Sep 26, 2022; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Giants defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports.
Each week, VikingsTerritory details 20 statistical or interesting facts about the upcoming Minnesota Vikings game. This week’s edition involves the New York Giants, who are four-point underdogs facing the Vikings in Week 16.
The game is on December 24th, 2022, at noon pm CST at U.S. Bank Stadium.
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1. The Giants rank 14th in offensive EPA/Play and 29th in defensive EPA/Play — decent on offense, porous on defense.
2. Eric Kendricks has now played more games as a member of the Vikings than Randy Moss.
3. Minnesota has toppled New York three consecutive times, and the last time they didn’t, Josh Freeman quarterbacked the Vikings (2013).
4. Through 14 games, the Vikings offensive line ranks 14th-best leaguewide per Pro Football Focus. The group has fallen four spots in two weeks.
5. The Vikings lead the NFL in 4th Quarter points scored (132). And they need 13 points in the next three games (in the 4th Quarter) to shatter the franchise record:
Most Points Scored,
in the 4th Quarter,
Vikings History:
1998 Vikings = 144
2020 Vikings = 137
2004 Vikings = 136
2009 Vikings = 134
2022 Vikings = 132*
1997 Vikings = 132
1992 Vikings = 129
*3 games left in season
6. Although the Giants defense stinks on the whole, they rank fourth-best in the NFL on defensive 3rd Downs, only allowing opponents to convert 34.9% of the time.
7. New York surrenders 5.4 yards per rush, the most in the NFL through 15 weeks. Opposing running backs have sliced and diced the Giants.
8. Justin Jefferson is on pace for 1,971 receiving yards and 10 total touchdowns.
9. Minnesota has a 5% chance of winning the Super Bowl in February, per FiveThirtyEight. The Giants have an 86% of reaching the postseason and a 0.4% of probability of winning the Super Bowl.
10. If the playoffs started today, the Vikings would host the Washington Commanders at U.S. Bank Stadium in the wildcard round. Tunneling down the stretch of the 2022 season, Minnesota will very likely face the Giants, Commanders, Lions, Seahawks, or Packers in Round 1 of the postseason.
11. If Kirk Cousins has a bingo board home, the only franchises his teams have not beaten (with him at QB1) are the Kansas City Chiefs and Cincinnati Bengals. Cousins crossed the New England Patriots and Indianapolis Colts off the list in the last month.
12. The Vikings played their 1,000th game in team history last Saturday and decided they needed to fire up the largest comeback in NFL history. The timing was fantastic.
13. Per Power Ranking Gurus, the Vikings have the NFL’s fifth-easiest remaining schedule. Only the Buccaneers, Chargers, Lions, and Colts have an easier trek in Weeks 16-18.
14. Before last weekend, teams were 0-72 in NFL history when trailing by 33+ points at halftime. Now, those teams are 1-72 (.013).
15. Kirk Cousins has 885 passing yards in the last two weeks (at DET, vs. IND), a team record for consecutive games.
16. The Giants have one former Vikings personality in their orbit — Andre Patterson, the defensive line coach. He worked for the Vikings in 10 seasons (1998-1999, 2014-2021) before joining the Giants earlier in the year.
17. Because the Vikings are locked into “nothing worse than the No. 3 seed” in the NFC playoffs, Justin Jefferson’s quest for 2,000 receiving yards could be undone by a potentially meaningless Bears game in Week 18 if starters rest.
18. Through 15 weeks, pass rushers Danielle Hunter and Za’Darius Smith have the same PFF grade, 83.0.
19. Things the Vikings Do Well thru 15 Weeks:
? 1st in 4th Q Points Scored
? 5th in Total 1st Downs on Offense
? 7th in Redzone TD %
? 7th in Fewest Penalties
? 7th in TDs Scored
? 8th in Points
? 8th in Takeaways
? 10th in 4th Q Points Allowed
20. Things the Vikings Do Poorly thru 15 Weeks:
? 26th in Yards per Rush
? 27th in Sacks Allowed
? 27th in Time of Possession
? 27th in Passing Defense DVOA
? 28th in Points Allowed
? 28th in 1st Downs Allowed
? 31st in Passing Yards Allowed
? 32nd in Yards Allowed
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. He hosts a podcast with Bryant McKinnie, which airs every Wednesday with Raun Sawh and Sally from Minneapolis. His Viking fandom dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ and The Doors (the band).