Breaking down Week 7’s biggest game with National Football League insider Michael Lombardi

They’ll pass it, in close fashion: Vikings 23, Eagles 21. The Vikings get to face a rookie, and the Eagles will seek to take down their former quarterback.

The Philadelphia Eagles dropped their second straight game since the bye week, this time a 27-20 division defeat at the hands of the Washington Redskins. While Bradford expects to hear boos, Eagles fans have been largely in support of Bradford this week, according to SportsRadioWIP Twitter poll questions. If Schwartz can get the defense back on track, the Philadelphia Eagles will have a legitimate chance of upending the only undefeated team remaining in the National Football League, but if their most recent performances are any inclination, it could be another long day for the Eagles.

“That’s just the nature of this business”, Wentz said. Shurmur was the offensive coordinator and he helped the quarterback have what was then considered one of the better rookie seasons.

The Eagles jumped out to a 3-0 start, but all of a sudden they’ve lost back-to-back games after their bye week.

This game has an interesting twist to it.

Sunday’s game carries an extra layer of intrigue, with the Eagles trading quarterback Sam Bradford to the Vikings on September 3 after Teddy Bridgewater’s significant season-ending knee injury in practice a few days earlier. Teddy Bridgewater and Adrian Peterson both went down with season-ending injuries.

The Vikings are a just a few years removed from going winless on the road, finishing 0-7-1 away from home in the 2013 season. Traded to Minnesota before the season, Bradford has completed 70.4 percent of his passes, with a passer rating of 109.7, for the NFC North leaders.

Bradford, speaking later in the afternoon on a conference call, after trodding much of the same ground with Minnesota reporters, was in more of a reflective, expansive mood than Wentz. The Vikings are committed to running the ball, but the results haven’t been good.

“You try to block, you try to max protect and throw it down the field, try to throw it short, try to mix in different things, quick pass, you’ve got to do it all”, Reich said. He’s not hanging onto the football back there. They have some really good schemes. “And the guys are working down the field”, he said.

The Vikings offense isn’t particularly dynamic at any position or area, but the unit ranks dead last in the run. He looks very accurate to me. The Vikings defensive effort was highlighted by sacks from Danielle hunter, Tom Johnson, and a pair from defensive end Brian Robison to go along with an interception by safety Andrew Sendejo. In the first three games, he was sensational.

Bradford will throw for 220 yards and two touchdowns.

Months ago, Bradford had demanded a trade when the Eagles traded up to the No. 2 spot in the draft for Wentz.

“Our pass rush”, Pederson said, “has got to show up this week”.

“I really got in the playbook and feel comfortable with it”, Long said. Stick around. We’ve got all of the pre-game analysis before the matchup. “If it happens in practice, I’m going to stop it”.

“I just know that when my number is called, I’ll go out there and play well”.

“I guess all I can say is you can’t please everybody, and that answer would change depending on who you poll”. But our focus is within our building and the guys we have and getting our guys ready to play. “I was excited about playing with those guys this year”, Bradford said. Fortunately for them, they take on the struggling New York Jets, who will be playing backup quarterback Geno Smith on Sunday.

“You know, you can tell guys where these bones are buried within a play – how to get to your second or third read or where is that check down – and on paper, we understand that, but until you actually get out there in the field and have to find those bones under pressure, that takes it to another level of experiential learning”.