The Giants Have 1 Dirty Little Secret

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Based on wins and losses, plus roster talent, the Minnesota Vikings should take care of business at home versus the New York Giants on Sunday. Minnesota is favored by three points but remains a trendy upset victim from a national viewpoint.

Former Vikings quarterback Rich Gannon predicted a Giants win this week, and he wasn’t a standalone voice. Gannon said this week via The 33 Team, “I am convinced the Giants can head to Minneapolis and beat the Vikings. {…} It’s got to be a physical football game. It’s got to be a dirty physical football game.”

The Giants Have 1 Dirty Little Secret

Future Hall of Famer Rob Gronkowski told the Up & Adams show this week, “Minnesota is a team that you don’t know what you are going to get. You can get a team that posed for the No. 1 seed, or you can get a team that wasn’t a playoff team at all. The Giants. They come prepared every week to play their best, and Minnesota’s not. The Giants are going to have the upset.”

The Giants Have 1 Dirty Little
New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones (8) answers questions after team practice at the Quest Diagnostics Training Center on Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2023, in East Rutherford. © Danielle Parhizkaran / USA TODAY NETWORK.

So, let’s get it out in the open. The Vikings, while favored, are suspect upset victims, according to former players and various media personalities. But, here’s the deal about the Giants — they’re not a worldbeater team sizzling with momentum,

New York has a dirty little secret. It has tallied a record of 3-6-1 in the last 10 games. The Giants finished the 2022 season on a sour note, relatively speaking. There’s a temptation to believe New York did the inverse this season, starting slow and ending hot — hence the pick by many folks of New York over Minnesota.

Yet, that is simply false.

Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports

Here’s the 2022 situation per wins and losses:

  • at Tennessee Titans, WIN 21–20
  • Carolina Panthers, WIN 19–16
  • Dallas Cowboys, LOSS 16–23
  • Chicago Bears, WIN 20–12
  • at Green Bay Packers, WIN 27–22
  • Baltimore Ravens, WIN 4–20
  • at Jacksonville Jaguars, WIN 23–17
  • at Seattle Seahawks, LOSS 13–27
  • Houston Texans, WIN 24–16
  • Detroit Lions, LOSS 18–31
  • at Dallas Cowboys, LOSS 20–28
  • Washington Commanders, TIE 20–20 (OT)
  • Philadelphia Eagles, LOSS 22–48
  • at Washington Commanders, WIN 20–12
  • at Minnesota Vikings, LOSS 24–27
  • Indianapolis Colts, WIN 38–10
  • at Philadelphia Eagles, LOSS 16–22

You’ll notice the red font in the last half of the season. The Giants finished the season on a losing trend — and nobody cares.

New York Giants cornerback Adoree’ Jackson (22) recovers the ball on a Carolina Panthers turnover during an NFL game at MetLife Stadium on Sunday, Sept. 18, 2022, in East Rutherford. © Danielle Parhizkaran/NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK.

What’s more, the Giants final three wins occurred against the Texans, Colts, and Commanders — teams not exactly perceived as gangbusters. New York assuredly deserves to be in the postseason, but the win-loss tabulation for a was a top-heavy feat, thanks to adept performance at the beginning of the season.


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 Sal Spice. His Vikings obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ and The Doors (the band).

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