Another look at an underappreciated highlight of the Eagles Week 2 win over Vikings

When the story is told about the Philadelphia Eagles' second win of the 2023 NFL season, you may see a few eye rolls. You may hear a few moans and groans. The term Negadelphia exists for a reason, but once you are past that, you might like what you hear.

This one's a story about a total team effort and a gritty win, one that gave Philly a 2-0 start for the second time in as many seasons.

Here's a little nugget. They haven't had consecutive 2-0 starts since they did so in 1992 and 1993. How's that for a history lesson?

An important play on special teams helps the Eagles snag a victory (but, no one will remember that weeks from now).

Philly's second win of the 2023-2024 campaign didn't come easy. The pass rush didn't generate a ton of sacks despite battling a beaten-up Minnesota Vikings defensive line. The Eagles' offense seemed confused for the first quarter plus. Kirk Cousins, at times, looked like he was a lot more comfortable than you'd like him to be.

This one was tough to watch at times, and in other instances, there were moments that made us smile. DeVonta Smith hauled in two bombs from Jalen Hurts' arm and four passes total. His 63-yarder in the third quarter gave the Birds a comfortable lead at the time (27-7).

Another big play came on special teams. This one we'll forget in a few days. It didn't earn a ton of mention, but this one may have helped prevent a Vikings score that would have made this one very uncomfortable.

Again, we don't hear anyone else giving Justin Evans and Nicholas Morrow credit for combining for a forced fumble and recovery, so we'll do it. This one didn't result in points. Jalen Hurts threw an interception on Philly's next drive. Maybe that's the reason we haven't mentioned this one when we dissect Philly's win, but something should be noted before we turn the page and move on.

You have to keep in mind the fact that Brandon Powell had returned an Arryn Siposs punt back to Philly's 34-yard line., so forcing the turnover may have kept the Vikes from scoring in what turned out to be a game that was too close for comfort.

These are the types of moments that decide wins and losses. This was huge in determining Week 2's outcome. Maybe Michael Clay's special teams unit will provide some highlights after all.

No? You can disagree with that. It's okay, but you can't blame us for trying.