The New York Giants defeated the Minnesota Vikings, 31-24, in the wild-card round of the playoffs on Sunday at U.S. Bank Stadium.
It was a near-flawless game from the offense. From the opening drive, quarterback Daniel Jones was in a rhythm. Brian Daboll and Mike Kafka kept the Giants offense moving even when some of the momentum was lost.
The defense had its struggles, but they got stops late in the game when they needed it most. Now, it’s time to move onto Philly.
Here’s our recap from the wild-card win on Sunday:
Final Score: Vikings 24, Giants 31
| Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | Final | |
| Giants | 14 | 3 | 7 | 7 | 31 |
| Vikings | 7 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 24 |
Keys to the game
- QB Daniel Jones was on fire in both phases of the game. He made big throws all game long and led the way with 78 rushing yards.
- Dexter Lawrence and Leonard Williams were absolute forces on the interior. Lawrence especially made impact plays throughout the entire game.
- The offense had a near-flawless game with 431 total yards and 6.3 yards per play. They also were 54% on third down, 100% on fourth down and 75% in the red zone.
- Wink Martindale’s defense shut down Justin Jefferson holding him to seven receptions for 47 yards.
- The offensive line deserves a lot of credit. There were some hiccups, but they opened lanes in the running game and gave Daniel Jones plenty of time to work through his progressions. They allowed just four quarterback hits 35 pass attempts.
It was over when...
Vikings QB Kirk Cousins threw short of the sticks on fourth-and-eight with less than two minutes left. Xavier McKinney got the stop on TE T.J. Hockenson to end the game.
Players of the game
- QB Daniel Jones: In a stellar playoff debut, Jones completed 24-of-35 passes for 301 yards, two touchdowns, no interceptions and a 114.1 passer rating. He also added 17 carries for 78 rushing yards.
- WR Isaiah Hodgins: It was a huge game for Hodgins, who led the way with eight receptions for 105 yards and a touchdown.
- DL Dexter Lawrence: A maniac all over the field, Lawrence had six tackles (two solo), four quarterback hits and a tackle for loss.
Injuries
- OLB Azeez Ojulari suffered a quad injury and was ruled out for the remainder of the game to open the third quarter.
- DE Kayvon Thibodeaux (hand) left the game after he got stepped his hand/fingers stepped on in the fourth quarter but returned a few plays late.
- S Jason Pinnock was carted off the field in the fourth quarter after suffering an injury while making a tackle on a kickoff return.
What's next?
Head coach Brian Daboll will hold a Zoom call with the team’s beat writers on Monday afternoon before the team prepares for a divisional round matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles.
