Madden 22 - Minnesota Vikings @ Philadelphia Eagles

Minnesota Vikings @ Philadelphia Eagles it's madden nfl 22 and the question is are you ready for some football it's the vikings and the eagles on thursday night prime time [Music] it's the nfl on ea sports as you take a look there at lincoln financial field in philadelphia pa the scene in south philly a few moments ago boy the city of brotherly up love saying fly eagles fly as they get ready to match up with the minnesota vikings alongside charles davis cd you look at the vikings coming into play it's a relatively balanced offense the next gen stats kind of bear that out what do you think they'll be looking to do in this one i think it'll be exactly what you just talked about they'll want to be balanced on offense which means to them they'll want everyone involved see if they get some one-on-ones in the passing game maybe identify some situation where it can swing the ball to the backs in space even find some spots where they just want to play some old-fashioned power football is one of the most successful coaches in the league told us once the definition of balanced offense that means you can do what you want when you want to not necessarily just running it 50 of the time and throwing at the same percentage [Applause] 1st quarter here's the kicker jake alley and ready to get this one started and off we go from lincoln financial field taking it about the one and he takes this near the 25 just a little past there called it to 26. minnesota's offense and qb kirk cousins set to go here not bad for a fourth round draft pick well over 100 careers starts now and the chemistry with his top targets really on point they spent a lot of time in practice and after practice making sure the routes are run well and he knows exactly where they're going to be on the field and when they get open he delivers [Applause] cook with a run on first down but he'll only manage a couple there before he's taken down sometimes you're aligned perfectly and the play comes to you and sometimes you gotta cover some ground to go make the play as we just saw there we saw a great great example of perseverance right there on that play got to be careful they might want to throw one over his head as this game progresses throwing on second and eight cousins smith catches left side and he'll be out of bounds across the 30-yard line i do have to admit i like it when it all comes together when the top part catching the football right whether you're catching it with your hands or cradling it comes together with the legs in this case the feet doing a little toe tap to stay in bounds and complete the cash great job by our crew on the camera shot love when you see the grass or on the field turf those rubber pellets flying up great catch now that's absolutely frustrating for a defender had a chance to get him on the ground before he got to the sideline but what great vision and understanding where he is on the field as he headed for the barker and picked up the first down [Applause] a first down throw for cousins lets it fly for thielen oh a leap and he will make the catch a big connection on that one 39 yards well things are looking pretty darn good on this first drive aren't they came right out set the tone this time with a big pass play and if the peak behind the curtain that they gave us or their game plan today i don't think that's going to be the last one we see i think you're exactly right about that so a big play as it gets them all the way down to the 20 now for first and ten from the red zone now cousins he'll dump this off to cook and he'll go out of bounds in the red zone just inside the 20. it'll be a gain of five and it'll be second down i don't think it's a surprise they're throwing the football early we expected that they told us they were gonna come out firing but four for four on the opening drive they like that they don't just like it they love it because now everyone gets locked in your confidence jumps up everyone's easy about what they're doing out there and by the way they're looking at the sideline thinking themselves and expressing let's keep throwing it we're doing pretty well [Applause] on second down [Applause] he's immediately taken down at the line of scrimmage no gain on the play there so they're left with a third down and six ladies and gentlemen that is a force of nature at the defensive tackle position yes he's as big as they come but still plenty agile he's able to make a nice play there to swallow the ball carrier on third down cousins looking end zone but it's incomplete that was a touchdown if he could have hung on instead it was a well-timed collision to jar that one free now the vikings will send out the special teams crew here for a field goal try from the right hash this from 33. joseph's got it and the vikings have a three-nothing lead no touchdown there but if that first drive is any indication looks like they're going to have a pretty good day passing the football i would say confidence would have to be pretty high after that first drive able to throw it almost at will you're exactly right they didn't get the touchdown but three points serves as a nice notice about how this offense is going to move joseph now to kick this one away taking in at the three and he brings us out past the 20 to the 24. philly's offense getting ready and jalen hurts ready to lead them the second round pick who started his career at alabama then finish with an electric senior season at oklahoma tremendous production in college at two different universities and this is a guy who was a finalist for the heisman trophy still much more of a runner than a thrower but has plenty of arm and is capable of making the big throws downfield and don't underestimate his ability to think the game remember he's the son of a coach hurts and the eagles come up here first and ten at their own 24. miles sanders first carry of the game and he'll work this forward for about three at second down well from an offensive perspective that was a tough run because he only picked up three yards but let's flip it over to the defensive side they now have the advantage three three yard gains that means they're punting the ball likely on fourth down that's what you're looking for when you're playing defense from the 27 hertz he finds his tight end goddard that's complete and he'll be out of bounds across the 30-yard line and brandon as you know sometimes a lot tougher to run with these tight ends nowadays in the nfl but just bigger wide receivers he lined up on the left side of the formation ran a drag route across the field and tried to work his way open he was able to make the catch but the defenders were there couldn't do a whole lot with it afterwards i see an extra defensive back on the field little surprise here on third and one throwing his hurts they'll get this one complete that's aj brown and he's gonna have an eagles first down as they're able to get the third down conversion when you give up points on the opening drive in this case a field goal you'd hate to go three and out they avoid that they do and it's also walking that fine line mentally too as a coach isn't it because you want to emphasize to your team exactly what you said all right we gave up a field goal let's go back and at least equal that guys but if we don't you don't want them to feel like it's the end of the world either nice that they were able to pick up the first down there help them relax a little bit but first down hurts looking middle and it's incomplete quez watkins the intended target and that'll bring up second down that was well defended they clamped down on every available receiver just got to give the win to the defense on that snap so after the incompletion on first now second and ten here's hurts to throw [Applause] open matt has got her at the tight end and this is going to turn into another first down as the tackle is made at the vikings 38-yard line good job there to locate his tight end charles in the middle of the field yeah he has good pass catching abilities and if they're able to continue to find him here in the early going i think it'll help out his teammates out on their perimeter you can take the big shots later if he occupies their attention now left side on the swing pass this will be stopped about two yards shy of the marker eight yard gain second and two we've seen quite a bit of the short passing game here early on first quarter haven't we we have and i think it works a couple of ways for for this team because number one you throw the short game until they stop it