Eagles-Vikings Live Blogging: First Quarter Goodness

> Joe Buck starts us with the knowledge that Minnesota is cold outside, which, of course, Does Not Matter In A Dome. Good to see that we're not starting out with undue intelligence here.

> The Vikes win the toss and defer, and Quinton Demps makes the tactical mistake of not taking a knee. The bad special teams play starts them at the 11.

> Buck describes the loss in Washington as a "hiccup." Um, try vomit.

> First offensive play has McNabb throwing high to an open DeSean Jackson and taking a hit from a free blitzer. Second play is an inside handoff to Westbrook that loses three. Let's just say I'm not swimming in confidence right now, but McNabb gets time and finds Kevin Curtis for 15 and the first.

> An aside: why do so many WRs now run laterally after a catch? It's like they've all seen Wes Welker highlights. Honestly, you're probably not fast enough to outrun the entire secondary from side to side, let alone the retreating linemen.

> Westbrook for two, and then a pointless long ball into double coverage for Greg Lewis, who is supposed to not be 100%. Um, I might want DJ in that role instead, and not to subject my QB to so many hits right away. But Andy Reid makes you accept such things.

> Third and long is a perfect ball to Brent Celek on the sideline, but he's a foot short, and Reid's punting, because the Eagles can't ever succeed in short yardage. They also don't want to risk it from their own 35. Rocca does his job with a 55 yard punt, and the coverage teams get Bernard Berrian on the ground for no return. Minnesota will start on their own 10 after the commercial onslaught.

> First play on defense has Stewart Bradley crushing Tarv Jackson; luckily, no blow to the head flag there, and the duck falls to earth incomplete. Second down has Adrian Peterson losing ground to the left, and the D-line is looking feisty. Can they get off the field on 3rd and 11? Nope, because they can't stop an obvious draw in an obvious draw situation. It's OK, I didn't need that hair.

> Peterson up the middle on first for a loss, and if these aren't run blitzes, the D-line is playing out of its mind. Taylor collects a swing pass to the left for 8, and he's looking much more dangerous than Peterson so far. The second third down of the drive is another draw from the shotgun, and this one's defended better. Fourth down, and the Vikings punt. The home team is looking a little gun-shy to me, but when you have Tarv Jackson as your QB, that's not surprising.

> The Vikes have allowed 4 punt return touchdowns this year, and DeSean Jackson doesn't make it five, but he does put 62 yards up on the board. Huge play, and the Eagles will start inside the Vikings' 30. That's not a play that the Eagles make in the Reid Era, really.

> Westbrook on an inside trap for two yards. McNabb causes heart failure for both sides on a one yard sack; Jared Allen looked like he was close to a strip. Third and nine sees McNabb scramble out of trouble again, with Jason Avant ending the play with a bad drop. Holding on the play is declined, oddly, which gives David Akers a shot at a 44-yard field goal. I think I'd take the penalty if I were them, since another incompletion would push them out of range, but there's a reason why he's Brad Childress, and I'm not. Akers connects from 44, and it's 3-0, Eagles.

> Hey, Joe Buck is questioning Brad Childress for the obvious point I made five minutes ago, before the money break! Welcome to the telecast, Joe!

> Peterson's first positive run of the day doesn't get much, and ends with Brian Dawkins holding the ball after the whistle. He also takes enough time getting up for Fox to shove another Whopper Virgin ad down our face. Screw you, AP.

> Taylor for five as we see the hit that Dawkins made that put AP on the sideline. Dawk was the NFC player of the month in December, which might count as something of a lifetime award, but far be it for me to piss on the best safety in franchise history.

> Berrian on a short and easy one for the third down conversion. Quentin Mikell makes a break on a ball to Visanthe Schiancoe and almost makes the pick; if that makes Tarv scared to throw to the TE, I'm camping happily. Taylor for another 7, which ends with Dawkins more or less spearing him at the end of the run. Yikes. Third and three brings us another way-too-easy ball to the right, this one to Bobby Wade for 11 yards and the first down.

> Peterson is checked for the concussion and returns. Damn. He gets two to the left, and the Vikings are a play away from the tying field goal range. Tarv overthrows AP for a screen that would have been very scary, and we've got Big Play Time as we see Gus Frerotte on the sideline. Tarv is looking a little clueless on getting the play call, and misses Sidney Rice on an out to the right. It's like we're looking at mirror teams!

> Chris Kluwe helps the bad Minny special teams day with a weak 17 yard punt of bounds, so the Eagles will start with tolerable field position after allowing several first downs. So far, so good, but I'd feel a lot better with a good long offensive drive here.

> McNabb to Baskett starts things, and the QB is taking more heat than I'd like, but that was a nice throw. Reid waving around on second and three, and it inspires Correll Buckhalter to go for 26 off the left side. Their best back on the ground this year does it again, and the Eagles have it at the Vikings 42.

> Buck gets a yard on the next play, with Westbrook out wide. One suspects that BDub isn't all right, really. From the gun on second, Don makes another good throw to right, this one to the resurrected Reggie Brown, and we've got a third and one. Minnesota is confused and takes time with six seconds left in the quarter, and you know what that means... More Commerce!

> Odd, really, to have the defense call time like that, but it works, as the blitz makes McNabb throw fast and too quick to Westbrook. Akers on to try from 51 for the last play of the quarter, and he nails it. Who is this kid Akers? He's got a lot more leg than the old guy they used to use.

At the end of the first, it's Eagles 6, Vikings 0.