The second week of the 2023 NFL 2023 NFL season is about to kick off with a showdown between the Minnesota Vikings and Philadelphia Eagles on this Thursday night.
Minnesota heads into this game after a tough loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 1, leaving them hungry for redemption. On the other hand, Philadelphia managed to pull out a win against the New England Patriots in the opening of "Tom Brady Day".
Duel Of Opposing Feelings
The Eagles didn't look great, but they held off the Patriots and earned their first away win of the season. The defensive line performed well while the offense was unable to generate any momentum.
This last point has jumped out as concerning for a team that had the third-highest scoring offense in the NFL last season and remains a Super Bowl contender.
The Vikings are coming off one of the most puzzling results of Week 1 after a woeful loss to the Buccaneers at home.
Quarterback Kirk Cousins turned the ball over three times. Now one of the NFC North's strongest contenders is looking to avoid an 0-2 start to the 2023 season.
For the Vikings, facing the defending conference champions on short rest is a formidable challenge. However, experts believe the team is up to the occasion and has the potential to finish with a good result.
In this matchup, the Vikings passing game is seen as their biggest strength, while their defense is seen as a major weakness. It won't be easy, especially with the defending conference champions on the other side of the line of scrimmage.
For their part, the Eagles are eager to show off in front of the home crowd for the first time this season, and the passionate Philadelphia fans are expected to turn up the decibel levels at Lincoln Field.
The Eagles also have a talented roster with key players like Jalen Hurts, A.J. Brown and Haason Reddick to help set the tempo and put considerable pressure on the Vikings.
This from the Philadelphia Eagles for their home opener is a work of art.
Tonight they make their home debut against the Minnesota Vikings.
Looking forward to seeing them.#FlyEaglesFly #NFL pic.twitter.com/BxVWmAtLgD
- Diego Campoy (@DCampoy10) September 14, 2023
Significant High Impact Injuries
For the Eagles, the recent injury report on Wednesday ahead of Thursday night's showdown is not encouraging. The Eagles have ruled out three players for the game.
The list includes Kenneth Gainwell, who did not practice on Wednesday and is out of tonight's game, and Reed Blakenship, who also did not practice on Wednesday and is also excluded from the final roster for the game.
Fletcher Cox was declared limited and doubtful to play tonight. The roster is concluded by CB James Bradberry who was out with a concussion.
On the other sidewalk, the Vikings saw Garre Bradbury leave Minnesota's season opener with a back injury. Bradbury was replaced by Austin Schlottmann.
The Vikings also listed tackle Christian Darrisaw and outside linebacker Marcus Davenport as doubts for tonight. Darrisaw briefly left Minnesota's game against Tampa Bay before halftime, but returned for the second half.
Davenport did not make his Vikings debut after being placed on the injury report late last week. Darrisaw and Davenport were listed as limited in the Vikings' estimates for this week.
