After booing, Eagles, Jalen Hurts explode with big plays − and a big break to hold off Vikings

PHILADELPHIA − The Eagles had a new look on defense, albeit not of their choosing, as they faced the Minnesota Vikings on Thursday night.

And they turned to running back D'Andre Swift on offense as Swift had a career-high 175 yards on 28 carries in the Eagles' 34-28 win over the Vikings.

Four players who started Sunday in the 25-20 win over the New England Patriots didn't play, beginning with linebacker Nakobe Dean, who was placed on injured reserve with a foot injury. He was replaced in the starting lineup by Nicholas Morrow.

Morrow, who was waived out of training camp and signed to the practice squad, was promoted to the 53-man roster to replace Dean. He wore the "green dot" on his helmet to signify that he can receive the calls from defensive coordinator Sean Desai in his helmet.

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The other players sitting out were cornerback James Bradberry (concussion) and safety Reed Blankenship (ribs). Cornerback Josh Jobe made his first career start while veteran Terrell Edmunds started in place of Blankenship.

At running back, Kenny Gainwell sat out with a rib injury. Swift started in his spot.

But the Eagles suffered more injuries as nickel corner Avonte Maddox left with a shoulder injury and Quez Watkins left with a hamstring injury. Both were listed as questionable to return. Mario Goodrich replaced Maddox.

Here are several other observations:

Uh oh, Vikings score again, Eagles lead down to 27-21 in 4th

After taking a 27-7 lead in the third quarter, the Eagles saw their lead cut to 27-21 when the Vikings' Kirk Cousins found K.J. Osborn all alone in the corner of the end zone with 7:41 left.

The drive was set up after the Eagles missed a chance to score. Jalen Hurts threw into the end zone twice for A.J. Brown. The first was negated by a hold on Landon Dickerson. The second was incomplete, but Brown's arm was grabbed before the ball arrived. There was no call.

Hurts was then sacked twice, and the Eagles punted.

DeVonta gets his 2nd long pass, Eagles burying Vikings

DeVonta Smith had a 54-yard catch on the first drive of the game. Then in the third quarter, he got behind the Vikings again, hauling in a 63-yard touchdown pass from Jalen Hurts. Smith averaged just 6.7 yards per catch on Sunday against New England.

Through 2 1/2 quarters, Smith had 3 catches for 123 yards and touchdown, and the Eagles had a 27-7 lead. The Vikings responded with Jordan Addison's 62-yard TD. Still, with 9:09 left in the third quarter, the Eagles had a 27-14 lead.

Josh Sweat starts 3Q with strip-sack, Eagles pull away

The Eagles started the second half with a game-changing play. Clinging to a six-point lead after a sloppy first half, defensive end Josh Sweat sacked Vikings QB Kirk Cousins on the second play from the Vikings' 26, forcing a fumble. Fletcher Cox picked up the loose ball and returned it to the 7.

Two plays later, Jalen Hurts scored from the 1 on a QB sneak, his second sneak of the game, giving the Eagles a 20-7 lead.

Eagles realize D'Andre Swift is on the team, Hurts uses him

D'Andre Swift had just 1 carry and 3 touches against New England. But even with Gainwell out, the Eagles didn't use Swift much until the second quarter, after they fell behind 7-3 with 10:39 left. The Eagles were often victimized by their own mistakes.

So the Eagles decided to run the ball until the Vikings showed they could stop it. They couldn't. The Eagles embarked on a 16-play drive that used up 7 minutes, 55 seconds. The Eagles ran the ball 13 times on the drive, mostly behind Swift.

Jalen Hurts capped the drive with a QB sneak from the 1, giving the Eagles a 10-7 lead with 2:44 left. Swift had 12 carries for 62 yards in the first half. Boston Scott added 16 yards on 3 carries.

Eagles get huge break as Justin Jefferson fumbles stretching for end zone

Then the Eagles got a huge break. On 2nd-and-10 from the Eagles' 31, Kirk Cousins found Justin Jefferson inside the Eagles' 5. Jefferson dove for the pylon, but lost the ball as he stretched for the end zone. After a review, it was determined that the ball went out of the end zone.

