A glimpse into the Giants-Vikings Week 16 matchup on Saturday.
Marquee Matchup
Vikings RB Dalvin Cook vs. Giants ILBs Jaylon Smith, Micah McFadden and Landon Collins
Stopping the run has been a bugbear for the Giants all season. The stat category that best fits this team should be Not Stopping the Run. This defense is 30th in the league, allowing 150.4 yards per game and showing an inability to contain all rushing attacks. The Vikings prefer throwing and are just 28th in the NFL on rushing offense at 95.4 yards per game. Don’t let that fool you. Cook (230-1,045; eight TDs) is a formidable challenge. The Giants’ inside linebacker spot is a mess, which is why Collins will get some snaps and another natural safety, Tony Jefferson, will also be in the mix.
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Dalvin Cook Stephen Maturen/Getty Images
Paul’s choice
When the Vikings roll and the joint bounces and the crowd starts chanting “Skol,” it’s a tough spot for the street team. No wonder the Vikings are 7-1 at home this season. The Giants got what they needed last week, but lest we forget, they managed to score just 13 points on offense. That is not neglected here. Forcing turnovers from Kirk Cousins and Saquon Barkley running wild is the combination required to pull off the surprise.
Vikings 27, Giants 17
4 descents
Popgun Attack: The Giants are last in the league in explosive passing — completions of 20 yards or more — with just 21. For comparison, the Chiefs lead the NFL with 62. The Vikings are in 13th place with 43. Don’t the Giants ask Daniel Jones? to look deeply or can’t its recipients tear themselves away?
“I would say every game is just different when it comes to how you want to attack a defense,” said offensive coordinator Mike Kafka. “In some games you want that, in some games you want something different.”
On the other hand, Jones has fewer interceptions (four) than any starting quarterback. Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins has 11.
Story of the two halves: There is no way of knowing how the Vikings will react after their week 15 experience. They made the biggest comeback in NFL history, trailing 33-0 at halftime against the Colts and roaring back to earn a 39-36 victory in overtime. Did that exhaust the Vikings or give them energy?
“Very strange situation,” said security chief Julian Love. “That shows how resilient they are, because Kirk Cousins was a part of some of them. It shows that you can’t let up against them, they have too many weapons not to be wary. We need to be locked up.”
From the inside to the outside: Rookie Kayvon Thibodeaux and sophomore Azeez Oljulari are two 22-year-old outside linebackers and rising edge rushers. You have received deserved recognition for your work over the past month. They are spurred on by the play of central defenders Dexter Lawrence and Leonard Williams. It’s no coincidence that Lawrence had a quiet game against the Eagles in Week 14 when Williams was out with a neck injury.
“When Leo isn’t out there, Dex has four hands in the game all the time,” defensive coordinator Wink Martindale said. Lawrence was selected for his first Pro Bowl this week. Notably, the Vikings are sidelined with a relapse without their regular Garrett Bradberry.
Locked in: Saquon Barkley has had longer runs and more productive plays, but the three straight rushes he had in the fourth quarter last week — bursts for 12, 15, and 14 yards — were a show of strength Barkley and the offensive line haven’t seen much this season .
“You, as they would say, you come in your pocket,” Barkley said. “That means you’re getting into your zone. You start to feel good. Of course, if you tear off the first one, you get into the second, third. For me, I just want to figure out how to get four, five, six.”
The return of Ben Bredeson down the left made a difference. The Vikings are 18th in the league in running defense and allowing 120.4 yards per game. The Giants are sixth in rushing offense at 146.2 yards per game.