Can the Vikings Avoid a Giants Repeat?
The Minnesota Vikings travel to face the New York Giants on Sunday, and they have very little to play for. At 6-8, they are eliminated from postseason contention, and it really doesn’t matter if they draw closer to .500. The reality is that their draft positioning isn’t likely to improve by a substantial amount either, so putting up a respectable performance would hardly be a bad thing.
This matchup isn’t about revenge or embarrassment—it’s about whether Minnesota handles a limited opponent the way a playoff-caliber team should.
There is a history between the Vikings and the Giants, and some recent ties aren’t pretty. After New York cut Daniel Jones loose last year, the Vikings scooped him up. He learned a ton, and the team wanted him back, but he bolted for the Indianapolis Colts. Before siding with Minnesota, Jones exploited a terrible Ed Donatell defense and parlayed it into quite the payday.
What Has Changed Since Vikings’ Playoff Meeting with Giants
During the 2022 season, Jones lost 27-24 against Minnesota in Week 16. He still threw for 334 yards and scrambled for another 34. In the first round of the playoffs, there was a repeat, and Jones passed for 301 yards with another 78 on the ground. To say that Kevin O’Connell’s team got embarrassed would be putting it lightly.
Fast forward to where we are now, and the Giants aren’t quarterbacked by such a different player. They’ve gone through the Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston experience, but Jaxson Dart looks like the future. Similarly to Jones, he’s capable of running, and Minnesota can’t get beat.
Through 11 games this season, Dart has completed 62.5% of his passes. He has 13 touchdowns and just four picks. On the ground, he’s carried the ball 70 times for 400 yards and seven more touchdowns. He certainly doesn’t avoid contact, and the 22-year-old has proven to be a dynamic talent with a reckless side.
Minnesota is facing a 2-12 Giants team that is all in on working towards their next top draft pick. Malik Nabers was lost for the season weeks ago, and this team is not good. They have played teams close, but there’s no reason to let them hang around.
This is the final time this season that the Vikings head out on the road. Kevin O’Connell needs to ensure his team is ready. A trip back to the Twin Cities needs to come with a win, and Dart can’t be allowed to go full Daniel Jones on the bit.
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