NFL
By: Steve Rogers
Ahh! The opening week of the NFL 2024 season is finally here. The Viking’s first game of the year will be on the road against the New York Giants. While this game is just the first game of the 2024 regular season many of the remaining Vikings from the 2022 season still have a bitter taste in their mouths from that HOME playoff loss to this NY Giants team. In that game, the Viking’s defense seemingly had no answer to the run game of running back Saquon Barkley and quarterback Daniel Jones. Jones did a bit more yardage-wise 78 to Barkley’s 53 while Barkley found the end zone two times. The Vikings are coming into this game with a chip on their shoulder and something to prove.
What’s New In New York
For starters the uniforms. The Giants are celebrating their 100th season in the NFL. In honor of that, they have created a special edition of the “Century Red” colored uniform. It’s a nod to the uniforms the team wore 100 years ago. Pro Bowl running back Saquon Barkley didn’t just leave he defected to the enemy in the form of rival NFC East foe the Philadelphia Eagles. In his place, the Giants have signed Devin Singletary. This is a familiar move as head coach Brain Daboll was Singletary’s offensive coordinator for three years with the Buffalo Bills. The Giants have a new defensive coordinator in Shane Bowen. Bowen served as the DC for the Tennessee Titans over the past three seasons. The Giants realizing they needed to put better weapons around quarterback Jones used their top ten first-round draft pick on LSU wide receiver Malik Nabers. This will be Jones’s first start since tearing his ACL in his right knee last year.
The Purple Perspective
Justin Jefferson is one of the Vikings who still feels the sting of that 2022 playoff loss. Jefferson is now one of the biggest stars in the NFL. He signed the biggest contract for a wide receiver ever over the summer. Jefferson with all eyes on him is not only not shying away from the spotlight but going beyond embracing it. He has grabbed hold of the title of the face of the franchise/ overall team leader (not a trait synonymous with wideouts usually). Jefferson has strapped the team on his back and shoulders. There is no need to walk this way the Vikings will be doing the Griddy this way! Jefferson was just voted as the third-best player in the league right behind the top two quarterbacks Lamar Jackson and Patrick Mahomes. Sharing the same space with MVP-caliber players is no accident but a further example of the greatness Jefferson is reaching. Can Jefferson put together an MVP-worthy season? It may be, but probably not quite. However, I think it will be good enough to at least steal a vote or two in the MVP race. This whole team is ready to take flight with “Jettas” as the captain.
Stats to Track
Two Vikings players are closing in on some similar career benchmarks. First Jefferson enters this game just 101 yards away from 6,000 career receiving yards. Over the last two years with head coach Kevin O’Connell Jefferson’s opening day yardage marks are 184 and 150. Suffice it to say it looks like a safe bet to put Jefferson over 100 yards against the Giants on Sunday. The other is the newly acquired running back Aaron Jones. Jones enters this game needing only 60 yards to join the 6000-yard rushing club. If Jones can rush for more than 78 yards he will pass Cedric Benson for 100th on the all-time list.
Back to Starting Where It All Started
Sam Darnold’s journey comes full circle this Sunday. His NFL career began in New York with the Jets. After the Big Apple spit him out he bounced around from Carolina to California. Darnold spent last year as a backup quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers. Darnold signed with the Vikings in the off-season to be the bridge starter to incoming rookie JJ McCarthy. He has become the full-time starter as McCarthy has suffered a torn meniscus requiring season-ending surgery. Darnold presents an interesting test. What does the 27-year-old former top-five draft pick have to offer with the most complete offense he’s ever had the opportunity to work with and be in command as the starter? Remember when we had all written off Geno Smith? Then he landed in Seattle and he handed all of our receipts back to us by bouncing back to being the Comeback Player of the Year! Ironically it is after escaping the same NY Jets team that Darnold is also rising out of the shadows of. I’m not the only one seeing the signs that Darnold might be this year’s lead candidate for CPOY as NFL Networks Kurt Warner has also come out and shared the same sentiments. So has his own new teammates like running back Aaron Jones who compared Darnold’s command of the offense to that of his former Green Bay Packers quarterbacks Aaron Rodgers and Jordan Love and also believes Darnold could win the award. Talk about high praise from a teammate and a Hall of Fame quarterback!
Keys to a Viking’s Victory
- The Viking’s offensive line will have to win in the trenches against the Giants who have one of the better front sevens in the league. They will have to be able to protect Darnold and keep him upright so he can survey and slice up a still slightly suspect secondary of the Giants. Darnold should have between 250 and 350 yards passing. They also need to be much better in run blocking to open up holes for Jones and Ty Chandler to create a more balanced run game. If Jones and Chandler can combine for 75 to 125 yards on the ground that should create enough balance for the Viking’s offense to impose its will.
- If Justin Jefferson can fly over 120 yards receiving he will likely lead all receivers in yards but also lead the Vikings to a week one win on the road.
- If the new and improved Brain Flores defense 2.0 with players he selected to fill roles across all three levels of his chaotic and exotic schemes can execute not only can they win this game but might be in the conversation as one of the top five or ten defenses this year.
Final Predictions
- Stephon Gilmore will put on a “Welcome to the League Rookie” masterclass in veteran shutdown corner clinique on Giants wide receiver Malik Nabers.
- All these different pass rushers coming from all over on Flores’s exotic blitz packages will have Daniel Jones seeing ghosts (lol) or at least maybe double.
- Sam Darnold will put on a surprisingly impressive performance causing doubters to second-guess themselves.
- Rookie kicker Will Reichard will hit three or four field goals.
The Vikings will be impressive on offense, and oppressive on the defensive side of the ball. The final score will be 30 – 16 Vikings.