and if they're not going to stop you keep throwing it and occasionally you'll break a tackle and turn into a bigger gain also if they start to creep up start to pressure receivers now you go over the top take it deep and now you get some of those big shots downfield four yards the pickup first down and this is just a little touch pass they send a receiver in motion just kind of tap it forward to it now it doesn't turn into a huge play but they do pick up a first down a nice consistent gain on first and ten it's sanders and they'll work it inside the 15-yard line before it's all said and done quite the opening drive march they're on right now it looks a lot like what we saw in practice prior to the game doesn't it you know because on that last big practice beforehand you go through your offensive script you go through your play calling you go through all the stuff and establish things and it looks like it's going like clockwork right now for them there's a first and ten at the 14-yard line hurts going to give it to sanders on the option and effective running here he'll take it down inside the 10. he'll get a nice chunk there on the first down run and it's second and four a quick burst there and he nicely bit off a pretty decent gain six yards on that last play here's second and four hurts a handoff to sanders or they'll get this halfway home from the eight to the four on a gain of four pretty good job defensively thought he was gonna get it but they knew where that marker was and they stopped him just short of it what it does is emphasize that strategic football and situational football is not just played on the offensive side is it defense understanding as you noted where the first down marker was and making sure they didn't get there from the gun it's hurts now he'll escape to his left [Applause] [Music] for him that was an all-encompassing drive because it was his arm to get his team down to that point but his legs that finished the deal give him credit for making it happen on for the extra point jake elliott [Applause] and this is up and good to make it 7-3 a pretty long drive that time 11 plays all told and it results in a four yard touchdown run [Applause] now after the touchdown here's elliott on to kick it away [Applause] taken at the goal line and he'll be tackled just shy of the 25. the vikings taking the field here for their second drive of the game and after the field goal last time we'll see what they can get here at least they got points out of the last drive charles i never met an offensive coach that didn't want to drive to end with a kick most of them wanted to end with a p-a-t right in this case a field goal they'll take it way better than the alternative which is a pun yeah but you've met fan bases that wanted that that weren't happy with that field goal i haven't met a fan base yet that wants to drive down with the kick other than the extra point that's it meanwhile cousins throw complete to his receiver feeling and he's brought down getting this one up to about the 35. well that certainly has to feel good that's not all the time that the play caller should get all the credit sometimes i think in the huddle the quarterback just says hey who's gonna make a play for me i just need something right here and the end result there nice first down drive keeps moving first down here's the run with cook and he'll be brought down right at the 45-yard line partner i remember a coaching friend of mine used to tell us running backs before games make sure you run and jog with your offensive line in pregame get used to the ground shaking with those big behemoths starting to create space for you up front he did a pretty good job of just following those guys through there for a nice explosive run [Applause] on second down it's cook again now quick hit and he wants the football and it's picked up by the eagles and they take possession two yards away from midfield at the 48-yard line there are two words that we hear coaches say all of the time one starts with a b one starts with an s ball security and they preach it they they have it up in meeting rooms right you see the signs they talk about it all the time but still when you've got defenders out there who are preaching hey we're going to take the ball away from you no matter what position you play you've got to take care of the rock they're they'll throw on first down with hertz looking for watkins and it's intercepted picked off around the 27. and he's able to take this one back to the 36 line certainly not his best throw that time and not a good time to make it charles when they were a nickel with five defensive backs on the field and that's exactly why you have those five db's out there you want extra speed on the field guys who have ball skills and understand what the passing game can do and gives them a chance to react and make a play on the football and they take one of those away the football going back to the vikings offense and a fumble last time ball security talk about it all the time in the national football league they've got to be better at it on this drive don't you think that when every team gets together for the first time i don't care if it's otas mini camps first and first day of camp in the regular season ball security comes up about what the second sentence of the coaches address and those so many drills focus on that all the time and they do drills to make it even tougher to simulate game situations doesn't always work out though [Applause] here's a throw to his running back it's complete and he'll be taken down but not before he works it past the 50. nice little nifty play for him there yeah that's the ability to read a defense and utilize players that don't often get picked up in coverage easily and i'm talking about being able to use the backside of the backfield because i know that when i used to cover hey we get our bike oh he just snuck out there and they just got a nice first down there what do we love to say get those backs into space right and they were able to do that there nice pickup on first down on first down cook and now they're going to get him down right at the line of scrimmage tackle made that time by brandon graham the running lanes have definitely not been there for him here in the first half and i don't think it's all been his fault his offensive line hasn't given him much space a loss results there [Applause] now cousins he's got smith here that'll leave them with a third and two coming up they got eight yards there it certainly feels like they're more stars at the tight end position than it were even 10 years ago and i think it's become more of a glamour position because of the ways it can hurt a defense and guys want to be involved they can be in line close to the line of scrimmage that can split out like receivers [Applause] speed and some toughness to go across the middle you put it all together [Applause] that's almost a universal sign that they're planning to run the football but how about the defense there they met force with force and caused a stack up behind the line of scrimmage and threw him for a loss so coming on now is the field goal unit they're gonna try for three and he'll need all the leg he's got here they'll spot it at the 47 so call it a 57-yard attempt and this one get there won't be online either it's no good off to the right and this score will stay right where it is it was a kicker from that distance 56 57 yards so many things you got to worry about but i am a little surprised he didn't get it there yeah with the way kickers are nowadays we're surprised anything under 65 that it doesn't get at least to the crossbar but remember this you have to drive it a little bit lower in order to make that distance and you also have to be worried about the interior rush that they can get their hands on it so that's why those stronger kickers nowadays can pop it up in the air and still travel and carry it that's who you're looking for hurts and the eagles come up here first and ten on their side of midfield at the 47. he'll start with a handoff to sanders and he's got it across the midfield strike and into viking territory it's a seven yard carry to set them up with a second and three that's a really nice job by them picking up the run blitz and detecting it and blocking it and turning into a nice run and a lot of times you think if you blitz a running play you're gonna smother it but a lot of the blitzers they come in a little bit high they don't have great leverage and they're easily blocked and turned to the side hurts throw taken in by watkins here and he's