NFL
By: Steve Rogers
The Playoffs are here! It’s wild card weekend. The Minnesota Vikings won their division by going 13-4. As a result, the Vikings secured the three seed. The New York Giants have out-performed their own expectations this year. The Giants finished the regular season 9-7-1. Good enough to earn the sixth seed in the playoffs as one of the three wild-card teams. Setting up this rematch from week 15 of the regular season. The New York Giants are back in Minnesota to face the Vikings again.
NEW YORK GIANTS
First-year head coach Brian Daboll has done a fantastic job this year. He is turning this young Giants roster around a year faster than anyone had anticipated. They play a hard-nosed smash-mouth style of football. They are led by star running back Saquan Barkley. After an outstanding resurgence this year, Barkley has put all the doubters and haters to bed. He rushed for 1312 yards and had ten touchdowns. His 1312 yards are the fourth most in the league this year. Barkley should have his name in the running for comeback player of the year. Another reason for the success of the Giants has to be the improvements made by Fourth-year starting quarterback Daniel Jones. Jones threw for 3205 yards, good for 15th in the league. He had 15 touchdowns and only five interceptions. His five picks are the third-fewest in the league. This defense has been playing better as this season has progressed. They have one of the highest blitzing rates in the NFL this year.
There’s a saying, “Be careful what you ask for. You just might get it!” Well, Barkley did just that after the first game while shaking hands. He said he wanted a rematch. It looks like his wish has been granted. Offensive lineman Nick Gates said he was “Surprised. Actually, I thought it would be a lot louder,” He went on to say, “I thought especially when our offense is out there they would be a lot louder out there. But you know, they’re Midwest people. They’re too nice. I can say it because I went to Nebraska. I went to Nebraska. I include myself in that one.” This might be a mistake to underestimate the fan base here in Minnesota. The fans haven’t had many home playoff games in the US Bank Stadium. If you want to know what that will look and sound like, just look up “The Minneapolis Miracle!” This Building will be rocking on Sunday. Head coach Brian Daboll calling playoff experience ‘overrated’ might be deflecting from the fact that nine of the ten captains on his team have never experienced a single postseason game!
MINNESOTA VIKINGS
Can the Vikings finally make a playoff run? Have all these nail-biting one-score games pressure-tested this team and hardened them like a diamond? Has this been the ‘Plan’ all along by first-year head coach Kevin O’Connell? Is this the year Kirk Cousins erases the ‘narrative’ that he can’t win in big games or moments? At least some of that was answered as Cousins led an NFL record-tying eight game-winning drives. Cousins is also part of another NFL record with 11 one-score victories this year. Here’s a quote from Cousins on the role O’Connell had on the team’s 11-0 record in one-score games “I think a lot of credit goes to Kevin. Anytime something happens to your team that hasn’t happened in league history, then I think your head coach deserves a lot of credit.”
This is the first home playoff game for the Vikings since 2018 when Case Keenum hit Stefon Diggs for the walk-off touchdown that became known as “The Minneapolis Miracle.” Wide receiver Adam Thielen was on the field during that play. Here’s a quote from Thielen on his approach to playoff games versus the regular season “The feeling is different, but as far as the process, the process is the exact same. I think the coaches have done a great job, and the players in this locker room have done a great job, of not making it bigger than it is. We know it’s win-or-go-home.”
MY PREDICTION
This will be a great game….again. The first game came down to a franchise-record 61-yard walk-off field goal made by Vikings kicker Greg Joseph. Both teams rested key starters in the season finally, to get healthy and avoid further injury. The “Youth” factor will play a part in this one. The saying goes, ” You must learn how to win in the playoffs.” The Giants’ roster is just too inexperienced yet. The Vikings have playoff-experienced veterans scattered all over the roster. Center Garrett Bradbury will be a full go for the Vikings. That will go a long way in helping solidify the offensive line and allow the Vikings to implement their full-game plan. Adding tight end Irv Smith Jr. back to the lineup brings even more weapons to Cousins’ disposal. Justin Jefferson is a man on a mission. Basically, anything he says he’s going to do, he does. He wanted to lead the league in receiving done, in both yards 1809 and catches 128. He has been on a meteoric rise since he burst onto the NFL scene as a rookie, and all he’s done is elevate his play week in and week out, year in and year out. Against the Giants, he had 12 catches for 133 yards and one touchdown. That’s an average of 11.1 yards per catch. This wild card game will be more of the same. The T.J. Hockenson and Justin Jefferson show will be on full display on Sunday. The duo will share a pair of touchdowns each. Yes, four touchdowns, , and Delvin Cook will get one as well. The crowd noise will be deafening. The final score will be 34-24 Vikings!
