Vikings-Eagles preview: Battle of the trenches to decide Sunday’s showdown

The Vikings return home after splitting their two international games, and come back from their bye week to start a daunting stretch of their schedule. Even though the Eagles, the first team on the list, have lost two in a row, the defending Super Bowl champs are still atop the NFC East and represent one of the Vikings’ toughest tests this season.

Here’s a look at what to expect at U.S. Bank Stadium on Sunday between the Vikings and Eagles:

Wentz leads Vikings as Eagles try to end losing streak: The Vikings will keep Carson Wentz at quarterback this week as J.J. McCarthy continues to rehab his right high ankle sprain, which means Wentz will face the team that drafted him second overall in 2016 before winning Super Bowl LII at U.S. Bank Stadium after the following season. Other than owner Jeffrey Lurie and General Manager Howie Roseman, most of the key Eagles figures from Wentz’s time with the team have moved on, and Wentz said this week there’s “not really” any extra motivation for him against the Eagles. “Maybe earlier in my career, I would have felt differently,“ he said. He faces an Eagles team that has lost two in a row after starting 4-0, and will be eager to avoid a third straight loss this Sunday.

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Vikings could run on Eagles: Philadelphia has allowed 4.7 yards per carry this season, which is tied for the seventh-highest figure in the league, and gave up 172 yards in last Thursday’s loss to the Giants, when Cam Skattebo ran for 98 yards and three touchdowns. The Eagles have played with a light box 58.7 percent of the time, according to NFL Next Gen Stats. That’s typical of a Vic Fangio defense, which often trades run defenders for coverage players who can prevent downfield shots, but it also creates an opportunity for the Vikings as Jordan Mason gets another large workload with Aaron Jones out.

Fangio’s coverages have some new contours: While Fangio’s scheme, which has been copied across the league for years, is known for two deep safeties that force offenses to throw underneath, the veteran coordinator has taken a different tack with the Eagles this year. Philadelphia has been in Cover 1 schemes a league-high 47.9 percent of the time, according to data from FTN, after using safety Reed Blankenship as a robber at times in the Eagles’ Super Bowl win over the Chiefs. The Vikings don’t see much man coverage with Justin Jefferson on the field, and the Eagles’ lack of secondary depth could force them to revert to deep safeties, especially with cornerback Quinyon Mitchell dealing with a hamstring injury.

Even after a slow start, Barkley a reason for concern: Saquon Barkley, last year’s NFL offensive player of the year, has averaged just 3.4 yards per carry this season, failing to run for more than 88 yards in a game this season as defenses have stacked the box 29.5 percent of the time against him (according to NFL Next Gen Stats). The Vikings have allowed 132.2 rushing yards per game this season, even after giving up just 53 against the Bengals in Week 3, and the Eagles figure to test the Vikings’ run defense with Barkley and Jalen Hurts.

Vikings

Eagles

As the Vikings get healthier along both lines of scrimmage, the Eagles have dealt with a pair of difficult injuries on their respective lines. Carter sounded confident he could return this week, but Dickerson’s absence has hurt the Eagles’ ground game. The Vikings, meanwhile, should be healthier with Donovan Jackson returning and Blake Brandel settling in at center. Blake Cashman’s return should help the Vikings shore up their run defense and give them a better chance to contain Barkley. They’ll run more effectively than the Eagles, and use the U.S. Bank Stadium energy to prevail late Prediction: Vikings 19, Eagles 17