MINNEAPOLIS — It was a balmy 42 degrees here Sunday, shirtsleeve weather for the hardy locals, but when the Eagles left the climate-controlled confines of U.S. Bank Stadium in late afternoon, they had been plunged into the deadest winter of their football souls.
Professional football players are nothing if not aware of how things are going, and the Eagles exited the 38-20 loss to the Vikings knowing their season is hanging by a frayed thread.
Judging by how they responded to the challenge Sunday, that thread can’t hold very long unless the play improves rapidly. They are on the road each of the next two weekends, against other teams with legitimate postseason chances, and repeats of what happened against Minnesota would leave them at 3-5 before November gets a chance to howl.