got this down to the 35 and that's a more than acceptable read right there because it's zone coverage so timing is everything this time you wait for his man to come open puts it right on him and they pick up a first down ball up to the 35 now as they come up on first and 10. they'll run on first down it's sanders and he's gonna get a solid gain of nine before being brought down second and right at a yard someone's looking fresh and this old line is definitely licking their chops everyone likes to run block if you're an offensive lineman nice early burst nice gain too the previous run good for nine here's second in a yard after 1-7-3 the score on ea sports now second quarter action from philadelphia and it's the eagles in possession as they've got it with a second and one coming up 2nd quarter hurts and that is incomplete he was looking for miles sanders out of the backfield and it's third and short from the snap he certainly looked like he knew where he wanted to go with the ball but surprised that guy was covered so that took his attention elsewhere to no avail they tried to throw on second down unsuccessful now it's third and one they run with sanders off the option and he gets the first down here as he's taken down at the 24. i like his focus there because he wasn't thinking about breaking that one big all i thought about was i need one let's go get that ended up picking up two on first and ten it's hurts flushed out right they'll get him to the ground at the 20 following a pickup of any quarterback who winds up every time and goes straight back in the pocket that's who they want but when they have to deal with the jalen hurts who may come at him from any angle and can get outside of the pocket and run that's a nightmare for anybody who has to rush the quarterback and i love jalen hurt's athletic ability almost a 4-6 runner this guy can get outside the pocket and make plays with his legs as well as his arm being chased out left and he'll slide to a halt here still a little shy of the first down marker he'll wind up getting four there on his own but it will leave him now with a third down situation now how about that play he took a possible negative and turned it into positive yardage and slid down to avoid taking a big shot excellent job getting down and avoiding the big hit they'll run the option on third and short yardage and he will have the first down before he's tackled at the 12. so that was all you're looking for on a play like that get the first down and keep the drive moving yeah it just looked to me like he just said to himself i've got this i'll take it i'll pick it up and let's keep moving get the first down get a new set and let's start over from down at the 12 it's first and 10. they'll run it's sanders and he's gonna work this one down to about the five 50 yards rushing for him now in the ball game hey when you get good yardage like that on first down it really does a whole lot of good for your entire offense but i love the way he's finishing those runs at the end of things he's making sure he gets just a little bit extra so they'll come up after the gain of seven on a second and three hurts sets up to throw it steps away to his left and he's able to get it down to the two yard line they line up with positive yardage it's a gain of three but now it's third down now back to throw to the goal line but it's incomplete this goes to the goal line you got to be very careful with the offense calls rub routes when i call a pick trying to screen you off from your coverage does a nice job of avoiding that and helping force it in completion now to try the eagle field goal jay kelly from the left hash he'll have to cut this at a tight angle the kick by elliott is good and they push the lead up to a touchdown now at 10-3 so a nice kick there as they add three to the lead and from what i've seen so far brandon i think they've been the better of the two teams here in the first half so even though you want the touchdown i think that's a nice job there to put three points on the board after the field goal here's elliott to kick it away kennedywagu now out of his end zone and the decision to bring it out not a good one as he's tackled at the 15. now the minnesota offense set to take over again last time out they had that long 50-plus yard field goal that they missed and i'm sure on their sideline they're thinking themselves okay do we still want to try one if we're in that position again and i would dare say that the answer would be yes they're gonna have a lot of confidence in their kicker but just to be on the safe side i'm sure they told their offensive guys can we get a little bit closer closer yeah you know i'd rather get in the end zone first and foremost but if all else fails less of a field goal attempt for him cousins and the vikings were they first and ten at their own 15. a little jet sweep to start the drive and not much there at all he's up only to about the 16-yard line on the tackle it was the west virginia man kaiser white let's just make this one succinct nice job there all 11 guys on defense diagnosing the jet sweep and putting it down on second and nine cousins swinging this side wide here for cook so five yards here five on the play and that's going to bring up a third down that might feel like a little bit of a lost opportunity there for the offense because the defense brought pressure that time and sometimes against that you can get it out to your running back and it could turn into a big game downfield what a nice job they did getting to them quickly [Applause] he's got his tight end that's smith and he will have a vikings first down as they're able to get the third down conversion and that's well executed there on third down and i love the confidence that they had to let their tight end try and find some space in the middle of the field right in their quarterback's line of vision and qb's love to make that easy throw and they hooked up there for a first down so from the 36 now first and ten [Applause] from the shotgun it's cousins that's complete to justin jefferson and downey goes at the 45 after a pickup of nine [Applause] they'll come up now on second at a yard [Applause] cousins gives way to cook gets around him and he'll be brought down at the 48-yard line we use the word relentless a lot with guys who are aggressive on the field in this case it really fits doesn't it how about his ability to break tackles and his feet never stop moving this offense finding its legs now here's another first and ten play action now cousins looking sideline incomplete they've given up a few first downs on this drive but getting the incompletion there that should give them something to build on and maybe turn the tide after the incomplete pass here now is second and ten give to cook out of the gun they do get a yard there but only a yard leaves him with third and nine looming well he hasn't made much of an impact in the running game thus far and after that last run not much is going to change in that area he hasn't been able to get anything going and really the offensive line not helping him much the vikings on third down they've hit two for four thus far this is third and nine working out of the gun cousins [Music] past the 20 and all the way inside the 15 before they drop him a big play that time through the air 34 yards in the passing game they're just used to check it down to them or maybe but this guy they use him to stretch the field don't they he stretched it right there turned it into a really nice game so how about this for field position after the big play inside the 15 now as they come up on first and ten throwing there but this pass is gonna wind up incomplete no sense risking anything there on first down even though he's still in the pocket he had a receiver out to his side so just put that in a spot where the only people could make a play on it are the trainers and the coaches well done so they'll come up after the incompletion for second down [Applause] to throw his cousins that one into the hands of thielen complete he'll get only three there so he leaves him with a third and seven ahead [Applause] now [Applause] flag in the cousins and this might be a roughing call [Applause] so instead of forcing the field goal it'll be first and goal yeah the force was trying to make something happen that just didn't need to right i mean plays happen let it go it's over instead he creates a penalty so a critical mistake roughing the passer now it's first and goal to the air again it's cousins and this ball is caught by irv smith touchdown vikings a