Tag: Justin Jefferson

5 reasons for optimism as Vikings face Eagles in Week 2

The Vikings have a lot of reasons for optimism

The Minnesota Vikings are riding high after beating the rival Green Bay Packers on Sunday afternoon. They were confident, calculated and played a nearly flawless game in getting above .500 for the first time in nearly 1,000 days.

As the Vikings roll into Lincoln Financial Field to take on the Philadelphia Eagles, there is a lot to like with this Vikings team.

Here are five reasons to be optimistic moving forward.

Eagles vs. Vikings: NFL experts make Week 2 picks

The experts have spoken, and most analysts are picking the Minnesota Vikings over the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 2 on Monday Night Football

The Eagles are coming off a season opener in which they picked up 27 first downs and logged 455 yards, but they’re the underdogs in some circles, thanks to a shoddy defensive effort.

Monday night football on ESPN offers a matchup of two undefeated teams and two explosive offenses for Week 2, with plenty of intriguing storylines.

The Minnesota defense was outstanding last week against the Packers.

Still, they’ll be facing a Philadelphia offense looking to push the downfield in the passing game while relying on a punishing rushing attack if things fall apart.

With kickoff quickly approaching, the experts have made their picks.

Kirk Cousins reminisces about Nickelodeon

Like all of us, Kirk Cousins was a fan of Nickelodeon

The Minnesota Vikings had plenty of reason to celebrate this week. Not only did they beat the Green Bay Packers 23-7, star wide receiver Justin Jefferson won the Nickelodeon NVP award.

After Jefferson won the award, head coach Kevin O’Connell got slimed in celebration after practice on Wednesday.

Heading into Monday night’s game against the Philadelphia Eagles, quarterback Kirk Cousins spoke to the media and the topic of Nickelodeon. Cousins wasted no time reminiscing about the network.

Having been a ’90s kid, it’s no surprise he liked the old-school shows. “Keenan and Kel,” “Rocko’s Modern Life” and “Angry Beavers” were all excellent. He also brought up Nick at Nite, which had slightly more adult shows with “Full House” being a staple for years. Cousins also made reference to “The Wonder Years.”

The funniest part of the interview was Cousins saying his teammates likely wouldn’t know any of the shows he mentioned.

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7 Eagles-Vikings related storylines to watch for in Week 2 on Monday Night Football

Here are seven Philadelphia Eagles-Minnesota Vikings-related storylines to watch for in Week 2 on Monday Night Football

The Eagles and Vikings are the NFL’s most intriguing and explosive matchup on the Week two slate of games, and they’ll headline a doubleheader on Monday Night Football.

The two teams have met 29 times over the years, including four in the playoffs, with Minnesota currently holding a one-win lead (15-14) in the all-time series.

The two sides haven’t met since 2019 and Minnesota has two consecutive wins since Philadelphia’s win in the NFC title game.

With several days until kickoff, here are seven storylines to follow.

Vikings vs Eagles, Week 1: Who has the edge at each position?

These are two incredibly equal teams across the board

The Minnesota Vikings have their only appearance on Monday Night Football as they take on the Philadelphia Eagles in the second game of the night kicking off at 7:30 central time on ABC.

After both teams beat NFC North foes in week one, they are in a tight matchup with the opening line set at the Eagles -2.5 points.

When you look at the position groups, the teams are eerily similar. Let’s see who has the advantage.

WATCH: the Packers had nice things to say about Justin Jefferson

Jefferson was Mic’D up on Sunday and it led to some nice moments from the hated division rival

It’s no secret that Justin Jefferson is one of the best players in the NFL.

Against the Green Bay Packers, Jefferson had a monster day with nine catches for 184 yards and two touchdowns. He did most of his damage on deep crossing routes and ended the first week with the Nickelodeon NVP award and leading the league in receiving yards. Head coach Kevin O’Connell did a great job getting Jefferson in creative situations to get him open.

