Brandon Powell started things off with a fumbled punt. Alexander Mattison coughs up the ball one play after Minnesota gets an interception. Justin Jefferson fumbled out of the end zone late in the second quarter as the Vikings drove to take the lead. Cousins then gave the ball away on the second snap of the third quarter for a sack, allowing the Eagles to take a 20-7 lead.
Jefferson’s turnover was painful, as a fumble out of the end zone gave Philly the ball. Instead of taking a lead heading into halftime, Minnesota blew a six-point lead and eventually sank to 27-7 before things settled down.
“I put it on myself,” Jefferson said of the turnover. “Fumbling in the end zone like that when we needed points and we were driving and had that momentum. I told my teammates I had it, and it won’t happen again.”
With two fumbles in Week 1, the Vikings’ six fumble losses in the first two games are the most since the 2003 St. Louis Rams, who lost seven.
The 2023 Vikings are the 34th team since 2000 with seven more turnovers in their first two games, per NFL Research. In the past 33, only seven have made the playoffs. Minnesota is the first team since the 2019 Dolphins to have seven more turnovers in the first two games.
“You’re going to lose a turnover battle four-on-one with three of them being fumbles, or all of them being fumbles,” coach Kevin O’Connell said. “Seven-to-one in turnovers lost two games and we lost by a combined nine points verses two playoff teams from a year ago. Obviously, I need to coach it better. from a perspective of something we talk about every day. Ball security is a major, major focus of our football philosophy, but obviously, I have to do a better job and our personnel . football in your hands playing for the Minnesota Vikings.”
O’Connell will surely emphasize that despite the terrible turnover stats, Minnesota lost its first two games by a combined nine points. After going 11-0 in one-point games last year, the Vikings are 0-2 to open 2023.
Cousins and Jefferson have put up monster stats over the past two weeks, which is especially encouraging given the offensive line injuries they dealt with on Thursday. But to get in line for a win, Minnesota needs to protect the football going forward, starting with next week’s game against the Los Angeles Chargers.
“Having your scoring differential almost equal your turnover margin is not something you want to preach positively, but I know the locker room is confident,” O’Connell said. “I know you get what you promote to them. So my expectation is that if we make ball security a living, breathing thing that we talk about and walk around in our building, it will improve. And that’s my hope and that’s for me and our coaching staff to promote it, minute-to-minute, hour-by-hour, in how we practice and finally start to see it show up on Sundays.”