five-yard touchdown catch and the vikings are an extra point away from tying this thing up you get down near the goal line this is where having a sure-handed tight end becomes a luxury and it pays off big time especially when the defense sells out against the run he finds himself open for an easy touchdown greg joseph on for the extra point and he'll put it through and that evens us up at ten a piece so that one along 11 play drive and it's polished off by a viking score all level now at 10 a piece as the kicks away chris take it in at the goal line and some good special teams coverage as they bring him down just outside of the 15. philadelphia getting sent to take the field their drive last time it stalled out they were forced to take the short field goal and the key phrase you nailed it forced to because you know coaches look at these short field goals as a last resort right to them that's not how drives are supposed to end you're supposed to put six on the board that's a consolation prize like going to the county fair you don't get the big stuffed animal on that one do you no you don't go top shelf that's bottom shelf material hurts and the eagles come up here first and ten at their own 16. it'll be sanders to begin the drive now whistles and a timeout looks like we've got a viking slow to get out while the trainers take a look we'll step aside second and nine he'll look to throw he finds his tight end goddard that's complete that cat's good for five it's third down that's tough to play zone defense when they can just curl up right there in front of you yeah absolutely well we talked about finding the soft spot defensively how do you make sure they don't find the soft spot like they did there tough to do because what they normally will do is run routes that'll pull you out of that spot they want to get into that's what we call not taking the cheese right don't go for the mouse trap but it's hard to do when you see a guy cutting that in that direction you tend to go towards him now a shot taken on third down but it's going to wind up incomplete from a defensive perspective they had exactly what you want anytime they want to throw the football there was pressure on the quarterback they were getting after him and they tightened down on the receivers and forced the incompletion here's aaron sipos out now to punt on fourth down kj osborne deep from minnesota [Applause] call it 38 yards on the pot no return and the vikings will take over here first and ten the vikings ready to go again on offense the last possession these guys were able to tie the game with a touchdown now they'll have a chance to move out in front yeah let's give a big assist to the defense who got the ball back the special teams went out there handled things they've got it they've got momentum i know they're eager to get out there and put it on display cousins and the vikings with a first and ten at their 36 yard line [Applause] he'll start by handing it off to dalvin cook and the whole closes quickly there he gets maybe a couple up to the 38. i know we can't hear what's going on in that huddle right now but i'll guarantee you at least one offensive lineman is saying my bad we simply couldn't move them off the line of scrimmage we've got to do a better job trying to root those guys out of there second and eight [Applause] you've always been very good about checking my math am i correct that's the first time that it's been incomplete when they've thrown it to him yes he had caught every other ball coming his way so they feel like they've got something really good going there and they're gonna continue to go there until the defense makes an adjustment takes it away well they finally made an adjustment there we'll see if they can build on that stuff on third down cousins it's a tried and true formula and i don't think it'll change for as long as we play football if someone's trying to throw the ball and you can put pressure on them and make it tough that's only going to help your defense yeah he's since being hurried he got rid of it before taking the hit but incomplete now jordan barry on to kick this one away [Applause] it'll be a 39-yard punt no return and the eagles will have it taking over first and ten the eagles coming out as they get ready and on the last go around they really couldn't get anything going they had to punt from deep inside their own territory which means they're going to lose the field position battle as a general rule what they're looking for now is a little more consistency move the ball at least a few times on offense get a couple of first downs and hopefully flip the field yeah just something to build off of that's what they're looking for here hurts and the eagles come up here first and ten at their own 19-yard line they'll try and start this drive in the air [Applause] looking left sideline incomplete to this point i've been impressed with the work defensively they have not allowed a lot of receivers to run free and there's another example another incompletion here's second and ten throwing from the gun it's hurts the pressure right he's got a first down pass for 30. and he'll even avoid the contact in the end as he will finally slide to a hole a big pick up there on the scramble partner he was going through his progressions not there not there after about the third one he decided he better pull it down and run for it and he slides down and avoids the hit for good measure so the line of scrimmage all the way up to midfield now as they've got it first and ten shotgun snap and then they give to sanders give him four yards there it'll be second and six i feel like i could see what he was thinking on that carry he wanted to follow that big tackle through the hole ended up only getting four yards on the carry i think he had designs on that one being bigger now a second down and six [Music] an option handoff given to sanders give him four on the carry and it'll make this a third in about two back to back four yard runs now look if they just do that all the way down field ball ends up in the end zone but that's a little difficult to do yeah i think now third and two that defense ready to stiffen up and stop that run all tied up at ten two minutes left in the first half a reminder that when halftime rolls around jonathan coachman will have all the highlights and analysis of this first half of play from our studios in orlando and he'll lose yardage on the play back at the 45-yard line it'll be a loss of two maybe three on the play and that'll bring up fourth down the whole idea of the screen pass is to fool the defense in a big way and create a big play they weren't fooled not one second not one bit how about them figuring it out diagnosing it and spilling it for lost yardage it hurts not coming to the sideline they're gonna go for it they'll try and throw for it with hurts [Applause] and the vikings defense is going to get the football back fourth down and they take to the air which really isn't a major surprise but how about the coverage they're able to bat it down and now out comes minnesota and they're coming off a three and out my friend i think they've got to look at that play sheet and go to a spot that they haven't gone before time to shake things up a little bit to try and get this offense moving okay so how do you do that how do you shake things up you look at what you've called before realize it hasn't worked go to something else and maybe you try and find one of those special plays for one of your better players and maybe try and hit something big and get things going in the excitement area [Applause] cousins on first down that's complete to the receiver thielen five yards on the catch there brings up second down cousins trying to get his guys up to the line of scrimmage quickly [Applause] getting the sack he seemed to have a reasonable amount of time in the pocket but he couldn't get rid of the football by the end result charles him on the ground yeah he's got to keep an internal clock to go along with his offensive line when you talk about three four five seconds that's a reasonable amount of time to expect to deliver the ball downfield so great to try and complete a pass but it's equally important [Applause] not wanting to risk another sack they'll play it safe with a run and they'll indeed stop it on third down and now what do you want to do with your timeouts here's jordan barry now as he'll kick it away for the second time [Applause] they'll score that a 36-yard punt and possession will switch hands first and 10. the eagles offense set to begin their next drive and