Minnesota Vikings at Philadelphia Eagles: NFC Championship Prediction
By Erik Lambert
The AFC championship is all about Tom Brady. However, the NFC championship of the Minnesota Vikings at Philadelphia Eagles may feature the two best teams.
How else does one explain how they got this far? Both teams went 13-3 in the regular season. Both teams had to go a considerable length of it with their backup quarterbacks after losing their starters to injury. Most teams would’ve been sunk by such developments. This indicates just how talented and well-coached they are to have gotten to the conference title game.
Even more impressive was how they survived the divisional round, each winning games they probably should’ve lost if not for last-second blunders by their opponents. It’s rather amazing how similar these two teams are and how parallel their paths to this moment have been. It now comes down to which one can out-execute the others under the greatest of pressure.
Biggest subplot: The battle of the backups
It’s easily one of the coolest stories of the years. Two quarterbacks with eerily similar backgrounds. They were backups at first, became productive starters, fell off again, became teammates for a short time and now suddenly meet for a chance to go to the Super Bowl. Nobody saw this Case Keenum vs. Nick Foles matchup coming. It’s both a testament to the work the two of them put in to get here, the excellent teams they play on and the coaching jobs done to rescue their careers. This is the sort of thing that makes football so fun.
Key matchup: Pat Shurmur vs. Jim Schwartz
Almost always the matchup of the game is between two key players. However, there is no doubt this championship contest will be a war of two excellent coordinators. Pat Shurmur has masterfully engineered the Vikings offense despite losing several key players to injury and turning Keenum into one of the most impressive reclamation projects in years. Meanwhile Jim Schwartz has quickly transformed the Eagles defense into a tough, physical and aggressive unit that flat wears opponents out, especially in the trenches. These two minds going head-to-head is coaching chess at its finest.
The Eagles win if: They score early
One of the things that has made the Vikings such a tough opponent all season? They’ve become masterful at getting off to fast starts. The divisional playoff was a perfect example, building a 17-0 lead early. However, when they haven’t been able to do so? They’ve been proven vulnerable. All three losses Minnesota received in 2017 saw their opponents score first. Thankfully for the Eagles two of those defeats came on the road. Having homefield advantage could end up working out in their favor. They just have to make sure they get the jump early.
The Vikings win if: They post 100 rushing yards with no turnovers
It’s really hard to beat the Eagles but there is a way. The problem is the Vikings may not be equipped to do so. They have to rush for at least 100 yards. In each of the three losses suffered this season, Philadelphia gave up 100+ on the ground. On top of that the opposing team managed to avoid turning over the football. In those three defeats, Philly managed just one takeaway total. The good news? Minnesota has managed 100 yards or more on the ground in 13 games this season. They are 12-1 in those games. They also played 13 games where they turned it over one time or fewer.
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Prediction: Eagles win 24-21
This is one of those games that is difficult to read because the two teams are so similar. They’re both excellent defensively and directed by sharp offensive minds with backup quarterbacks. It’s this sort of situation where something like home field advantage can actually be so key. Remember that the last four teams to win the NFC championship did so in their own building. Last but not least? Philadelphia has never lost to Minnesota in the postseason, posting a perfect 3-0 record.