Football fans get a double-dose of Monday Night Football in Week 2, with a pair of fascinating games to close out the second week of the season. The second game sees Justin Jefferson and the Minnesota Vikings travel east to take on Jalen Hurts and the Philadelphia Eagles at 8:30 p.m. ET on ABC/ESPN+ (live stream available on FuboTV).
The Vikings are coming off a big win over their division rivals, the Green Bay Packers, in the first week of the season. In the victory Jefferson put up huge numbers, as he tries to make his case as the best wide receiver in the NFL. The Vikings defense also put pressure on Aaron Rodgers throughout the game, something they will look to replicate against the Eagles.
As for Philadelphia, their season-opening win over the Detroit Lions looks a bit better after Week 2, as the Lions evened their record at 1-1 with a win over Washington Sunday. Hurts showed some signs of growth in the Week 1 win, but Eagles fans are still looking for him to use his arm more than his legs as the season continues.
- Time: 8:30 p.m. ET
- Location: Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- TV: ABC
- Streaming: ESPN+/FuboTV
- Odds: Philadelphia is currently a 2.5-point favorite
Interestingly enough, with this game overlapping with the first game between the Buffalo Bills and the Tennessee Titans, ESPN and ABC will turn to a “double box” at times, showing both games to viewers:
Sadly, there will be no ManningCast this week, given the pair of Monday Night Football games. Peyton Manning and Eli Manning, along with special guests, will be back for Week 3, when the Dallas Cowboys take on Eli’s former team, the New York Giants.
- The Vikings have already ruled out rookie cornerback Andrew Booth Jr. with a quad injury.
- Can Minnesota’s offensive line hold up against the Philadelphia pass rush?
- Minnesota’s win over Green Bay was the biggest surprise of Week 1.
- Eagles ready to take on the “Kirk Cousins Litmus Test.”
- Nick Sirianni states that Jalen Reagor’s reaction on returning to Philadelphia to face his former team is “normal.”
- Cousins “puts everyone in purgatory.”
- Eagles rookie storylines includes getting Jordan Davis on the field more.
While the first game of the Monday Night Football doubleheader offered a clean sweep of predictions, with every SB Nation expert picking the Buffalo Bills, there is a bit more of a split with the later game. Seven of our experts believe that Minnesota will go on the road and win, while six are looking at the home team to emerge victorious.
As one of the six picking the Eagles, I will share my thinking. We did see some signs of growth from Hurts as a passer from the pocket during Week 1, and while the Vikings’ pass rush will offer a stern test, the presence of A.J. Brown, coupled with more opportunities for DeVonta Smith, should result in the Eagles putting up points.
The biggest question is what happens when the Vikings have the ball. Will Jefferson have another huge game, or will this Philadelphia defense, with all the new faces and additions, have an answer? Eagles defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon faced a fair amount of criticism after Week 1, and while that defensive performance looks a little different after Detroit’s offensive performance yesterday, Gannon is under some pressure to put the clamps on the Minnesota offense. I think the Eagles do just enough, winning a close one by a final score of 24-20.
