Going into tonight’s game, Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins had an all-time record in primetime games of 12-20.
After a sloppy first quarter and a slower performance the rest of the game, that record dropped to 12-21 as the Vikings fell to the Philadelphia Eagles by a score of 34-28 on Thursday Night Football.
To Cousins’ credit, he wasn’t the main reason why this loss happened. He finished the night throwing for 364 yards and four touchdowns on 31/43 passing.
But it was the Vikings’ terrible protection of the ball that led to fumbles by Cousins and running back Alexander Mattison and receivers Brandon Powell and Justin Jefferson.
Meanwhile, the Eagles – who were fresh off a nail-biting win over the New England Patriots the week before – stuck to their running game and found tremendous success.
Jalen Hurts (1) and the Philadelphia Eagles held on to beat the Vikings 34-28 on Thursday
It was a big night for running back D’Andre Swift, who racked up 175 yards on 28 carries
Four Vikings fumbles doomed the Minnesota team as Philadelphia won the turnover war
That was mainly due to the efforts of D’Andre Swift, the Philly running back who was recently acquired from the Detroit Lions in the offseason.
He gained 175 yards on 28 carries with one touchdown as the Vikings defense failed to stop the running game.
Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts didn’t gain much through the air, passing for 193 yards with one touchdown and one interception.
But the former Alabama and Oklahoma product rushed for two touchdowns that night — while making his impact known.
His top target through the air was DeVonta Smith, who racked up 131 yards and a touchdown on just four catches.
Smith’s highlight was a 63-yard snag, in which he torched the Vikings’ secondary and nearly walked into the end zone, sending the home fans into hysterics.
MORE TO FOLLOW.