with eight seconds on the clock really not a lot of time to try to put anything together they'll indeed try to run it out as they start on the ground and he'll just push his way forward for a few as the clock will run so we have reached half time here and a good one 10 10 is our score as we'll send you down the coast now to orlando that's where we find jonathan coachman ready with our ea sports halftime report coach okay brandon thanks very much and welcome everyone to this abridged version of the ea sports halftime report first though let's run through the next gen stats for the vikings in that first half and they were able to have some success throwing the football against the secondary look for that to continue as they try to break this deadlock meanwhile for the eagles we get a look at their numbers on the ground in that first half as they'll be looking to rev things up here in a tie ball game okay coach yeah adjustments likely going to play a big role in this third quarter and what's been a tight contest so far 3rd quarter and ready to get the party started for the second half it was an even first half all tied on the scoreboard taken in at the three and they will regular down a couple yards shy of the 30. [Applause] the eagles ready to go on offense to begin this third quarter it's a tie football game here what do you think charles the message was at halftime well i think that they probably just looked at things and said we're fortunate that this is a tie game no need to panic no need to change a whole lot we didn't play anything close to our best in the first half so we don't have to go out and win one for the gipper let's just go out and play our best football and win one for us hurts and the eagles come up here first and ten at their own 28-yard line second half will start with a run by sanders 69 yards on the ground for him so far and there we saw one of the downsides of blitzing during a rundown because sometimes you get out of your gaps you don't fit the run quite as well because you're headed towards the ball carrier with abandon eight yards the tally on that first down run here's second and two another run with sanders fast footwork by sanders one across the 45 before he's brought down we don't talk about it very often but sometimes there's a dip in intensity when you start the second half which can manifest himself in some sloppy tackling how about right there he ran right through that weak tackle attempt [Music] back-to-back good plays have him on the move on first down here's hurts to throw escaping the pressure right and he's out of bounds as he gets this down to the 45. he'll get eight on the scramble there it'll be second in a couple well he's proven real effective running the football no one open don't force it just get what you can and that's what he's done very well in this game ahead of the chains now second and two [Music] sanders here as they run out of the gun and he's gonna get stopped up quickly give him a coordinator yarn the thing second and two is a fun situation to try and defend playbook is wide open for an offense partner nice job hold them to one after that eight yard pick up on first down this is third and one very likely four down territory even if they don't get it though throwing his hurts well that's complete to sanders and he'll go out of bounds after taking it a little further down inside the 40. another catch for him there on this drive brandon it looks like they're going to utilize him at the backfield any way they can and that time they pick up a first down so now on defense do you assign a man to him and try and cover it before he gets going on first down hurts he'll hit watkins on across the ground and it's taking a while for this offense to get going a little creaky at the start but they're oiled up now a nice throw there and they're really putting together a good drive [Applause] on first down sanders he just danced away from that one defender on his way to a gain of about seven yards that's a strong pickup right there on first down and as this drive goes on we're seeing an offensive line and running game imposing its will a good run got seven on first here's second and three they'll go again with sanders and snapped a few yards at the three he had a really solid first half running the football and picking up where he left off here in the third quarter how about the yardage is piling up right now this feels like a full game not just the series that we're watching right now i know people are screaming were the adjustments from halftime on the defensive side of the ball sometimes they're just not there sometimes you just have to find a way to tackle someone they've got three tight ends here on first and goal to add some extra mass sanders they're able to get a couple here but won't get across the plane as they stop him right around the one it is definitely hard to find space near the goal line you always want to have a guy in the game running it who can create his own second and goal from the one they're gonna go with a tight end here on the running play and he is not gonna get in as the big bodies stop him at the one they're held again and do we have a goal line stand brewing it's third and goal can this vikings d hold up one more time third and goal they'll try to run with sanders touchdown miles sanders punching and the eagles have taken the lead as they go right down the field and score on the opening drive of the second half so the second down run didn't work they run it again on third down and get in i wasn't sure if they might pass it charles we know that they like to mix it up down here around the goal line yeah almost felt like the offensive line so forget mixing it up let's call our favorite running play over our best blockers and let's get this one in elliot good on the extra point and that makes it a 17-10 score a pretty long drive that time 11 plays all told and it was miles sanders who finished it off with a touchdown run now after the touchdown here's elliott on to kick it away fielded just outside the goal line and makes it across the 20 as his guys will set up shop at the 23-yard line [Applause] it's the vikings turn on offense we get ready for their first possession of the second half and this game was all square at halftime but now they find themselves down seven following the opening drive touchdown here in the third quarter and they need to take a good relaxing deep breath don't you think because right now they might start to feel like they've got to play catch up here and start matching them point for point but it's still too early to get there they can still run their offense plenty of time to get back in this game first down here's cousins smith catches left side and he takes us beyond the 35 before going out of bounds you know despite the score line i think they've got to like where they are here they're on the road in just one big play away from getting right back in this game i'm gonna follow right along with you because the spot they're in now is a credit to their defense they've kept them in it by making the plays that they've made and that just means you're one big score away from being right back there now the question is can this offense step up and make that play because that's been an issue for them in this game now an end around his cousins have just popped us forward and down he goes at the 45 after a pickup and a lot of times these plays they either go for nothing or they go for big yardage in here they got to the outside turned it up field and ended up getting a nice little gain out of it on second down cook nifty move and he'll get it out a couple yards shy of midfield at the 48. i have to think of major focus of the halftime beings had to be figured out how to create space for the running game to get operating well what you pointed out to me at half seems accurate that line has struggled to sustain blocks yeah i would agree with that totally they've got to focus on staying on their double teams at the first level make sure that block's secured before they slide off and try and chip someone at the second level now he's gonna swing this one out to his running back not much there only a yard as a defense you're more balanced when you're in zone coverage because you're able to keep your eyes on the quarterback and see the play develop in front of you they're able to keep the quick pass in front of them and stop it right at the line of scrimmage here's second and nine throwing cousins pass incomplete a lot of times it's that first read that you have maybe you get it in pre-snap he