It was thus a touchback and the Eagles took over at their 20 with 34 seconds left, still leading 10-7. Jake Elliott made the Vikings pay with his franchise-tying 61-yard field goal to end the half.

Hurts booed as sloppy play ensues with fumbles, interception

There was sloppy play on both sides in the first quarter. The Vikings' Brandon Powell fumbled the ball away on a punt return after he had broken into Eagles' territory. But Hurts threw his first interception of the season on that drive, trying to hit Smith over the middle on 3rd-and-16.

Not to be outdone, Vikings running back Alexander Mattison fumbled on the first play, with Justin Evans recovering. Evans forced the fumble on Powell's punt return. But the Eagles couldn't move the ball then either. Hurts couldn't run the ball effectively, and he was booed when he lost a yard on 3rd-and-4 from the Vikings' 34.

This time, Elliott missed a 55-yard field goal.

Hurts was 7-for-9 for 72 yards with an INT in the first quarter. But his 5 rushes only netted 9 yards.

DeVonta delivers, but Eagles only get a FG

The biggest improvement in DeVonta Smith this season was in contested catches. Smith showed that on the Eagles' opening drive. Facing a 2nd-and-11 from their own 36, Jalen Hurts threw deep to Smith. The ball hung up a bit, but Smith leaped and caught the ball over Vikings cornerback Theo Jackson.

The play went for 54 yards down to the Vikings' 10. But the Eagles' drive stalled and they settled for a 24-yard field goal from Jake Elliott for a 3-0 lead.

On the other side, the Eagles got pressure on Kirk Cousins early as Josh Sweat and Jordan Davis had back-to-back hits on him.

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Why Eagles neglected LB, safety?

The Eagles had no choice.

With large contracts spread around the roster, and a salary cap to adhere to, the Eagles couldn't afford to invest much at linebacker or safety.

So when starting linebackers T.J. Edwards and Kyzir White left in free agency, the Eagles spent very little to replace them. Instead, they went with second-year man Dean and signed Morrow to a low-cost free agent contract. But it was evident early in camp that Morrow wasn't the answer, so they signed veteran free agents Zach Cunningham and Myles Jack.

Jack retired, but the Eagles kept only three in Dean, Cunningham and Christian Elliss. The Eagles on Tuesday signed veteran Rashaan Evans to the practice squad while he learns the defense.

Desai said he's not worried about the linebacker depth.

"I think the plan that we had all along with (head coach Nick Sirianni), with (general manager) Howie (Roseman), as we build this roster and depth, we're all in lockstep on it," Desai said. "I feel really good. We've had plans in place. We've always got plans. That's our job, right, is to make sure we have contingency plans on anything that can happen."

It's happening there, and at safety.

The Eagles' starting safeties last season in Chauncey Gardner-Johnson and Marcus Epps left in free agency. They replaced them by giving one starting spot to Reed Blankenship, an undrafted free agent in 2022 who started five games late last season in place of the injured Gardner-Johnson.

The Eagles signed two low-cost free agents in Justin Evans, who started Sunday, and Terrell Edmunds. They also drafted Sydney Brown in the third round.

Fletcher Cox's status as 4 starters ruled out vs. Vikings

The Eagles did receive some good news as defensive tackle Fletcher Cox is playing. Cox was listed as questionable Wednesday with a rib injury. That keeps the defensive line fully intact.

Swift is expected to get some of Gainwell's carries. Gainwell had 14 of the 16 carries by running backs Sunday. Rashaad Penny, who wasn't on the game-day roster, is on it Thursday.

In addition to Gainwell, Bradberry and Blankenship, the Eagles' other inactives are QB Tanner McKee, OL Tyler Steen, TE Albert Okwuegbunam and DL Moro Ojomo.

For Minnesota, C Garrett Bradbury (back) is out, while T Christian Darrisaw (ankle) and LB Marcus Davenport (ankle) are playing.

Contact Martin Frank at mfrank@delawareonline.com. Follow on X @Mfranknfl.

This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Eagles, Jalen Hurts hold off Vikings, Justin Jefferson in NFL Week 2