Philadelphia Eagles: Dissecting 3 games that will define their season

Facing 2 NFC monsters in 2 weeks

Philadelphia will walk into the Minnesota Vikings‘ house, the site of their Super Bowl 52 victory and the home of the relentless rushing attack of Dalvin Cook. This will prove to be a true battle of strengths, as the Eagles’ second-ranked run defense will take on a rushing offense that produced over 200 scrimmage yards in Week 5.

A win in Minnesota on Sunday is of immense importance for Philly to keep pace with a Cowboys team that will have the benefit of facing a winless New York Jets team in Week 6.

The NFL recently took notice of Cook’s dominance on Twitter.

If they can come out of that game with a victory and a 4-2 mark, they will be thrown directly under the bright lights of Sunday Night Football to face the hated Cowboys at AT&T Stadium.

This projected matchup for sole possession of the NFC East’s top spot is one that will emphasize the accelerated growth of the Eagles secondary. Keeping Amari Cooper in check will be their biggest test in this one. This game will also almost certainly be a pivotal one later in the year when deciding the eventual division winner.

ESPN highlighted Cooper’s elusiveness and run-after-catch ability against Green Bay Packers in Week 5.

Once Philly endures all of that, they still have to face a team on the rise from the AFC.