locked in on his target but he was covered quite well and that one's incomplete after an incomplete pass on second down that'll leave him trying to convert from the gun here's cousins toward the sideline did he keep the feet in yes he got a boat down says the side judge and that's good enough for a first down but the kind of game he's had so far he had to know that on third down that they would be looking his way and they did for big yardage and a first down i think the defense fell asleep at the switch on that one i would have doubled him tripled him anything to keep the ball out of his hands so from philadelphia territory now here's a first and ten at the 26 yard line running the jet sweep this is thielen with it this will be a short gain of three before he's brought down at the 22. but defensively they had that one pretty well figured out yeah one of the things about this play it can be even more effective when you run a lot of motion and there's plenty of times you don't hand it off coming up on second and seven cousins now and his throw is incomplete he was trying to find justin jefferson there and it'll bring up third down by the way i gotta apologize because i just realized for about the last four or five plays i'm eking over into your territory up here in the booth my bad i'm gonna get back over to my spot yeah we're not talking about our on-air commentary here i mean what is all this extra paper i mean this is unusual for you normally you run a really tight ship what's going on here just like that incomplete pass i'm gonna try to tighten things up here for this next play [Applause] sometimes with the running game you've just got to stick with it look it's the third quarter no time to panic but that also doesn't mean you just do it the same way you've been doing it the entire ball game maybe change up some blocking assignments or run a few different plays but stay with the overall essence of the running game [Applause] now the vikings will send out the special teams crew here for a field goal try right hash 37-yard attempt the kick by joseph is good and that will cut this lead back down to four now at 17 13. so the response to that touchdown on the other side to begin the third quarter look just three points but still a response nonetheless you're exactly right about that because i think you needed to answer back with something even though it's not six just enough to send the message that says hey we're not going away joseph now to kick this one away fielded just outside the goal line and they'll start this drive just across the 30. pretty nice work on the return [Applause] now back to work for miles sanders in the philly offense he's been a good workhorse i know we use the word workhorse a lot but he's been a good workhorse for him in this one no doubt about it and there's nothing wrong with that that's what you're looking for if you're back because that means everything's coming together for you the big guys up front have created space you've run through it you've probably got some help even from the wide receivers who want to catch passes as opposed to block but they're helping out too yeah everyone's pitching in he's had a good game hurts and the eagles come up here first and ten at the 31-yard line hurts throw complete here to his receiver brown a gain of six there on first he decided to run a hitch route it really helps to have a guy who can turn it loose and boy he rifled one in there on that one not much run after catch but it worked really well to throw again on second down hurts and his throws gonna be incomplete the coverage was good but i just wonder if they absolutely fooled the quarterback on that play i think he was expecting something else ended up with nowhere to throw the football successfully now they face a third down and four after that incompletion on second down burt sets up to throw it and he's got his man it's the tight end and he is going to have an eagles first down by about a yard it's a gain of five on third and four that was a round run not just with dexterity but with intelligence found the hole in the zone made sure the quarterback saw him and was able to make the sure catch and flip the down marker back to one they'll throw on first down with hurts open man that's devante smith and he'll be taken down but not before he gets into enemy territory to win any route you've got to break down the defender and that's exactly what happened here on this really nicely executed curl route on first and ten it's sanders and he'll maneuver his way forward for about four second and six well if you're a football guy that's a pretty run because everyone is in sync right there obviously guy carrying the ball but how about the people up front leverage athleticism they created some nice space for them coming up on a second and six hurts pressure coming from the vikings and they get there and bring him down the corner blitz gets there as he goes down for a loss of seven we've seen him escape similar situations earlier in the game and get away from pretty good yardage at that time they get him down yeah they've had enough evidence that he can get away and run for good yardage haven't they that time it felt like okay enough of this let's play it the right way and get him on the ground before he does any damage now on third and long they'll look to throw that swung out wide to sanders and he's going to be taken down at the 39 clearly short of the first by a few yards they pick up 10 but it'll still lead to a fourth down we can make this one pretty simple locked up all of his progressions downfield forced to get it to his running back but how about the way they ran to the football and knocked him down to force a fourth down here's jake elliott career long by the way for him 61 yards this will be from 56 yards out and this kick is not going to be close it's well short well right to boot and this score will stay right where it is well this winds up in empty possession everything looked okay he just never got the ball on target and knowing him he'll be disappointed with that effort [Applause] now the vikings offense gets set to take over here and last time able to get three that's not what they wanted they wanted six but they got at least something they mustered something out of the drive they'll take it just i like the way you've described it not ideal but they'll take it anything to put some points on the board but this time on offense they don't want to see the field goal kicker trot on the field they want that ball in the end yeah they'll be going for six cousins and the vikings with a first and ten at their own 46. they'll come out throwing here to start the drive it's caught smith and that'll be good for eight yards to the 45. nice rhythm throw there on first down he located his tight end made it a nice easy pitch and catch hoping he can break a tackle or two wasn't able to do that there but still good yardage on second down now it's cooked and he'll get it down here to the 43. [Applause] one quarter remains here in this thursday night match-up this is the national football league audie sports and welcome back we are in the city of brotherly love philadelphia it's the vikings in possession of the football but they need some points they're trailing here to start the fourth 4th quarter they run again on first down and quickly as he stopped for no gain second down and the trend continues here in the fourth like it was in the first second and third he's had nowhere to run and you're probably thinking to yourself why do they keep feeding him the football well they trust him first and foremost they do believe that over time he might actually pop one of these runs but bottom line is he takes care of the ball well for them so they'll keep handing it to him now this one over the middle into the hands of his tight end complete i know exactly what's going to be said about that play from the defensive perspective what's that that's why i tell all you guys we need more than one tackler to the ball he broke the first tackle luckily enough there were more people there to get him down the vikings on third down they've hit on half of them five for ten this time they face a third and two play action now cousins [Music] [Applause] on this one that was a good 10 feet over everyone's head one score down here we go they're gonna go for it here on fourth down running for it here's cook fourth and two in the nfl not ordinarily a running down anymore usually that ball's moved through the air they went ahead and gave it to the back and he ends up picking up the first down