Grayson’s Grades: Eagles defeat Vikings in Minnesota

The Philadelphia Eagles bounced back in a big way airing it out on offense while forcing a pair of turnovers to beat the Minnesota Vikings 28-22. It ended a two game losing streak.

Eagles Quarterback Jalen Hurts became just the third quarterback in Eagles history to finish a game with a perfect passer rating. He completed 19 of 23 passes for 326 yards and three touchdowns. Both DeVonta Smith and AJ Brown finished the game with more than 100 yards receiving. It was the first time the pair did that since December of 2024 against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The defense did enough to harass Vikings Quarterback Carson Wentz. The former Eagle threw two interceptions on back-to-back pass attempts in the first half. He also took two costly sacks late in the game that helped keep the Vikings out of the endzone.

The Eagles remain alone in first place in the NFC East with a 5-2 record. They will get a shot at revenge next week when they host the New York Giants.

Here is the latest edition of Grayson's Grades:

A

Jalen Hurts - Hurts was precise throwing the pigskin all over the field. He did a great job directing receivers when he broke the pocket. Hurts also looked good dropping back, planting his back foot and delivering accurate throws downfield. His best pass was arguably the 79 yard touchdown completion to DeVonta Smith where he hit Smith in-stride behind the defense for the score. Hurts also handled breaking the pocket well and keeping his eyes downfield. He gestured to AJ Brown to head toward the endzone and flipped it over the defense for the Eagles' first touchdown of the game. Hurts completed 19 of 23 passes for 326 yards and a became just the third quarterback in Eagles history to have a perfect passer rating.

DeVonta Smith - Smith had a career day. He caught nine passes for a career-high 183 yards and a touchdown. Smith's best catch was when he got behind the defense and Jalen Hurts hit him in stride for a 79 yard touchdown. It was the longest touchdown of Smith's career so far.

AJ Brown - Brown was a bigger factor in this game than he has been in some time. He and Jalen Hurts appeared to be on the same page, especially when it came to improvising after Hurts broke the pocket. Brown caught the first touchdown of the game on a fourth down where he went down the sideline and Hurts hit him in-stride. Brown also ran a great post route in the second half to catch his second touchdown of the game. Brown caught four passes for 121 yards and two touchdowns.

Jalyx Hunt - Hunt helped set the tone for the defense early in the second quarter. Carson Wentz threw a pass right at hime. He caught it and ran it back for a touchdown. Hunt finished with one tackle, one pass defended and two quarterback hits.

Nick Sirianni - Sirianni deserves credit for getting his team to buy back into the message after the mini-bye. The team was told to rediscover the energy they had played with in the past and to play together for each other. They did that providing energy early in the game and riding that to victory.

B

Josh Uche - Uche had a huge sack late in the game to help keep the Vikings out of the endzone and forced to settle for a field goal. He got great pressure, stayed with the play and eventually got to Carson Wentz.

Moro Ojomo - Ojomo had a huge sack in the fourth quarter. It helped play a big role in keeping the Vikings out of the endzone late in the game. He has shown flashes of being able to make some high impact plays and the ability to get to the Quarterback. Now Ojomo needs to do it a little more frequently.

Jalen Carter - Carter still looks like he is working his way back from injury. He looked better than he has in a while. The most impactful play he made was in the first quarter when he beat the center easily and delivered a punishing hit on Wentz as he threw. It helped force the interception to Jalyx Hunt that turned into a pick-six. Carter finished the game with three tackles and two quarterback hits.

Vic Fangio - Fangio's defense definitely took a couple of steps forward. It still has things to improve. The pass rush could get better and more consistent, the secondary could also play a little better. Overall it was a promising performance. The biggest thing this defense did well was clamp down in the red zone. The Vikings made six trips to the red zone and scored just one touchdown. It was arguably one of the biggest reasons why the Eagles won the game.

C

Offensive Line - The Offensive Line needs to be able to start a game and finish it with the same five guys. Once again injuries played a big part of the game. Center Cam Juergens left late in the firs half with a knee injury. In the past it has been Landon Dickerson or Tyler Steen getting injured during the game. The line thrives on constant communication and knowing what the lineman next to you is going to do. They still need to clean things up to do a better job of run-blocking. One of the biggest impacts on the game was Juergen's injury. Brett Toth came into the game to replace Juergens. Toth has had difficulty making snaps in shotgun, so it caused the Eagles to have to do more under center. Moving Hurts under center helped play-action fakes freeze the defense better. I would expect to see the Eagles do more under center next week against the Giants.

Kelee Ringo - Ringo continues to struggle in coverage. He gave up some key third down receptions. I keep looking to see Ringo take steps forward but it just does not seem to be happening. I believe Howie Roseman needs to find a corner via trade that can supplant Ringo and start opposite Quinyon Mitchell.

Kevin Patullo - Patullo's biggest adjustment during the game might have just been due to dumb luck. Cam Juergens departing the game due to injury brought Brett Toth into the game. Due to Toth's issues snapping the ball in shotgun, it forced the Eagles to operate under center more. That seemed to help freeze the defense better on play-action. He still needs to fix the running game, but it was encouraging to see the passing game get going.

D

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F

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