It wasn’t pretty all the time, but the Eagles’ passing game finally came to life, and the defense played a classic bend-don’t-break style to get the Birds back in the win column. Here are some instant observations from Philadelphia’s 28–22 win over Minnesota.

More Instant Observations: Eagles 28-22 Win Over the Vikings

• Hurts in Control — The Eagles’ offense, particularly the passing game, runs noticeably smoother when Jalen Hurts has freedom at the line of scrimmage. Both of his touchdown passes to A.J. Brown — and perhaps that massive third-down conversion in the fourth quarter — were called by Hurts at the line. It’s not the first time we’ve seen it, either. The takeaway is simple: give Hurts the keys and let him operate, Peyton Manning–style.

• I guess this puts to bed any of that A.J. Brown trade talk. He’s such a game-changer — let him read and tweet whatever he wants.
• And while we’re at it, DeVonta Smith is so good. Anytime Hurts needs a big play, he can count on Skinny Batman to deliver.

Howie Roseman has some work to do!

• Offensive Line Woes — The Eagles’ offensive line has been brutal this season. Yes, injuries to starters have taken a toll, but the lack of depth is becoming more glaring each week. It’s making everything — especially the run game — that much harder.

• Run Game Breakdown — You don’t need to be an expert to see that Saquon Barkley is getting hit almost the instant he touches the ball. No running back can find rhythm when he’s met in the backfield on nearly every carry.

Howie Roseman has even more work to do.

• Defensive Line Needs Juice — Maybe Brandon Graham’s potential return can spark the defensive line — especially off the edges — to finally make some plays. The group desperately needs to generate more consistent pressure. Jalen Carter’s forced fumble that turned into a touchdown and Josh Uche’s big sack were bright spots, but moments like those need to happen far more often.

• Secondary Still Struggling — The defensive backs continue to need all the help they can get. Quinyon Mitchell held his own, keeping Justin Jefferson under 100 yards and out of the end zone, but beyond that, the secondary remains shaky and inconsistent.

• The NFL trade deadline is less than two weeks away!

Other Random Observations

• Zack Baun’s Impact — Zack Baun is just flat-out good. The speed and discipline he showed scraping across the field to stop Jordan Mason at the one-yard line — and actually keeping him out despite the call — was outstanding.

• More from Jalen Carter — Can we get some consistency from Jalen Carter? We all know he can be a game-wrecker, and we saw flashes of that today. Now it’s about doing it week after week.

• Tackling Troubles — The Eagles’ defense needs to get back to the basics when it comes to tackling. Missed tackles have led to too many big plays over the past few weeks, a far cry from last season when sound tackling was a team trademark.

• Quarterback Talk — Will Howard Eskin still be calling for Tanner McKee to start next week? What a nitwit.

• A Win That Matters — This was a good, much-needed win — especially after the frustration of the past two weeks.