Week 5 Preview: Giants vs. Vikings
Week 3 of the Daniel Jones Era looks to be the rookie quarterback’s toughest test to date.
The Vikings’ defense is Top-10 in every category. They are tough. The Vikings do not have a dynamic offense, so it will be incumbent upon Jones to minimize mistakes and not give the Vikings a short field.
The rookie needs to play a safe, clean, efficient game, keep everything manageable and don’t force things. If he accomplishes this, he will give his team a chance to win.
This battle of 2-2 teams is a microcosm of the “what have you done for me lately” syndrome. The Giants are coming off a 24-3 win, the Vikings a 16-6 loss. The Vikings want to get that bad taste out of their mouths. The hometown Giants want to continue riding a 2-game winning streak.
Something has to give.
What separates this Vikings defense is their talent and experience at every level, which you don’t find very often in this league.
Their best pass rusher is defensive end Danielle Hunter (3 sacks), but the best thing the Vikings do is push the front of the pocket, which creates all kinds of problems. Former Giant defensive tackle Linval Joseph (2 sacks) is the key here.
The Vikings will line up Joseph over right guard Kevin Zeitler, who thanks to an ailing shoulder, is struggling with power right now. Zeitler might need help from Jon Halapio, which will leave left guard Will Hernandez one-on-one.
In theory, this should benefit the Giants as Hernandez is their best blocker. However, Joseph is one of the strongest players in the league, and he will no doubt be stoked to play against his former team.
The Vikings don’t blitz a lot, and they probably shouldn’t since Jones has burned teams that have blitzed him in each of his two starts.
The Vikings' run defense is stout. Middle linebacker Eric Kendricks is their leading tackler and he’s very good. The Giants will be without running back Saquon Barkley again, which means Wayne Gallman will need to have a positive game.
Gallman was solid last week but has had some ball security issues in the past. He’s got to hold onto the ball.
We think the Vikings will play the Giants straight up, press their wideouts with double safeties deep, and dare the Giants to run the ball.
And they will bracket the heck out of tigght end Evan Engram, the Giants lone big-play threat.
Of note, Jones will get receiver Golden Tate back from suspension this week. Jones can use all the weapons he can find.
The Vikings offense really struggled against the Bears. Quarterback Kirk Cousins has been under fire all week, so you know what that likely means: Cousins will come out super-focused and ride the coattails of his star running back and two really good wide receivers.
Tht star running back, Dalvin Cook, has been the league’s best back so far (410 rushing yards, 114 through the air). He’s a legit home run threat and plays bigger than his 5-foot-10, 210-pound frame. He’s also completely healthy for the first stretch in his three-year career.
Cook also leads the team in receptions, which is a reflection of what has been ailing this offense.
Cousins has not gotten the ball enough to his two top wideouts, Adam Thielen and Stefon Diggs. The Vikings have invested big-time in both players but their production has been inconsistent.
Diggs has been at the center of a mini firestorm this week after expressing his frustration with the offense and, at one point, skipping out on a practice. Head coach Mike Zimmer has, in fact, not committed to playing Diggs this weekend, a situation that certainly bears watching for the Vikings.
If Diggs does play and if Cousins ever gets both players going the same week, that opposing defense will be in trouble.
The Giants defense has played better recently but it’s still a bottom-dweller until proven otherwise, particularly its pass defense.
Their biggest challenge will be containing Cook, but they also cannot fall asleep on Thielen or, if he play, Diggs.
Also, who will cover Cook out of the backfield? That’s usually an inside linebacker's job, but the Giants are decimated there.
We could once again see a lot of Jabril Peppers playing the nickel linebacker role that he filled last week. Peppers vs. Cook could be one of the game’s most intriguing match-ups as Peppers will likely follow Cook wherever he goes.
The Giants’ inside linebackers--projected to be David Mayo and Nate Stupar--will have to go one-on-one with the Vikings’ right ends Kyle Rudolph and Irv Smith Jr. Rudolph, in particular, could have a big day.
We’re most concerned about the play of the Giants’ secondary. It’s been very up and down.
You never know what you’re going to get with cornerback Janoris Jenkins, who last week played well enough to win NFC Defensive Player of the Week honors after getting off to a super slow start.
We’re more interested in rookie cornerback DeAndre Baker's development. Offenses have not been targeting him, which tells us he’s been getting the help that Jenkins has not.
Look for Jenkins to be on an island with one of the two Vikings star receivers, and hope he holds up. Diggs is smaller and won’t out-muscle Jenkins, so we’re predicting the coaches will have Jenkins on Diggs all day if the receiver plays.
The Vikings offensive line is a blue-collar group. This is where the Giants really need to compete. They need to control the line of scrimmage. If they can keep Cook from running wild they will have a chance.
Rookie defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence can look across the field and watch how former Giants defender Linval Joseph makes a big man’s game work. Lawrence has had a fine start to his rookie season and needs to build on that.
We think the Vikings will come out throwing and give Cousins some easy completions early on, of the short and quick variety. The Giants should dare Cousins to throw deep and sit on the short stuff early. If they can break on one of those quick throws and get an early turnover, they should be able to get into Cousins’ head.
As every week goes, it will be a chess match out there. The Giants' task will be to contain Cook, rattle Cousins, and force turnovers. The Vikings will run Cook till he drops and help Cousins with safe throws.
In a low-scoring affair, which we anticipate, turnovers could spell the difference.
The Vikings are the better team. They have pelts on the wall. Daniel Jones and company are looking to break through that proverbial wall. Beating the Vikings would be an upset, even with the Giants playing in home. Staying with them, even in defeat, would give the Giants’ re-build another notch in its belt.
We’re predicting that points will be at a premium, the field goal kickers will be busy, and the Vikings to win ugly, say something like 17-12.
The players to watch are the Giants’ talented youth on both sides of the ball. They are playing against the big boys now. It’s time to step up and be counted.
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