EJ Smith Previews Eagles vs Vikings Game Tonight
It is Eagles vs Vikings on Monday Night Football. And to get the lowdown on what to expect from tonight’s game, “The Best Show Ever?’ brought on EJ Smith of…
DETROIT, MICHIGAN – SEPTEMBER 11: Head coach Nick Sirianni of the Philadelphia Eagles while playing the Detroit Lions at Ford Field on September 11, 2022 in Detroit, Michigan.
(Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)It is Eagles vs Vikings on Monday Night Football. And to get the lowdown on what to expect from tonight's game, "The Best Show Ever?' brought on EJ Smith of the Philadelphia Inquirer. How should the Eagles approach covering Justin Jefferson? Will we see more from Jordan Davis? Is this a game the Eagles should win? He discussed all that and more while previewing Eagles vs Vikings.
On If It is Crazy To Feel Good About the Eagles winning vs Vikings Tonight
"I wouldn't go so far as to call you crazy. I do think this game is a toss-up. Going into the season I had the Eagles winning this one. I don't really believe in Kirk Cousins in big situations. After seeing this defense vs the Lions I am a little bit worried about that pick. But I stuck with it. I don't want to overreact from the season opener. I picked the Eagles to win 38-35, so I cant call you crazy for feeling good about it. But I do think it will be a close game."
On if he was surprised by how they used Jordan Davis in Week 1
"I was a little surprised. You got this guy in the first round, you expect him to play more than 22 snaps. So I do think it was a surprise. Especially the way the game played out. When he was on the field and they were in that odd fronts, they were just a lot more effective at stopping the run. I think what the Eagles are telling us is they don't really see Jordan Davis as a pass-rushing threat at this point. They kind of want to ease him along. At the end of the day, you have to put your best players on the field. I do think it is hard to refute that Davis was one of the best players on that defense. Also, what he does for the defense, that optionality seemed to be the difference against the run."
On Covering Justin Jefferson
"Justin Jefferson is going to get his... I think the first thing that sticks out when you watch the Packers defend him, is they busted a lot of coverages. jefferson is a tough guy, you have to find him every play. He runs a lot of deep crossing routes. Stuff that puts a lot of stress on secondaries to communicate well. Two of his big plays were that weakside safety didn't realize Justin Jefferson was coming into their area ... He is one of the best receivers in the league... I do think it's going to start with the secondary communicating a lot better than the Packers did. This is a new secondary, a group that hasn't had a lot of playing time together. Are they going to be able to communicate the way they are going to have to?"
On Miles Sanders
As long as the Eagles' offensive line is healthy, whoever is running the ball is going to do well. The thing Miles Sanders brings, that the other guys don't necessarily bring, is the explosiveness. He's not always going to get you the 6 yards that you get when you are north and south all the time. He might get 3 instead of six in those cases. In return, he will occasionally give you 60 or 70. This is a pretty good Vikings defense. But the Eagles' offensive front makes even good front 7's look vulnerable.