i'm not sure if they fooled them as much as they just did a nice job executing needed two and they got three the fourth down run successful now they look to pay it off on first down cook and only able to get two here stopped at the 30. seems pretty obvious defensively a key was stopping the run game have they done it so successfully to me it seems that these guys really did a nice job of paying attention during the scouting report meeting and you know brandon when they do those they talk about the top plays that these guys like to run the best runs for the top running back those are the ones you focus on and want to take away and they've done that pretty successfully in this game his second sack of the night he was still looking through his progressions and going through his receiver options and while he was doing that the defense got to him quickly in the pocket and it was a great example of zone coverage well executed well coordinated all the receivers were covered and he couldn't evade the rush back in the pocket [Applause] so now after the sack cousins and the vikings come up here third and long to throw his cousins swinging this out wide here for cool and he'll be brought down at the 28 and that is well short at first [Applause] we'll give you the short stuff and just decided to protect the sticks so every time i hear fans telling me tackling's not a part of the game anymore plays like that i can clip and save and show them you have to tackle well if you want to be a good defense cousins in the offense is going to stay out there they're going to try on fourth down desperation time cousins on fourth down throw caught there by osborne and they do get him down but not before he's able to slip it inside the five yard line and with the scoreboard against him here in the fourth quarter this was definitely four down territory really nice job there finding a way to get open and a really nice throw that sets him up with first and goal only way to get the lead here of course with a touchdown and that's what they're gunning for on first and goal throwing his cousins good coverage there forced the ball free and it's second down that's a tough spot for a running back coming out of the backfield because you know he's got to look for the football knowing full well he's got a man coming his way full steam and he broke that one up line of scrimmage again the four yard line second and goal cook and he's maybe gonna get this back to the four but that's about all no gain on the play there they're gonna need to come up with something better here on third and goal partner's been my experience that after two stops like that near the goal line defenses only become bolder they don't back off at all i think they continue to bring pressure and force him to make a really big play against him then the run for no gain let's see now [Applause] well to me at this stage after this drive this close to the goal line three points would be a letdown i'm going for it here likely the play of the game here trailing in the final quarter and going forward on fourth and goal got to try it here he's back to throw and feelings got it touchdown vikings four yards on the touchdown grab and the vikings are gonna retake the lead [Music] fourth and goal and they found a way to throw it in the end zone for a touchdown and these defenses they just like three downs get off the field but here they had to go couldn't get it done a lot of the time you're looking up and saying okay if i hold them for three at worst i give up a field goal attempt when they go for it sometimes it really affects the defense because maybe they're not mentally prepared to go that fourth down now an important extra point here to stretch this lead to a field goal [Applause] he's got it and this is indeed up to a three-point lead that one was an extended drive 14 plays all told and it all culminates in a touchdown for minnesota now joseph tees it up to kick off following the touchdown taking in at the three and he won't quite make it to the 25. now on the return here we've got an injured player down there well he gets attended to we'll step aside already at the line this philly offense set to go and they will be looking to answer the touchdown their defense just surrendered still a good chunk of time remaining here in the fourth quarter and a chance to regain the lead in a tight one but now a throw on first down there but it's incomplete watkins the intended receiver and that will bring up second down here's hurts to throw flush to his right and he'll slide to a halt here still a little shy of the first down marker he'll end up getting five out of that but now they're looking at third down looked at me like the adopter with my kindergarten teacher always said if at first you don't succeed try try again and finally able to hold him in check he'd been carving him up running the ball that's the first time i think i've seen where the coverage was good downfield and they accounted for him and stopped him for a short pickup yeah i don't think it was a big adjustment but much more emphasis on making sure they knew where he was when he decided to take off and go and here we are in the fourth quarter partner and watch them drive for what would be a go ahead touchdown and you and i both know this is where you need a quarterback who can keep his cool back there not just for himself but to keep the rest of the team relaxed too [Music] they'll run on first down it's sanders and maybe a measure of revenge there he's had his way in this one but this time they get him behind the line two yards the loss second and 12. well that was one of the few times they've been able to contain him thus far he's over 100 yards for the game but he lost a bit off his total on that carry behind the chain second and 12. throwing his hurts the vikings after him and they get there for the sack jonathan bullard he's the one that got home and takes him down for a loss of 9. he was really focused but there was really no viable options the coverage was too good and the defense really quickened the tempo of that play with their pass rush because there was nowhere for him to go with the football the only place he ended up down on the ground needs something from deep in the bag of tricks here after first and second down went backwards it's third and very long he'll drop to throw [Applause] sanders but this is intercepted he's picked off and they take over they'll set up shop at the 46-yard line i tell you brandon it seems like this guy's been all over the field so far that's his second interception of the game and so much of playing defense in the nfl especially when it comes to defending the pass is all about positioning and technique and this is fantastic work on both fronts there minnesota's offense takes over possession another important fourth quarter series coming up that last int helping to maintain their slim advantage [Applause] following the interception at the cousins line fletcher cox the former mississippi state bulldog ringing the cowbell there on the sack it seemed like he kept going through those progressions and i thought he might dump that underneath but he couldn't get rid of the football in time and i have to wonder if he was thinking while he was back there i wish there were a lot less progressions on this play just someone that i can dump the ball to and get it out of my hands yeah they need to work to at least get some of this yardage back after the sack second and 19. now cousins got his man complete over the middle it's osmore a nice pick up there 19 yards and they're set up better for third that's a good bounce back play right there after taking a sack on first down didn't quite get it to the marker but now they're in a much better spot for a third and short yardage call if you're the offensive coordinator [Applause] he's been busy tonight good move at the 30. and he's got the first as they'll bring him down at the 28-yard line 40 yards for him on the ground now on 18 carries well with the fumble he had earlier we know how key keeping the football is here that fumble earlier probably at the forefront of his mind just hold on to this thing it's also at the forefront of the mind of the guys who are trying to get the ball from him and since they've seen him drop it on the ground before they're doing everything possible to have him do it again they need that turnover following the good run by cook here's another first and ten from the shotgun now here's an inside give and he'll go down here right around the 23-yard line give him five on the carry there and it'll