Vikings host Giants in potential playoff preview | News, Sports, Jobs
New York Giants (8-5-1) at Minnesota (11-3)
Saturday, 1 p.m. EST, Fox
Fanduel Sportsbook NFL Line: Vikings by 3½
Against the unfold: Giants 10-4; Vikings 6-7-1
Series recird: Vikings lead 17-12
Last assembly: Vikings beat Giants 28-10, Oct. 6, 2019, in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
Last week: Giants beat Commanders 20-12; Vikings beat Colts 39-36 in OT.
Giants Offense: Overall (22), Rush (6), Pass (28), Scoring (21)
Giants Defense: Overall (26), Rush (30), Pass (16), Scoring (14)
Vikings Offense: Overall (13), Rush (28), Pass (7), Scoring (8)
Vikings Defense: Overall (32), Rush (18), Pass (31), Scoring (28)
Turnover Differential: Giants plus-4; Vikings plus-4.
Giants participant to look at: OLB Kayvon Thibodeaux. The fifth total draft decide had a career-high 12 tackles plus a sack that pressured a fumble he recovered for a landing final week to beat the Commanders. He had three tackles for loss within the first quarter alone of that recreation and was the NFC Defensive Player of the Week.
Vikings participant to look at: WR Justin Jefferson. The NFL chief in receptions (111) and receiving yards (1,623) is the third participant in historical past with three straight 1,600-yard seasons, all within the first three years of his profession. He wants 10 yards to go Randy Moss for the single-season Vikings file. Jefferson (4,639) is already ninth on the group’s profession receiving yards checklist.
Key matchup: Giants RB Saquon Barkley vs. Vikings protection. Barkley wants 138 dashing yards to beat his earlier single-season finest, set as a rookie in 2018, however he had simply 239 yards on 71 carries over the previous 5 video games plus 18 catches for 97 yards. The most particular person dashing yards the Vikings have allowed this season is 90 by Jets rookie Zonovan Knight on 15 carries in Week 13.
Key accidents: Thibodeaux (elbow) was restricted in observe this week for the Giants, as was DT Leonard Williams (neck) and RT Evan Neal (shoulder). … CB Adoree’ Jackson (knee) has missed the previous 4 video games. He didn’t observe with the Giants on Tuesday or Wednesday. FS Xavier McKinney (hand) will probably miss his seventh consecutive recreation. … Vikings LB Eric Kendricks (hip) was restricted in observe this week. C Garrett Bradbury (again), who has missed the previous two video games, didn’t observe on Tuesday or Wednesday.
Series notes: The Giants have received two of three playoff video games towards the Vikings, together with the NFC championship recreation after the 2000 season. The NFC North champion Vikings at the moment maintain the No. 2 seed with the Giants at No. 6, however they might wind up with a wild-card spherical matchup in Minnesota with some minor shuffling to the NFC standings. … The Vikings have received the previous 4 conferences in Minnesota towards the Giants, since a 2004 loss on the Metrodome. They’ve performed solely as soon as at U.S. Bank Stadium, a 24-10 victory by the Vikings in 2016 on a Monday evening.
Stats and stuff: The Giants can clinch a playoff spot this week with a win plus losses by two of their three pursuers: Detroit (at Carolina), Seattle (at Kansas City) and Washington (at San Francisco). … This is the primary Saturday recreation for the Giants in 11 years. … Daniel Jones has a Giants QB-record 583 dashing yards this season. He’s fifth within the NFL in QB dashing. … The Giants offense has simply 13 turnovers, tied with Philadelphia for the fewest within the league. … The Giants protection has 13 fumble recoveries, the second most within the league. … Giants OLB Azeez Ojulari has 3½ sacks prior to now three video games. … The Vikings clinched the NFC North final week, their first division title since 2017 and simply their third since 2009. … The earlier time the Vikings performed on consecutive Saturdays was within the 1997 postseason after they beat the Giants within the wild-card spherical and misplaced at San Francisco the next week. They haven’t had back-to-back Saturdays on the regular-season schedule since 1974. … The Vikings have a plus-9 turnover margin within the fourth quarter and time beyond regulation. They have solely three takeaways of their previous 5 video games. … Kirk Cousins leads NFL QBs with seven game-winning drives this 12 months. He’s had two of his 5 400-yard video games for the Vikings prior to now two weeks and handed Daunte Culpepper for third place in franchise historical past in passing yards (20,205) in his fifth season with the group. … OLB Za’Darius Smith, who leads the Vikings with 10 sacks, had two pressured fumbles final week.
Fantasy tip: Graham Gano has three video games of a number of 50-plus-yard FGs for the Giants, probably the most within the league. He’s 15 for 16 from any distance over the previous 10 video games. Vikings opponents have made eight of 11 kicks from 50-plus yards this 12 months. The Vikings have additionally allowed the second-most FGs (33), behind Denver (34).
