5 players who will be key to the Vikings beating the Giants

The Vikings' road to the Super Bowl begins in Minneapolis on Sunday.

Author:
Joe Nelson
Publish date:
Jan 11, 2023 11:49 AM EST

There are a lot more than five players who will be key to the Vikings beating the Giants in the playoffs on Sunday, but here's a look at five (and some change) who will definitely play pivotal roles in making sure Minnesota's magical season doesn't come to a screeching halt.

1. Kirk Cousins

Historically, Cousins has struggled against pressure. But in Minnesota's Week 16 win over the Giants he was outstanding when under duress. According to Pro Football Focus, Cousins turned 18 pressures into 9-of-14 passing and two touchdowns, though he was sacked four times.

The Giants delivered only 18 pressures despite blitzing 27 times. Cousins turned those 27 blitzes into 15-of-24 passing for 171 yards and two touchdowns. Three of the four sacks he took came on New York blitzes.

2. Oli Udoh

Udoh took over at right tackle after Brian O'Neill suffered a calf injury and partially torn Achilles in Minnesota's blowout loss to the Packers on Jan. 1. And as big of a gap there appears to be between O'Neill and Udoh, the grades suggest that Udoh has filled in nicely.

Udoh played 32 pass-blocking snaps in the Packer game and allowed just one pressure. He followed that up against a worse Chicago team in Week 18 with just one pressure allowed on 35 pass-blocking snaps.

He'll have his hands full against Giants rookie edge rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux, whose overall numbers (4 sacks and 25 pressures) don't jump off the page but he has the explosiveness to cause big problems for a quarterback.

3. Za'Darius Smith and Danielle Hunter

Yes, this article is about five players who are key to the win but in this case just think of Smith and Hunter as a hybrid beast because that's what they were in the first meeting with the Giants.

Hunter had nine QB pressures and two sacks and Smith generated six pressures and a pass rush win rate of 28.2% (Hunter was at 26%).

The player the Vikings can attack on New York's offensive line is right tackle Evan Neal, who allowed seven sacks and ten QB hits during the regular season, both of which ranked among the worst for offensive tackles this season. Per Pro Football Focus, Neal's 47.5 pass blocking grade ranks 81st of 87 qualified tackles.

4. Garrett Bradbury or Chris Reed

Whoever starts at center will have a big task against an interior defensive line that has been very good all season for the Giants. Dexter Lawrence is PFF's No. 1-ranked interior defensive lineman this season and Leonard Williams ranks 12th. The dynamic duo combined for 12 pressures, two sacks and four hits on Cousins in Week 16.

Minnesota did not have Bradbury that day. He's missed the last five games with a back injury that he worsened in a car accident Dec. 17 after Minnesota's historic comeback against the Colts, and his status for Sunday's playoff game is up in the air.

Just as important as the center will be Minnesota's guards, Ezra Cleveland and Ed Ingram, who were responsible for two sacks and four hits on Cousins. Austin Schlottmann, who is out for the season with a broken leg, was the starting center that day and he was charged with one sack among the six pressures he surrendered.

5. Justin Jefferson

Jefferson lives for the spotlight and it'll be all over him in the playoffs. For Minnesota to be at its best, he cannot get shut down the way he did in Week 17 against the Packers. In the Week 16 matchup against the Giants, Jefferson exploded for 12 catches, 133 yards and a touchdown.

He'll need another big game on Sunday, this time against a team that can review Green Bay's blueprints along the chance to get cornerback Adoree' Jackson back from injury for the first time since Week 11. Jackson was allowing an opponent passer rating of 85.3, which is solid, up until his injury.