.J. Brown to show why bringing him over from Tennessee is a move that will continue to pay off greatly in the future.

Amassing 155 yards in 10 receptions is not something you see every day, especially against a defense and secondary as tough as Detroit’s, and yet, Brown made it look rather easy. While he didn’t score any touchdowns, he surely made his presence felt down the field for Jalen Hurts and the Eagles.

Speaking of Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia’s QB did not look half-bad against the Detroit Lions. Again, playing against a defense as physical as Detroit’s, Hurts found ways to make room in the pocket, pass the ball down the field and even rush for 95 yards, scoring a TD along the way. In Hurts’ favor, Philadelphia has one of the best offensive lines in the league, making his job that much easier.

On defense though, Philly is going to have to step up and turn it to overdrive on all sides of the ball. While getting to Cousins won’t be much of a hassle for the Eagles, their run defense is going to work like there’s no tomorrow to hold Cook down to as few yards as possible. On secondary, Darius Slay and James Bradberry will have their hands full trying to stop Justin Jefferson. But if they manage to keep their side of the game under control, all while the offense goes to town against Minnesota’s defense, a win could be heading their way.

Let’s Call It: Vikings or Eagles?

I love the way Justin Jefferson and Dalvin Cook play. He is the kind of explosive player the league needs to have more of. Then again, you can’t deny that A.J. Brown and Jalen Hurts are the offense-driven bromance that Philadelphia has been longing to have for some time.

What this game will boil down to is which team plays better on defense. In a matchup that could be a point-scoring party, the team who manages to keep matters under control the most on defense will end up winning. With that said, I like Philadelphia’s chances over Minnesota, mainly because of their secondary.

The odds and predictions in the article are based on the time of writing and publication. They may differ as to when the actual event takes place.