be second down i'm guessing you'd say this is kind of the key here grind out some yardage work on that clock see if you can continue to take it down definitely you want to bleed things out at this point right continue to possess the football gain some yardage and put the onus on the defense do they have to use timeouts what are they going to do to stop you you're taking charge [Applause] second and five now cousins open man is osborne he's got him and brought down but not before they get it inside the 10 to the seven this is something you got to be wary of defensively i mean just because they're in the mode of trying to burn some clock doesn't mean they won't pass and they got good yardage out of that one yeah and really when you're looking at it now they've got a fresh set of downs look for second down if they want to take another shot and try and loosen things up that'd be the time to do it so first and goal six points here would go a long way toward wrapping this one up [Applause] cousins [Applause] well there's still time to rectify this situation because the silver lining they took a sack on first and goal but that close to the goal line that still definitely hurts pass protection has been a problem all night long as they come up facing second in a bundle another try after the first down sack cousins oh the ball comes out on the hit but they'll say it's incomplete the pressure really ratcheting up they get the sack on first down then a near sack they got to him there just as it was leaving his hand yeah they might need to change their pass protection scheme a little bit maybe bring another guy into the backfield to help protect the quarterback because that was awfully close a lot of tired bodies on that field but this is a big play third and goal now cousins and this ball is caught by irv smith touchdown vikings irv smith jr a beast in the red zone with his second touchdown of the game and the vikings are going to add on to their lead no surprise there third and gold down here that's where they're going to look for their tight end yeah you want that big guy running his routes because it doesn't matter who they cover him with it's another big guy he might use his bulk against him if it's a shorter defender might go over the top either way you tend to find a little bit of a mismatch in that area the point after is good and his guys will take a 10-point lead so that drive takes him down the field in eight plays and it's polished off by a viking score now joseph tees it up to kick off following the touchdown [Applause] from a yard or two deep here comes a return and not a good return here at all as they'll be forced to start at the 12-yard line jalen hurts in this offense trotting back out with his guys trailing here in the fourth he can ill afford a repeat of the interception that ended the last drive yeah your two scores down you take it upon yourself now to play perfect or near perfect football if you want to get your team back into the game but it's also tough to do when you're trying to avoid errors yet still play perfect football hurts and the eagles come up here first and ten at their own 12-yard line trying to shake off the interception from the last drive he'll look to throw and on the catch right side this is sanders and they'll bring him down right around the 13. a good rally to the football keeps him to only a yard in its second down and right now defensively you love that don't you mean you'll give them that play and they'll take it every single time this is almost like nickeling and diming it down field and too much time's gonna run off the clock still nine remaining on second down [Applause] across the 15-yard line four yards on the completion and it sets up a third down short play like that in this situation this late that's a win for the defense no doubt i remember something coach madden used to talk about all the time sometimes you can't just take what the defense gives you you have to take what you need and in this case the offense is taking what the defense is giving them not what they need now a shot taken on third down but it's gonna wind up incomplete they'll probably spend a little extra time dissecting the game film after this one i think the part of their plan was to hit them over the top of the deep ball they've been unsuccessful all night and they're indeed gonna go for it here on fourth down so trailing here in the last quarter let's see how this plays out as expected they're going for it to keep the drive alive going deep here for watkins he's got him in complete touchdowns 83 yards and the eagles have made it a one-score game again here in the fourth and that looked almost to be a case of you know quarterback saying hey i'm gonna throw this as far as i can and hope you run under it mission accomplished and give him credit he deserves it but this is such a breakdown defensively my goodness from a fast rush perspective you know that they got to be coming hard on fourth down trying to get to the quarterback but from a coverage perspective how do you not see that play developing and it turns into a touchdown and that throw amazingly well over 70 yards in the air according to next-gen stats wow [Applause] [Applause] now after the touchdown here's elliott on to kick it away [Applause] the return man down to a knee and this will come out to the 25-yard line the vikings offense now heading out to take over after the touchdown we just saw we have a brand new ball game and now look at the situation you got plenty of time on the clock defensively they have three timeouts so do you run the football here or do you throw it i think you have that full conversation with your offensive unit and you tell them here's the situation they've got all their timeouts so we are not going to play this conservatively we've got to attack them we've got to make them use those game the ground that we need in order to put this game away if you think we're just going to run it three times and punt it you've got another thing coming yeah i mean by the way also the two minute warning in play so essentially four timeouts left they have to be aggressive here three points separating these two sides with two minutes left to go in the fourth so the vikings in possession of the football as we get you reset they've got a second down now as they search for a way to get this one to the finish line and he'll only get a yard to bring up third and one and now we'll see a timeout used on defense as they stop it right out of the break with 157 to go in the ball game this is a big third down and you'd have to think we'd see a timeout right away if they can't stop him here here's cousins he's got his tight end that's smith and now with 152 to go we get another pause in the action a out here defensively not totally home free yet but it's looking good as they come up first and ten they'll try and wind down some clock with car and he'll work this forward for about three at second down the eagles will take their third and final timeout as they'll talk things over prior to this upcoming second down play [Applause] they run it again with cook and this will be a vikings first down as good running gets them to about the 44. they picked up a little bit of yardage there and now in this situation should be in no hurry to run a play really fast let the clock wind down [Applause] victory formation time for the vikings as they'll take a knee here [Applause] cousins is going gonna take this one down to a knee and end it yeah it's fun to kneel down in front of your home crowd but when you go on the road that band of brothers attitude right just us against the world and get it done how happy are they i remember a coach at a previous stop telling me you get a win on the road doesn't matter the opponent get out of there like you stole something they did in this one [Applause] so the final seconds have ticked away in this minnesota victory and i tell you this was a fun one just a close game nothing comes easy in this league as you know they had to work for that victory i've got to go back to what you just said nothing comes easy in this league how many times have we talked to coaches prior to a game and assessed you know the strengths the weaknesses the whole deal even in games when one coach was a decided favorite what do they always say to us but you do know this is really a seven point league seven points either way usually decides a ball game we had exactly that in this one and not only that but this is a gutsy road victory one they can hang their hat on Player stats foreign foreign Team stats oh