It’s hard to come to some conclusions about the NFC landscape after just one week of the 2022 NFL season.
But after Week 1, it felt like the Philadelphia Eagles and Minnesota Vikings — playing this Monday at 8:30 PM ET on ABC and ESPN+ — were two contenders in the conference.
The Eagles put up 38 points against the Lions, and although the gave up 35, it was still a sign this team can do big things on offense.
The Vikings and their revamped offensive scheme beat Aaron Rodgers’s Packers, 23-7.
There are burning questions for both teams that we have to cover heading into the Week 2 finale. So let’s dive in and talk about what we want to know as we get set for the contest:
1
Can Jalen Hurts keep this up?
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I don’t think the Eagles want to see him run the ball 17 times a game this season, or for him to connect on just 56.3 percent of his passes like he did in Week 1.
But the point is, Hurts showed he could be taking the next step forward, especially now that he has A.J. Brown to throw to. Let’s see what happens in another game that could be back and forth, with plenty of opportunities for Hurts to shine.
2
Is anyone going to be able to cover Justin Jefferson?
Eleven targets. Nine receptions. A whopping 184 yards and two touchdowns.
How do you stop him? And when there’s Dalvin Cook out of the backfield and Adam Thielen also there to catch passes, there’s a lot to worry about if you’re the Eagles’ defense.
Good luck!
3
Can the Eagles' run defense close the holes we saw vs. the Lions?
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With Fletcher Cox, Jordan Davis, Javon Hargrave and Brandon Graham, the Eagles’ D-line needs to be better, especially when facing an RB like Cook. The Eagles gave up 181 yards on the ground last week to the Lions.
4
Is Kirk Cousins better than we thought?
We’ve spent a lot of the offseason saying Cousins was an average quarterback. But now he’s got Year 3 of Justin Jefferson and coach Kevin O’Connell’s new offense.
Maybe he’s the same quarterback … but in a better situation. Let’s see if that continues on Monday.
