Eagles Hold Off Vikings Behind Career Day from D'Andre Swift

The Philadelphia Eagles stole momentum right before halftime and seized control against the Minnesota Vikings in a 34-28 win.

With their aerial game mostly stifled, the Philadelphia Eagles turned to their running game and took advantage of four Minnesota Vikings turnovers to come away with a 34-28 victory in their home opener Thursday night.

On their way to building a 34-21 lead that essentially put the game out of reach with 4:13 remaining, quarterback Jalen Hurts scored twice on the team's patented push play from the 1-yard line and connected with DeVonta Smith on a 63-yard touchdown pass in the third quarter.

They sealed it when D'Andre Swift - who finished with a career-best 175 rushing yards - scored on a two-yard run for Philly's final score, The Eagles finished the game with 259 rushing yards.

But the Eagles appeared to seize momentum for good late in the first half when Jake Elliott kicked a 61-yard field goal as time expired. That score came after one of many gifts from the Vikings that enabled the Eagles to turn an almost certain halftime deficit into a more commanding advantage.

The most notable turnover came after Justin Jefferson caught a long pass from Kirk Cousins near the goal line but had the ball knocked loose and out of bounds by Terrell Edmunds. A replay review determined the ball crossed over the goal line before going out of bounds, giving the Eagles the ball on a touchback with 34 seconds remaining.

© Eric Hartline, USA TODAY

After advancing to the MInnesota 43 with 3 seconds remaining, Elliott took it from there, making good on the long attempt to give the Eagles a 13-7 advantage.

More of the same ensued to start the third quarter as Josh Sweat strip-sacked Cousins for another turnover that set up an extremely short touchdown drive.

All of this came after repeated failures by Hurts and the offense kept the Eagles from cashing in on numerous first-quarter gifts.

After Brandon Powell lost a fumble on a punt return that would have had the Vikings in field-goal range at the start, the Eagles responded with a turnover of their own when Hurts, despite a clean pocket, threw into double coverage and was intercepted by Theo Jackson six plays later.

Minnesota then gave it right back when Alexander Mattison fumbled on the next play, but the Eagles couldn't get a first down before sending Elliott in to attempt a 55-yard field goal that failed.

It wasn't until the Eagles nearly scrapped their passing game entirely that they found any rhythm, going 75 yards on 16 plays, with Hurts powering into the end zone from the 1-yard line to finish off a drive that featured 13 running plays.

The time-consuming drive came immediately after the Vikings had taken a 7-3 lead on a 5-yard pass from Kirk Cousins to T.J. Hockenson.

The Eagles will have an extra long week before taking on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium on Monday, Sept. 25.