Vikings to face Eagles for first time since NFC Championship game

(KMSP) - The Minnesota Vikings have a date with the defending Super Bowl champions this Sunday in Philadelphia. It’s the first time the team will face the Eagles since the NFC Championship game.

Though it’s only week five, this is a big game for the Vikings.

The first quarter of the NFL season hasn't exactly gone according to plan for the Vikings, but as Coach Mike Zimmer points out, the first four games of a season can often be deceiving.

"If people remember, we were 2-2 last year; we finished 13-3. We were 5-0 the year before; we finished 8-8. We were 2-2 the year before that; we finished 11-5. So all the predictors, this isn't a good time to predict."

Up next for Minnesota is a return to the scene of a criminally bad NFC Championship game. The Eagles await the Vikings in Philadelphia, only this time, they'll have their starting quarterback under center.

Carson Wentz is playing in his third game since returning from ACL surgery, but the Vikings say he's still as dangerous as ever.

“We all know he’s a great quarterback. He can run the ball, he can make great throws, he’s smart, doesn't make many mistakes, but we’ve got to capitalize on those mistakes. We have to get him to throw the ball in tight coverage, make him nervous, make him make mistakes," Zimmer said. "We’ve got to play our defense, we’ve got to play aggressive."

“He took them to the Super Bowl and he's still making passes as such. His arm didn't die, but most definitely he's still the same guy I remember from playing against him last year, so he's still running out the pocket after knee surgery…he's healthy to me, so leave it at that. Same old Carson Wentz," said Vikings player Xavier Rhodes.

The Vikings defense will have its hands full with Wentz and it's a unit that's looking to regain its identity after an underwhelming past few weeks.

"We’ve got to get back to the quarterback more efficiently, more consistently without Griff being here. Other than that, honestly, we’ve just got to play better," said Vikings player Sheldon Richardson.