NFL
By: Mark T. Wilson
The New York Giants will take on the Minnesota Vikings in their Wild Card matchup this weekend. The Giants will look to avenge a Week 16 loss against these same Vikings where the Vikings won the game on a 61-yard FG. Will the rematch be as entertaining as their frost encounter?
Can the Giants correct their mistakes or will they implode against a Vikings team looking to gain some respect from the masses? Daniel Jones and Saquon Barkley have been the driving force behind the resurgence of the Giants this season.
Here are 3 keys to victory for the New York Giants against the Minnesota Vikings.
Block Everyone Out
According to most, the New York Giants overachieved this season. Entering ther playoffs with a record of 9-6-1 will not add fear to anyone but they are where they belong. The Giants have been aggressive from the start with a smash-mouth style of play and under the guidance of first-year head coach, Brian Daboll, the Giants are in a prime position to pull off what many say will be an upset of the Minnesota Vikings.
But talk is talk. And with this being a young team and their first time here as a unit, they must block out all the noise. Remember that infamous pic of the Giants on the yacht before their playoff game in 2017? Well, that cannot happen again. Everyone needs to remain focused with the Vikings on their minds and nothing else. This is the 2nd meeting between these two teams this season with the Minnesota Vikings pulling out a last-second win. Payback should be on the Giants’ minds.
New York Giants Must Stick To The Run
With Saquon Barkley in the backfield and having a resurgent season, this seems simple, right? Well, dating back to their first encounter, the Giants only handed the ball off to Barkley just 14 times where he gained 84 yards. Although he did have 8 catches for another 49 yards, the Giants must take advantage of the Vikings’ run defense and give the ball to their backs more than they did in the previous game.
The duo of Kirk Cousins and Justin Jefferson will look to continue what they started in their Week 16 matchup when Jefferson torched the Giants’ secondary for 156 yards on 12 receptions. In order for the Giants to stay close as they did in the first meeting, it will mean handing the ball off to Barkley and Matt Breida while also getting the occasional escape from the pocket runs from Jones.
Convert 3rd Downs
In their first meeting, the New York Giants converted just 3 of 11 3rd downs. There were miscues all around. The O-Line didn’t create the necessary space for Jones or Barkley. Some passes were short and low. However, the Giants were still in the game when it mattered most. But if they were to grab at least 3-4 more of those conversions, this is a different story we’re talking about heading into this Wild Card Game this weekend.
With one and done being the motto of the playoffs, Mike Kafka must make sure his offense understands what’s at stake and that his playmakers are on their A game or else. The Minnesota Vikings are not that strong on the defense side of the ball and if the Giants can correct their 3rd down mistakes from the previous matchup, there’s a good chance they will advance to the next round.
