If the Week 16 sport between the New York Giants and Minnesota Vikings was the appetizer, this weekend’s Wild Card assembly is the primary course.

The sixth-seeded Giants look to up-end the third-seeded Vikings on their house turf in what might be one other shut sport. If that is the case, that is not excellent news for the Giants, because the Vikings are 11-0 in one-score video games.

However there may be excellent news. The Giants ought to have all fingers on deck–outside linebacker Azeez Ojulari (who injured his ankle within the first assembly), security Xavier McKinney, and (hopefully) cornerback Adoree’ Jackson–to deal with a Vikings offense that has proven it may be explosive.

Can the Giants, who nobody thought would make it this far, shock the Vikings? We’ll proceed to discover that query this week, however for now, let’s test in with Contained in the Vikings writer Will Ragatz for the most recent on the state of the Vikings.

How a lot is there concern in regards to the offensive line and the accidents it’s coping with?

There is definitely some concern. Kirk Cousins received sacked 4 instances within the final assembly between these groups, and that was with star proper sort out Brian O’Neill and backup heart Austin Schlottmann within the lineup.

Each gamers suffered season-ending leg accidents the next Sunday in Inexperienced Bay. Dropping O’Neill hurts, as he is been one of many Vikings’ finest, most constant gamers for a number of years. It will both be Oli Udoh or Blake Brandel at proper sort out, which suggests Kayvon Thibodeaux may be extra of a menace this time round.

At heart, it regarded like third-stringer Chris Reed must play, however starter Garrett Bradbury was a full participant in Thursday’s follow. Bradbury, a former first-round decide having a profession season in a contract yr, missed the final 5 video games with a again damage. If he can go, that can present an enormous enhance in opposition to Dexter Lawrence and Leonard Williams.

How a lot do you anticipate the Vikings altering their sport plan on either side of the ball for this weekend?

I think about each groups will swap issues up a bit within the rematch, which makes this sport such an interesting chess match on either side of the ball. When the Vikings are on offense, I anticipate a renewed concentrate on the operating sport, contemplating how a lot the Giants have struggled to cease the run this season.

Minnesota largely received away from that within the first assembly, which has been the case for a lot of the season. However with the Giants presumably racking their brains to determine methods to decelerate Justin Jefferson and T.J. Hockenson, this might be an important sport to get Dalvin Cook dinner occurring the bottom.

I am fairly curious to see what the plan is in opposition to Jefferson. Getting Xavier McKinney and presumably Adoree Jackson again will assist, however will there be much more defensive consideration on the Vikings’ celebrity? In that case, that might open issues up for different pass-catchers. I am additionally excited to see what Kevin O’Connell has in retailer for Wink Martindale’s blitz packages and vice versa.

When the Giants have the ball, I would guess the Vikings will attempt to strain Daniel Jones extra and differ up their coverages after he threw for 334 yards in opposition to them final time. Stopping Saquon Barkley will likely be a degree of emphasis, as properly.

Give me one X-factor that you just assume will sway the sport within the Vikings’ favor and one that can sway the sport within the Giants’ favor.

I believe the Vikings’ two star cross rushers are key right here. Danielle Hunter and Za’Darius Smith are amongst simply eight gamers to complete with at the very least 70 pressures this season, they usually mixed for 15 within the final assembly.

Hunter dominated Evan Neal to 9 pressures and two sacks in that sport, together with a pressured fumble that the Giants fell on. Smith additionally says he is again to being one hundred pc after being restricted by a knee contusion within the second half of the season. It is sensible to line him up over the inside on passing downs to get him away from Andrew Thomas. If these two wreak havoc, the Vikings will likely be in fine condition.

The Giants must benefit from the Vikings being at lower than full energy on the offensive line, so Lawrence, Thibodeaux, and the remainder of the defensive entrance are x-factors.

Getting McKinney and Jackson again can be huge for his or her secondary. And I am going to say Graham Gano is a bonus for the Giants after he drilled three area targets from 40-plus final time.

The Vikings are 11-0 in one-score video games. Is there concern that, finally, their luck will run out, particularly in opposition to a Giants staff that has largely made a dwelling this yr in one-score video games?

All yr, I used to be satisfied the Vikings had been lastly going to lose a one-score sport sooner or later. They usually simply by no means did. They don’t seem to be going to proceed successful these video games ceaselessly, however it could be fairly brutal for his or her first one-score lack of the season to come back at house within the first spherical of the playoffs.

It is fully potential, although. The Vikings really feel snug and assured in late-and-close conditions, given their intensive expertise, however the Giants aren’t strangers to these moments both. Minnesota will likely be hoping it would not even have to come back all the way down to that (it can).

What did the Vikings be taught in regards to the Giants within the first assembly?

I believe they discovered that this offense cannot be underestimated. Jones moved the ball successfully regardless of having largely unimpressive weapons — Isaiah Hodgins is surprisingly good! — and Barkley was a menace on the bottom, as common.

The Vikings’ protection salvaged its day with two takeaways and a powerful efficiency on third downs, which has been their M.O. all yr. However this needs to be one other even sport. The Vikings received some breaks in that first sport that they can not essentially depend on replicating.

They’re going to want to point out up able to play, feed off the power of what needs to be an absurdly loud crowd, and begin quick on either side of the ball. I can not wait to see what occurs.

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