The Minnesota Vikings (13-4, No. 3 seed) host the New York Giants (9-7-1, No. 6 seed) this Sunday afternoon in the Super Wild Card round of the NFL Playoffs.
Here are five things to know before Sunday’s game.
The series
This will be the fourth postseason meeting between the Vikings and Giants since the Vikings entered the NFL in 1961.
The Giants have won twice — a 17-10 victory in 1993 and a 41-0 whitewashing in the 2000 NFC Championship Game.
Minnesota defeated the Giants, 23-22, in 1997 in one of the more stunning comebacks in playoff history.
The two clubs have met 27 times in the regular season. The Vikings have won 17, the most recent this season, a 27-24 last-second win in Week 16.
Rookie head coaches clash
This Sunday’s meeting will pit two first-year head coaches against one another: the Giants’ Brian Daboll and the Vikings’ Kevin O’Connell.
As per the Elias Sports Bureau, this will be only the fourth time since the 1970 NFL-AFL merger that two rookie coaches have faced one another in the postseason.
Both men have coached in postseason games as assistants over the years. Daboll has been to the NFL playoffs with New England and Buffalo countless times, winning five Super Bowls, while O’Connell was the offensive coordinator of the Los Angeles Rams in their Super Bowl-winning run last season.
First postseason taste for many Giants
The Giants have not been to the postseason since 2016. The only player from that last playoff run still on the active roster is safety Landon Collins, and he was added back midseason after several seasons with Washington.
But the Giants aren’t all completely new to the experience. They have 17 players who have playoff experience, including two who have played in Super Bowls: running back Matt Brieda and kicker Graham Gano.
According to the New York Post:
Cornerback Adoree’ Jackson (Titans) and center Jon Feliciano, defensive back Nick McCloud (Bills) and receiver Isaiah Hodgins were with Daboll with the Bills. Richie James got in with the 49ers. Landon Collins was a key defender for the Giants in 2016, the last time they made it. Defensive end Jihad Ward (Ravens), safety Tony Jefferson (Cardinals and Ravens), Jaylon Smith (Cowboys), Fabian Moreau (Commanders) were all on teams that played in the playoffs.
Many of the Giants’ key players such as quarterback Daniel Jones, running back Saquon Barkley, and defensive linemen Leonard Williams and Dexter Lawrence will all be making their postseason debuts.
Vikings' notable feats
Quarterback Kirk Cousins set the Vikings’ single-season record for most passing attempts (643) and tallied the second-most completions in a season by a Viking quarterback (424). Since coming over to the Vikings in 2018, Cousins has thrown 153 touchdown passes — the third-most in team history.
Wide receiver Justin Jefferson led the league in receptions (128) and receiving yards (1,809) in 2022. In the process, he also set NFL records for most receptions (324) and most receiving yards (4,825) by a player in their first three seasons.
Tight end T.J. Hockenson finished 2022 with 86 receptions and 914 receiving yards, both ranked second among NFL by tight ends this season.
Trends
The Giants went into their bye with a 6-2 record. They’ve gone 3-5-1 since. They have done well against the point spread, however, going 13-4 this season.
The Vikings are 8-1 at home this season. They are 10-0 in games decided by 8 points or less and 3-4 in games decided by 9 points or more.
Big Blue’s offense ranked fourth in the NFL in rushing yards per game (148.2) this season and fifth in rushing yards per play (4.84). On defense, the Giants had 13 fumble recoveries, tying them for second in the NFL.
