The Eagles made it a game in the second half, but the Vikings held off Philadelphia’s charge.
The Eagles’ 23-21 loss to the Vikings dropped the defending Super Bowl champions to 2-3. The Eagles lost only three games all of last season. Minnesota improved to 2-2-1.
Adam Thielen recovered the onside kick with 1:07 remaining to preserve the Vikings’ win.
The Eagles cut it to 20-14 with 12:05 remaining on Wendall Smallwood’s 12-yard touchdown catch from Carson Wentz and a run by Smallwood on the two-point conversion. But the Vikings answered with a 55-yard drive that resulted in a 52-yard Dan Bailey field goal.
Bailey missed field goals of 28 and 45 yards and made a 37-yarder.
The Eagles needed only 98 seconds to draw back within one score as Wentz found Zach Ertz for a 7-yard touchdown with 1:09 left. But Philadelphia, out of timeouts, needed the onside kick to have a chance for a miracle comeback.
The Vikings benefited from a questionable roughing the passer call on Michael Bennett late in the second quarter. FOX rules analyst Mike Pereira disagreed with the call, which negated Bennett’s 8-yard sack.
It appeared Bennett hit Cousins above the knee first and then slid down.
Instead of third-and-14 at the Philadelphia 31, the Vikings got a first down at the 11. Two plays later, Cousins found Thielen for a 3-yard touchdown. Minnesota led 17-3 at halftime.
Thielen set an NFL record with his fifth consecutive 100-yard game to start a season. He finished with 116 yards on seven catches.
Cousins went 30-of-37 for 301 yards and the touchdown to Theilen.
Wentz was 24-of-35 for 311 yards and two touchdowns. Ertz caught 10 passes for 110 yards and a touchdown. Seven other players caught passes.