What we learned from Eagles-Vikings: Great expectations; Jonathan Gannon off the hot seat for now; Jalen Hurts can be elite

The Eagles delivered a prime-time knockout performance with a convincing 24-7 win over the Vikings on Monday night at Lincoln Financial Field. Win, lose, or draw, here’s what we learned:

The Eagles had the entire NFL stage to themselves — at least once the Bills finished off the Titans — and made a statement to the rest of the league that they are at the least an improved squad from the one that finished 9-8 last season before a first-round playoff exit. That may be an assessment well below how some now are viewing the Eagles. It doesn’t take a Ph.D. in sports media — or even watching national programs — to know how far the hype train can travel after just two games. But there are obvious reasons to suggest that returning to the playoffs alone may be a low bar.

The Eagles dominated the Vikings on both sides of the ball, and yet, had far from what could be described as a clean effort. The potential is there for them to be listed among the contenders for the NFC crown. But how often is potential left unfulfilled? The Eagles last opened 2-0 in 2016. They won three straight convincingly in Doug Pederson’s first season as head coach, but lost a fourth game they should have closed out against the Lions and essentially folded. The circumstances five years later aren’t entirely similar. In fact, many have latched onto the parallels to Pederson and current coach Nick Sirianni in their second seasons and the familiar vibes emanating from this year’s version.

You have quarterback Jalen Hurts in his second full season as the starter making what appears to be a significant leap forward (see: Carson Wentz, 2017). You have an explosive offense that is first in the league in yards and fifth in Football Outsiders’ DVOA (defense-adjusted value over average) analytics. You have multiple receiving weapons, a complementary run game, and perhaps most important, an elite offensive line. There was trepidation following a shaky defensive outing against the Lions, but the unit bounced back against a more dangerous Minnesota offense. There’s some uncertainty as to whether coordinator Jonathan Gannon can outmaneuver opponents with elite quarterbacks, as Jim Schwartz could on occasion. But he has as much talent at his disposal.

The Eagles are one of just three 2-0 teams in the NFC. The New York Giants surprisingly won their first two. Few would rank them in the same class, but stranger squads have caught fire, especially ones with last-place schedules. Most would deservedly slot Tom Brady and the Buccaneers ahead of the Eagles. And Aaron Rodgers and the 1-1 Packers’ demise has been greatly exaggerated by some. But the NFL balance of power remains tilted toward the AFC. There is an expanding void in the NFC, especially for an upstart. The Eagles have the makings.

» READ MORE: Eagles Super Bowl odds continue to improve after Week 2 win over Minnesota

The Vikings, just a week ago, made Rodgers and Co. look like a second-rate squad. Many were hailing new coach Kevin O’Connell and defensive coordinator Ed Donatell and the belief that Minnesota easily could flip back toward a winning program. The Vikings still could have that promise. Their meeting with the Eagles initially looked like a toss-up from this vantage point. But the second week often is a better indicator of future success or failure. And the Eagles appear to be the more legit team.

That said, Sirianni still has plenty to clean up. Penalties again were an issue, specifically on the offensive side. The Eagles were flagged three times for having an ineligible man downfield. Harp on the officials all you like, but that’s 11 penalties for the same infraction and nearly double the next team’s (Giants, six) over the last two seasons. The league average over that span is 2.7 ineligible man downfield penalties per team. The Eagles’ heavy run-pass option usage plays a part in the high number. There’s clearly a timing issue between Hurts and his offensive linemen. But there are offenses that utilize the RPO as much and they aren’t having as many issues in execution.

In the big picture, it may be a minor grievance, but it speaks to how some plays on offense haven’t been precise. Which is scary, if you think about how much more productive the unit can be. The Eagles understandably took their foot off the pedal in the fourth quarter, but they rightly came out of the break pushing the tempo and were unsatisfied with their 17-point lead. But they left meat on the bone.

There also were several potential turning points that could have tested the Eagles’ resolve a week after they allowed the Lions back into the fray. What happens if Vikings receiver Irv Smith Jr. doesn’t drop a likely touchdown pass after he got behind the secondary late in the second quarter? What happens if the Vikings’ Kris Boyd takes Patrick Peterson’s blocked field goal the other way for a score in the third quarter? What if Kirk Cousins doesn’t melt down into a one-game reincarnation of Spergon Wynn?

The “what if?” game could be applied to reverse the outcome of almost any game, but Eagles coaches likely are pointing out that those kinds of potential game-changing plays don’t often fall on one side of the ledger, especially against top-tier foes.

The beleaguered defensive coordinator was in the Eagles Nation crosshairs after a lackluster Week 1. Some of the criticism was justified. Gannon opened with the wrong base personnel, struggled with marrying his coverage with the pass rush, and didn’t always play to his players’ strengths last week.

But he was better in all three areas against the Vikings. He went with a five-man front from the jump and held the dangerous Dalvin Cook to just 2 yards on two first-down carries on Minnesota’s first two drives. In both cases, short second-down completions led to manageable third-and-5s, and the Eagles were able to force three-and-outs each time. It set the tone for the unit.

