Who would've thought two months ago, after the grotesque injury to quarterback Teddy Bridgewater that the Vikings would be the last unbeaten team in the NFL? And who would've thought Sam Bradford would be leading Minnesota into Lincoln Financial Field to take on the Eagles?
Obviously, we're very familiar with Bradford after he helped guide the Eagles to a 7-9 record in 2015. The rest of the Vikings, maybe not so much. This is a team that quietly went 11-5 last season, and not so quietly were a missed 27-yard field goal away against the Seahawks from advancing to the divisional round of the playoffs.
For a team this good, the talent on the roster doesn't necessarily receive a ton of attention, particularly on what is arguably the toughest defense in the entire league. Time to rectify that and take a closer look at what the Vikings bring to the table.
OFFENSE
Quarterback: Sam Bradford
As we've been saying around these parts for the past year and a half, if you put a team around Bradford, he can win. That's not exactly a glowing endorsement of the former No. 1 overall pick, although it is true. The Vikings offense may be ranked 30th, but Bradford has the highest completion rate in the NFL at 70.4 percent and is second in the league with a 109.7 passer rating. This isn't even a matter of him having great weapons either, although wide receiver Stefon Diggs and tight end Kyle Rudolph are pretty good. Behind a stellar defense, Bradford doesn't have to put the entire team on his shoulders, which explains why he hasn't thrown an interception and has only been sacked eight times in four games. Based on what we've seen of Carson Wentz and the return they got in the trade with the Vikings, it's hard to fault the Eagles for going in the direction they chose. Clearly Bradford can win though.
Philadelphia Eagles
Complete coverage of the Philadelphia Eagles and their NFL rivals from NBC Sports Philadelphia.
Strength: Efficiency
This might seem like another backhanded compliment, and to a large degree it is, because the Vikings offense isn't very good. Yet to their credit, the unit has kept mistakes to an extreme minimum. The Vikings have committed one turnover this season, which is incredible when you think about it. The Eagles are the only other team with fewer than four giveaways, and the combined record of teams with no more than five is 39-18. It's a truly remarkable stat, and just goes to show if the defense can't create turnovers, the Vikings are going to be almost impossible to beat.
Weakness: Ground attack
The Vikings offense isn't particularly dynamic at any position or area, but the unit ranks dead last in the run. Even when Adrian Peterson was healthy, the seven-time Pro Bowler was averaging an anemic 1.6 yards per carry in two games this season. The combination of Jerrick McKinnon and Matt Asiata haven't fared a lot better, rushing 93 times for 273 yards — a 2.9 average — with three touchdowns. Injuries along the offensive line haven't helped matters, with starting tackles Matt Kalil and Andre Smith both landing on the reserve list already. Nonetheless, the Vikings have never quite figured out how to run the ball in 2016, which has been without a doubt this team's greatest shortcoming.
DEFENSE
Strength: Pass defense
What came first, the chicken or the egg? It's nearly impossible to field a lockdown secondary without a great pass-rush, and what the defensive line lacks in name recognition, it certainly makes up for in production. Three Vikings players are tied for the clubhouse lead with 4.0 sacks, including Everson Griffen, who's heading for double digits for the third straight season. Only two teams have made more visits to the quarterback, so they are rock solid up front. Of course, only three teams have more interceptions than the Vikings, so they equally as dangerous on the back end. Xavier Rhodes is quickly gaining a reputation as a shutdown coverman, creating opportunities for a group of corners that that includes Terence Newman (yes, the guy who played for the Cowboys eons ago) and 2015 first-round pick Trae Waynes. Then there are playmakers at linebacker and safety, too. Eric Kendricks, brother of Eagles linebacker Mychal Kendricks, has six pass breakups and a 77-yard interception return for touchdown, while Pro Bowl safety Harrison Smith does a bit of everything with 6.5 sacks, three forced fumbles, 12 interceptions and four pick-sixes in his fifth season.
Weakness: None
Having said all of that, it's not like the Vikings are weak against the run. Because they're so dangerous to throw against, opponents do tend to keep the ball on the ground. Minnesota has faced the second-most rushing attempts in the NFL, yet the unit is ranked fourth in yards (77.8 per game) and yards per carry (3.7) allowed. On almost any other team, that would probably be the strength of the defense. Here it's a complement.
X-factor: Danielle Hunter
We could spotlight any number of players on the Vikings defense, but somebody we haven't mentioned already would be Hunter, who is quickly becoming one of the NFL's bright young pass-rushers. The 2015 third-round pick is proving his rookie campaign with 6.0 sacks was no fluke, as he's tied for the team lead with 4.0 already this season. That's in a situational role by the way, not as a starter. Hunter is behind Griffen and Brian Robinson on the depth chart, but he makes the most of his opportunities. Any defense that is three deep on the edge is a defense that concerns quarterbacks, and thanks to a shrewd pick in last year's draft, the Vikings now boast just such an attack.
SPECIAL TEAMS
Everybody knows about Blair Walsh and the missed 27-yard field goal that prevented the Vikings from advancing in last year's playoffs. That's not indicative of Minnesota's special teams though. Cordarrelle Patterson is one of the most dangerous kick returners in football, while Marcus Sherels is gaining such a reputation on the punt return side as well with two touchdowns on the year. And after a shaky start to this season, Walsh has turned things around as is a fine kicker with plenty of leg, so there really isn't any weakness here either.
COACHING
Mike Zimmer (third season, 23-15)
Enough can't be said for the job Zimmer has done with the Vikings, prior to this season and in 2016 especially. Any other team might've been in shambles after a season-ending injury to their quarterback, particularly of the freak variety Teddy Bridgewater suffered in training camp. Sure, the Bradford trade is helping keep things afloat, but much of the credit for the transformation that's happened in Minnesota falls on Zimmer's defense anyway. As we've seen in years past, most recently with the Broncos in February, a team doesn't necessarily need a prolific passer to win the Super Bowl. As unlikely as it may have seemed two months ago, the Vikings are legitimate contenders, and while they have some tremendous talent on both sides of the ball, which is a credit to their front office, Zimmer deserves a ton of credit for putting the pieces together.
