NFC Championship Matchup Breakdown

Both NFC divisional round matchups came down to the final play of the game with the Eagles smothering the Falcons offense on fourth and goal and the Vikings saving their season in what has been dubbed the "Minnesota Miracle." Both teams showed their strengths holding very solid NFC South offenses in check for the majority of their respective games. For Minnesota, a win would mean the first ever home Super Bowl and for the Eagles it would mean a trip to Minnesota to prove that this team is not dead without Carson Wentz. Will JEff Fisher do the coin toss? I sure as heck hope so.

Minnesota Vikings AT Philadelphia Eagles

Line: Vikings -3

This game will come down to defense. It's a matchup between the #1 scoring defense with Minnesota and the #4 scoring defense with Philadelphia. I don't expect a lot of points on either side and with temperatures expected to be in the 20's, both sides are going to need to rely heavily on their defenses to stop their opponent's running game. I think the team that scores first will have a huge edge as they will be able to fall back on their running backs and shorten the game as much as possible.

How Minnesota Wins

Minnesota has relied heavily on their defense this entire year to hold opposing offenses off the field. Minnesota gave up the fewest points per game, but also allowed the fewest total yards in the league. Their front seven has been dominant and their defensive backfield has smothered opposing pass catchers and they will need more of the same from that defense in order to come home to Minnesota with the win. Safety Andrew Sendejo went down last week with a concussion that could threaten his ability to play against Philadelphia this week, which would be a huge blow to this Vikings secondary. Minnesota's ability to slow down this Eagles running game will be the difference maker in this game. If Philly is able to move the chains on the ground and keep the ball out of Nick Foles' hands, Minnesota could have a long plane ride home.

On the offensive side of the ball, Minnesota will need to be able to wear down this dominant Eagles front-seven. I expect a lot of short passes and screen plays to keep Philly on their toes and to hopefully tire out the big guys up front. Philadelphia's defense has thrived on turnovers so if Case Keenum and this Minnesota offense are able to stay in manageable situations, the Vikings should be able to move the ball on Philadelphia. Always watch out for dome teams playing road playoff games as we saw last week with Philadelphia dispatching the Falcons in the cold weather.

How Philadelphia Wins

For Philadelphia, the key will be stopping this Minnesota Vikings passing attack. Wide receivers Adam Theilen and Stefon Diggs are both very capable pass catchers and either one can take one to the house at any time. Minnesota will likely need a big play or two in this game to come away with the victory, so forcing the Vikings to win with long continuous drives will be tough for Minnesota to do. The Philadelphia secondary will have their hands full trying to contain Diggs and Theilen, but if they are able to cover Keenum's first couple of reads, it will allow that Philly defensive line to pressure the quarterback and potentially force some turnovers.

On the offensive side of the ball for Philadelphia, it will come down to their ability to create space in the running game. Philly has a stable of capable running backs with Jay Ajayi, LeGarrette Blount, and Corey Clement, which will allow the Eagles to have continuously fresh legs in their backfield. If the Eagles are able to consistently gain yards on the ground and tire out this Vikings defense, they will be able to use play-action to strike when the Vikings least expect it. As much as we all rag on Nick Foles, he played much better last weekend against a feisty Falcons defense. If Philly is able to get a couple quick scores early, they should be able to ride their running backs all the way to the Super Bowl.

Key Matchup

This game is going to be won in the trenches so the key matchup has to be offensive vs. defensive lines. Both the Eagles and Vikings have extremely strong defensive lines so I expect a very low scoring game especially with such low temperatures in the forecast. Field position will be vitally important, so the team that is able to hold up on defense should be able to manufacture some offense on a short field. Look for Eagles defensive linemen Fletcher Cox and Brandon Graham to tee off against this Vikings offensive line and put pressure on Case Keenum. Both offensive lines will have their hands full against these d-linemen that are just waiting to feast on sub-par quarterbacks. Don't expect a lot of points in this one.

Prediction

Vikings 16 - Eagles 10

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