Game ball, three stars and snap count analysis: Week 7, Eagles at Vikings

In their Week 7 win over the Minnesota Vikings, the Philadelphia Eagles played 50 snaps on offense and 69 snaps on defense. Let’s get straight to the number of shots, some notes and some special recognition.

Strategist

• 50 shots: Jalen hurts

Notes: Hurts finished 19 of 23 for 326 yards, 3 TDs and 0 INTs, in what might have been the best regular season performance of his career. Along the way, Hurts made four outstanding throws down the field:

1. Drop the bucket to AJ Brown on the first drive of the game.
2. DeVonta Smith’s deep, airy strike for a 79-yard touchdown.
3. The Bang-8 to Brown for a TD.
4. The killing blow falls in the bucket to Brown to end it.

In each of the last two games, Hurts has been unable to communicate deeply with his receivers, sometimes his fault, and sometimes not. These missed opportunities contributed to the losses. Sunday against the Vikings, he didn’t miss his shot.

Run back

• 39 shots: Saquon Barkley

• 8 shots: Will Shipley

• 4 shots: Tank Bigsby

• 1 shot: Cooper DeJean

Notes: Barkley’s game log so far this season:

It was predictable that Barkley would see a significant decline in his production from 2024 to 2025, since, you know, he had a historic 2024 season. But I don’t think anyone could have reasonably predicted that he would average 3.3 yards per carry after 7 games.

Granted, the health of the offensive line contributed to the lack of a running game, but there were also times when Barkley got openings at the second level of the defense, and gains of 5-10 yards this year could have been much bigger plays last year.

Bigsby got involved in the offense for the first time this year, and he even had an 11-yard run.

DeJean reprized his role as the deep guy in the victory lineup.

Wide receiver

• 46 shots: AJ Brown

• 44 shots: DeVonta Smith

• 24 shots: Jahan Dotson

Notes: Smith caught 9 passes for 183 yards and 1 TD. Brown caught 4 passes for 121 yards and 2 touchdowns.

It was the fifth time Brown and Smith both surpassed 100 receiving yards in the same game. The others:

1. 2022 vs. Titans (Brown 8-119-2, Smith 5-102-1)
2. 2022 vs. Bears (Brown (9-181-0, Smith 5-126-0)
3. 2022 vs. Cowboys (Brown 6-103-0, Smith 8-113-2)
4. 2024 vs. Steelers (Brown 8-110-1, Smith 11-109-1)

Their 304 combined receiving yards are three yards lower than the 307 combined receiving yards they had in the Bears game above.

Brown and Smith have been unhappy with their goals at times this season. Obviously, Sunday was a big day for the Eagles’ star receivers.

Tight end

• 49 shots: Dallas Goedert

• 17 shots: Kylen Granson

• 5 shots: EJ Jenkins

• 3 photos: Cameron Latu

Notes: Goedert caught all three of his targets for 18 yards. The Eagles used a bunch of two-TE sets effectively in this game.

Offensive line

• 50 snaps each: Jordan Mailata, Landon Dickerson, Tyler Steen, Lane Johnson

• 35 shots: Brett Toth

• 15 photos: Cam Jurgens

• 10 photos: Fred Johnson

Notes: Jurgens left with a knee injury and did not return. He was already dealing with a back that wasn’t yet 100 percent after offseason surgery. His status for Week 8 against the Giants could be in question.

The offensive line needs a bye week more than any other unit on the team.

Edge defenders

• 52 shots: Jalyx Hunt

• 33 shots: Josh Uche

• 26 shots: Patrick Johnson

• 4 photos: Azeez Ojulari

Notes: Hunt had a big match. He had a pick six against Carson Wentz and gave the Eagles an early 14-3 lead. He also had what would have been a sack if Wentz hadn’t committed a hilarious intentional grounding penalty.

Side note: When a quarterback goes out of bounds and it’s not a planned run, he gives the sack to the closest defender. They should allow a sack to the closest defender following intentional ground penalties.

Uche had a sack in that game and he pushed aside a Vikings offensive lineman during Hunt’s run to the end zone.

The bad news? Ojulari left the match with an injury and did not return. Ojulari isn’t exactly Myles Garrett, but the Eagles are already so thin. They can’t afford to lose another guy.

Interior defensive line

• 67 shots: Jalen Carter

• 45 shots: Jordan Davis

• 32 photos: Moro Ojomo

• 12 shots: Byron Young

• 6 shots: Ty Robinson

Notes: Carter played all but two snaps and had his best game of the season, in my opinion. He threw Wentz to the ground on both Eagles INTs.

Ojomo made a key sack in the fourth quarter that ended a Vikings drive. Carter rushed from the edge on this play and could have caused Wentz to pull the ball downfield because he got into Wentz’s passing lane. Ojomo leads the team with 3 sacks.

Linebacker

• 69 photos: Zack Baun

• 60 shots: Jihaad Campbell

• 31 shots: Nakobe Dean

Notes: When Dean entered the game, Campbell moved to the rim. This is a question the media has asked Vic Fangio about for months, but Fangio has consistently thrown cold water on the idea. But with so many edge players injured – and with Ojulari going down in this match – playing Campbell with some on the limit certainly made sense. It remains to be seen if this will become a regular thing, or if it’s just a short-term plan when the Eagles need bodies on the limit.

Baun made his usual 10 tackles.

Cornerback and safety

• 69 shots each: Quinyon Mitchell, Cooper DeJean, Reed Blankenship, Andrew Mukuba

• 23 photos: Adoree’ Jackson

• 22 photos: Kelee Ringo

• 1 shot: Parry Nickerson

Notes: One of the storylines from this game was that the Eagles should have re-signed Isaiah Rodgers this offseason. Rodgers is a better player than Jackson or Ringo, and he had a much better season. But man, Rodgers got cooked on Sunday. He gave up a ton of separation on the 79-yard TD pass to Smith and the kill shot to Brown.

Jackson was injured and did not return. Ringo replaced. Honestly, I didn’t notice either player very often on Sunday, which is a good thing.

DeJean is so good:

On an island against one of the best red zone receivers of all time? Meh, it doesn’t matter.

Mukuba now leads the team with 2 INTs, after his giveaway from Wentz.

Three stars 🤩

⭐⭐⭐: Quarterback Jalen hurts: Ten cents all day.

🌟🌟: WR DeVonta Smith: What does Smith do wrong as a receiver?

✨: Jalyx EDGE Hunting: Hunt had a breakout game after some began to question whether he deserved a top position.

Ball game 🏈

1. Week 1, against Cowboys: Jalen hurts
2. Week 2, at Chiefs: Andrew Mukuba
3. Week 3, vs. the Rams: Jordan Davis
4. Week 4, at Buccaneers: Quinyon Mitchell
5. Week 5, vs. Broncos: DeVonta Smith
6. Week 6, at the Giants: Dallas Goedert
7. Week 7, at Vikings: Jalen hurts

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