During the game, Jefferson was mic’d up and after the game, Packers players and coaches had a lot of nice things to say to the NFL’s best wide receiver.

These were some nice superlatives handed out by head coach Matt LaFleur and Aaron Rodgers but the best one came from Aaron Jones who told Jefferson “You didn’t have to do us like that.”

Yes Aaron, yes he did.

Eagles vs. Vikings: 6 stats to know for Week 2

Here are six stats to know for the Philadelphia Eagles Monday night matchup against the Minnesota Vikings

The Eagles and Vikings is gearing up for a massive Monday night showdown at Lincoln Financial Field, and offensive fireworks could be on the menu.

Philadelphia’s embattled defense will get a test from a Minnesota offensive skill group that includes Justin Jefferson, Adam Thielen, Dalvin Cook, and tight end Irv Smith Jr.

The Eagles will counter with the league’s top offensive line and an offensive centered around Jalen Hurts, A.J. Brown, Miles Sanders, DeVonta Smith, and Dallas Goedert.

Both defenses will be in for a long night, and we’ve highlighted six initial stats to know for Week 2.

Hall of Famer Rod Woodson talks how to cover Justin Jefferson

The Hall of Famer gives his take on covering the mega star wide receiver

The Minnesota Vikings have one hell of a player in wide receiver Justin Jefferson.

Not only does he lead the NFL in receiving yards but he also won the Nickelodeon Valuable Player (NVP) Award for week one. He was outstanding for the Vikings against the Packers going off for nine receptions for 184 yards and two touchdowns, including this beautiful deep crossing route in the second quarter.

With such a star on the outside for the Vikings, there are more and more questions on how to cover the third year player from LSU.

In an article with The 33rd Team, hall of fame defensive back Rod Woodson, who knows a thing or two about coverages, broke down how he would cover the star receiver. His biggest key? Stuffing the number.

What he means by that is by rolling coverages to his side when he’s lined up outside. Think about how teams used to have a safety to Randy Moss’ side whenever he was on thei field for the Vikings. For Woodson, that means a lot of cover-2 man with that one safety responsible for providing support for the man on Jefferson. On the backside they would play cover-3 or man.

When Jefferson is in the slot its a different story. Woodson described it as a cover-4 man with the safety and nickel double covering the star receiver.

While these are good strategies, good luck covering the mega-star.

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WATCH: Justin Jefferson wins NVP and Kevin O’Connell gets slimed

Kevin O’Connell brings Slime Time Live to TCO Performance Center to celebrate Justin Jefferson’s NVP

For his performance in week one, Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson won the NVP (Nickelodeon Valuable Player) award given to the best player each week. He earned the award over other finalists Patrick Mahomes and the Pittsburgh Steelers defense.

In getting the award, head coach Kevin O’Connell presented Jefferson the award and had an announcement for the team

“We’re going to go in between the fields and I’m always going to be the guy that gets slimed.”

We have talked a lot in this space about it being a new era and this is just the latest example bring the old Nickelodeon show Slime Time Live to TCO Performance Center. O’Connell bonding with his players has created a different atmosphere both in the building and on the field.

Seriously, how fun is this guy?

NFL Week 2: Reasons to watch each game

Here’s why you should watch each game on the Week 2 slate, from Chiefs-Chargers to Vikings-Eagles

Week 1 provided plenty of excitement, from thrilling upsets by the Steelers and Seahawks to the Saints’ fourth-quarter comeback to beat the Falcons. Many of the projected top teams established themselves as just that, including the Bills, Chiefs, Chargers and Bucs, but there’s still a long way to go this season.
Heading into Week 2, there are plenty of intriguing matchups for fans to watch. The Packers and Bears will square off in a rivalry game in the NFC North, and the Chiefs will take on the Chargers with an early lead in the AFC West on the line.
Here’s why you should watch each of the 16 games on the slate in Week 2.

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