As suggested in my film review from last week, Gannon didn’t necessarily need rookie Jordan Davis at nose tackle to run a five-man front. Javon Hargrave often filled that role last season and he started the game there on Monday night. Davis got in on the second possession and played a slightly higher percentage (34 vs. 32) of plays this week and more than Marlon Tuipulotu. He didn’t necessarily stand out, but sometimes his job is to allow for others to fill that role.

T.J. Edwards had one of his best games. The Eagles linebacker got pressure with blitzes and broke up a pass, but he was a force against the run (10 tackles). It mostly was a collective effort, though, in holding Vikings running backs to just 25 yards on eight tries (3.1 average).

Gannon and Donatell run a similar version of the Vic Fangio scheme. The Vikings offered a refresher course on how static the zone-heavy, non-blitzing system can look when an offense is firing on all cylinders. But Gannon tweaked his defense and was able to mostly confuse Cousins when he dropped back. He split his coverages to allow for cornerback Darius Slay to follow receiver Justin Jefferson (six catches for 48 yards) on occasion. The results spoke for themselves: The All-Pro receiver caught just one of six targets when matched up vs. Slay, who intercepted two passes intended for Jefferson.

Slay dropped other potential picks, but he was around the ball — he had three other pass breakups — all game. And Gannon deserved credit for playing to the strength of one the Eagles’ best defensive players. He also blitzed a little more than he did last week. He shouldn’t blitz just for the sake of it, but his pressures were timely, and Cousins completed just 4 of 12 passes for 22 yards when the Eagles rushed more than four.end optional trim

» READ MORE: Eagles react to Darius Slay’s lockdown performance: ‘He put one of the best in the league in a car seat’

The four-man rush still lacks teeth. Fletcher Cox and Josh Sweat did eventually notch second-half sacks. But Gannon mixed up his pre-snap disguises and coverages enough to force Cousins into some errant throws. There still are some issues with Gannon’s scheme. Outside linebacker Haason Reddick is going to have to drop from time to time, but he shouldn’t be tasked with covering receivers in space. But Gannon drew up a game plan that essentially shut down two of the best skill position players in the league and he earned, at least for one week, a reprieve.

Hurts’ passing efficiency garnered the most headlines, and rightfully so. When you complete 83% of your passes and your average is in the low 60s, people are going to notice. But Hurts wasn’t just dinking and dunking. He was working downfield and averaged 10.7 yards per attempt. For reference, anything above 8 is very good. But it may have been the direction of his throws that spoke to his improved decision-making and throwing mechanics from the pocket.

Hurts completed 12 of 14 passes for 215 yards and a touchdown in between the numbers. While his supposed ineffectiveness over the middle before this season may have been exaggerated, Hurts did struggle throwing to his left. But he completed 11 of 13 throws for 79 yards against the Vikings. A year ago, he was just over 50% passing to his closed side.

His throw to his left and across his body — a ball that traveled 40 yards in the air to a toe-dragging Quez Watkins — might have been the best of his career. But an Eagles penalty negated the completion.

A week after he targeted receiver A.J. Brown on 41% of his attempts, Hurts spread the ball around to eight receivers and four — DeVonta Smith (7 for 80), Dallas Goedert (5 for 82), Brown (5 for 69) and Watkins (2 for 69) — finished with more than 69 yards. Looking Brown’s way more than he did others wasn’t as major an issue as some were led to believe, but there’s something to be said for forcing defenses to account for more than just one or two studs.

» READ MORE: Shane Steichen helped dial up Jalen Hurts and the Eagles’ stunning offensive performance against the Vikings

I could go on and on about Hurts’ passing, Sirianni’s game plan and Shane Steichen’s play calling, but the quarterback puts defenses in a bind because he can be so dangerous on the ground. He’s also smart when he chooses to take off and how he protects himself. There will always be bated breath when he’s in the open field. He nearly got speared from behind by the body-hunting Za’Darius Smith. But Hurts must have had eyes in the back of his head and slipped the Vikings linebacker, and on many other runs, when there wasn’t green, he went to the ground.

But Hurts didn’t shy from contact when he deemed it necessary and on his two touchdown runs, he dazzled with initial moves before engaging defenders and muscling over the goal line. His 26-yard score was a memory maker. Aside from the Bills’ Josh Allen, there isn’t a quarterback with his combination of speed and strength. Hurts’ running can galvanize a team and deflate a defense, and that can’t be understated.

A game after Zech McPhearson won NFC special teams player of the week for his heady recovery of an onside kick, punter Arryn Siposs warrants consideration for his touchdown-saving tackle of Boyd. Seriously. … Lost in Slay’s great night was Avonte Maddox’s leaping interception. I swear I’ve seen him make that same play every training camp since the cornerback was drafted. … Miles Sanders (17 carries for 80 yards) ran hard all night and closed out another game with tough fourth-quarter rushes when everyone knew he was getting the ball. … The Vikings’ short kicks to Watkins (2 returns for 13 yards) were effective, and other teams are bound to copy them. … Jalen Reagor heard it upon his return to the Linc, but he had the Vikings’ best offensive play of the first quarter when he took an end around 17 yards. He still can’t return punts effectively, and McPhearson dropped him in his tracks on his first try. And his sloppy route running reared its head again when he didn’t finish a slant route that resulted in a Cousins incompletion.