Behind Enemy Lines: Insider Analysis on the Minnesota Vikings

If the Week 16 game between the New York Giants and Minnesota Vikings was the appetizer, this weekend's Wild Card meeting is the main course.

The sixth-seeded Giants look to up-end the third-seeded Vikings on their home turf in what could be another close game. If that's the case, that's not good news for the Giants, as the Vikings are 11-0 in one-score games.

But there is good news. The Giants should have all hands on deck--outside linebacker Azeez Ojulari (who injured his ankle in the first meeting), safety Xavier McKinney, and (hopefully) cornerback Adoree' Jackson--to handle a Vikings offense that has shown it can be explosive.

Can the Giants, who no one thought would make it this far, surprise the Vikings? We'll continue to explore that question this week, but for now, let's check in with Inside the Vikings publisher Will Ragatz for the latest on the state of the Vikings.

How much is there concern about the offensive line and the injuries it’s dealing with?

There's certainly some concern. Kirk Cousins got sacked four times in the last meeting between these teams, and that was with star right tackle Brian O'Neill and backup center Austin Schlottmann in the lineup.

Both players suffered season-ending leg injuries the following Sunday in Green Bay. Losing O'Neill hurts, as he's been one of the Vikings' best, most consistent players for several years. It'll either be Oli Udoh or Blake Brandel at right tackle, which means Kayvon Thibodeaux might be more of a threat this time around.

At center, it looked like third-stringer Chris Reed would have to play, but starter Garrett Bradbury was a full participant in Thursday's practice. Bradbury, a former first-round pick having a career season in a contract year, missed the last five games with a back injury. If he can go, that will provide a big boost against Dexter Lawrence and Leonard Williams.

How much do you anticipate the Vikings changing their game plan on both sides of the ball for this weekend?

I imagine both teams will switch things up a bit in the rematch, which makes this game such a fascinating chess match on both sides of the ball. When the Vikings are on offense, I anticipate a renewed focus on the running game, considering how much the Giants have struggled to stop the run this season.

Minnesota mostly got away from that in the first meeting, which has been the case for much of the season. But with the Giants presumably racking their brains to figure out ways to slow down Justin Jefferson and T.J. Hockenson, this could be a great game to get Dalvin Cook going on the ground.

I'm quite curious to see what the plan is against Jefferson. Getting Xavier McKinney and possibly Adoree Jackson back will help, but will there be even more defensive attention on the Vikings' superstar? If so, that could open things up for other pass-catchers. I'm also excited to see what Kevin O'Connell has in store for Wink Martindale's blitz packages and vice versa.

When the Giants have the ball, I'd guess the Vikings will try to pressure Daniel Jones more and vary up their coverages after he threw for 334 yards against them last time. Stopping Saquon Barkley will be a point of emphasis, as well.

Give me one X-factor that you think will sway the game in the Vikings’ favor and one that will sway the game in the Giants’ favor.

I think the Vikings' two star pass rushers are key here. Danielle Hunter and Za'Darius Smith are among just eight players to finish with at least 70 pressures this season, and they combined for 15 in the last meeting.

Hunter dominated Evan Neal to nine pressures and two sacks in that game, including a forced fumble that the Giants fell on. Smith also says he's back to being 100 percent after being limited by a knee contusion in the second half of the season. It makes sense to line him up over the interior on passing downs to get him away from Andrew Thomas. If those two wreak havoc, the Vikings will be in good shape.

The Giants need to take advantage of the Vikings being at less than full strength on the offensive line, so Lawrence, Thibodeaux, and the rest of the defensive front are x-factors.

Getting McKinney and Jackson back would be big for their secondary. And I'll say Graham Gano is an advantage for the Giants after he drilled three field goals from 40-plus last time.

The Vikings are 11-0 in one-score games. Is there concern that, eventually, their luck will run out, especially against a Giants team that has mostly made a living this year in one-score games?

All year, I was convinced the Vikings were finally going to lose a one-score game at some point. And they just never did. They're not going to continue winning those games forever, but it would be pretty brutal for their first one-score loss of the season to come at home in the first round of the playoffs.

It's entirely possible, though. The Vikings feel comfortable and confident in late-and-close situations, given their extensive experience, but the Giants aren't strangers to those moments either. Minnesota will be hoping it doesn't even have to come down to that (it will).

What did the Vikings learn about the Giants in the first meeting?

I think they learned that this offense can't be underestimated. Jones moved the ball effectively despite having mostly unimpressive weapons — Isaiah Hodgins is surprisingly good! — and Barkley was a threat on the ground, as usual.

The Vikings' defense salvaged its day with two takeaways and a strong performance on third downs, which has been their M.O. all year. But this should be another even game. The Vikings got some breaks in that first game that they can't necessarily count on replicating.

They'll need to show up ready to play, feed off the energy of what should be an absurdly loud crowd, and start fast on both sides of the ball. I can't wait to see what happens.

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