The Minnesota Vikings made a New York-sized statement on Sunday.
Behind impressive debuts from three key new players, the Vikings cruised to a 28-6 win over the Giants at MetLife Stadium. The offense scored on the ground and twice through the air, while the defense dominated Daniel Jones and Co. all game.
Here are five observations from the Vikings-Giants Week 1 contest.
Vikings Defense Stymied Daniel Jones, Scored Touchdown
The Vikings defense started fast on Sunday and they never slowed down.
In the first half, they suffocated quarterback Daniel Jones and the offense. Then midway through the second half, they even scored on them.
The touchdown was off an interception by linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel. On the play, Van Ginkel lined up as the left edge rusher but stopped his rush to extend his arms in the passing lane. It was a wise decision by Van Ginkel, as Jones threw a pass right to him.
Van Ginkel ran the interception back for a quick 10-yard touchdown return, giving the Vikings an insurmountable 28-6 lead with 4:22 to play in the third quarter.
The defensive touchdown was an exclamation point on what was already a dominating performance for the Vikings’ defense over New York’s offense. Jones finished the game going 22 of 42 for 186 yards with no touchdowns and two interceptions for an abysmal passer rating of 44.3.
It was all Minnesota from the beginning, as the Vikings forced a three-and-out of the Giants’ offense on the first series of the game.
New York’s second offensive possession began at the Minnesota 20, though, as a C.J. Ham fumble was recovered by the Giants. The Vikings defense responded well, forcing a field goal try on the ensuing possession. The Vikings offense then got on track, scoring touchdowns on the following two possessions to build a 14-3 halftime lead.
The fast start, physicality, and versatility of the Vikings defense set an early tone in the game, which the Giants were never able to overcome.
Byron Murphy Jr. was the Vikings’ leading tackler. Van Ginkel finished with an interception and sack, along with three tackles. Patrick Jones II (2.0), Harrison Phillips, and Dallas Turner also had sacks for the Vikings on Sunday.
Sam Darnold Started Fast
It was about as good an opening half as one could ask for. And it was the best opening half of Sam Darnold’s career.
The seven-year veteran, who signed with the Vikings this past March, completed his first 12 completions on the day, the most consecutive completions to open a game of his career.
One of those 12 completions was a three-yard touchdown strike to star receiver Justin Jefferson on 4th and 2, which gave the Vikings a 14-3 lead a little past the halfway point of the second quarter.
Darnold finished the first half going 13 of 14 for 151 yards and the touchdown to Jefferson. Earlier in the half, Darnold also dropped a precision pass to Jefferson for a gain of 44 yards. Jefferson finished the game with 59 yards and the score on four catches.
Head coach Kevin O’Connell asked less of Darnold and the passing game in the second half as the team nursed a significant lead and avoided mistakes that would allow the Giants back in the game.
All told, Darnold finished the game going 19 of 24 for 208 yards with two touchdowns and one interception, good for a passer rating of 113.2.
More Statement Debuts: Aaron Jones, Andrew Van Ginkel Both Score TDs
Darnold wasn’t the only member of the Vikings to author a statement debut performance in purple and gold.
Fellow free agent signing Aaron Jones, who defected from Green Bay this offseason, scored the first touchdown of the season for the Vikings when he scampered off left tackle for a three-yard score. It was a refreshing way for the Vikings to finish an offensive drive, given that last year’s starting running back, Alexander Mattison, managed zero rushing touchdowns on the season.
Jones’ debut was encouraging for a Vikings’ offense that is looking to use an efficient ground game to take pressure of Darnold and counteract the heavy target reliance on Jefferson.
For the game, Jones finished with 94 yards and a touchdown on 14 carries. He also added two receptions for 15 yards.
On defense, it was Van Ginkel who stood out among several impressive performances. In the first half, he registered a sack of Jones on third down in the red zone to force New York into a field goal attempt.
In the second half, Van Ginkel snagged his interception to effectively end any long-shot hopes the Giants had of mounting a comeback.
Van Ginkel is one of three edge rushers the Vikings added this offseason. Jonathan Greenard was their marquee free agent signing, and he played well on Sunday. The other edge rusher added was Turner, who was selected with the No. 17 overall pick in this year’s draft.
Jordan Addison Injured Ankle, Status for Next Week Unknown
Jordan Addison injured his ankle on Aug. 14 in a joint practice with the Cleveland Browns and was sidelined until this past Monday when the Vikings kicked off their preparation for the New York Giants.
Now, it’s apparent Addison will be sidelined once again with an ankle injury after he left Sunday’s game in the third quarter.
More details are still to come, but early signs are that Addison could miss more time.
Addison hauled in three receptions for 35 yards prior to going to the medical tent in the third quarter. The Vikings’ passing offense is already a bit shorthanded, with T.J. Hockenson set to miss the first four games of the 2024 NFL season while rehabbing from a torn ACL suffered late last year.
Should Addison miss any time, Jefferson will continue to be the focal point of this passing attack, while the role of Jalen Nailor should be set to expand. Nailor scored only moments after Addison left the game.
Giants Offense, Daniel Jones Look Disjointed
Head coach Brian Daboll likely feels almost nothing went well for his offense on Sunday. And that’s true, as the Giants failed to score a touchdown and averaged a measly 3.5 yards per play.
But the focus in New York will undoubtedly remain on Jones. Two years after signing a four-year, $160 million contract and less than a year after suffering a season-ending knee injury, the pressure is on Jones and the Giants to get it right.
On Sunday, everything was wrong.
Jones took four sacks, completed only 52.3% of his passes, and turned the ball over twice. The home crowd at MetLife Stadium was patient for most of the first half, but the team was sent to the locker room at halftime with a healthy helping of boos.
The disgruntlement only continued for fans in the second half, as they boisterously voiced their displeasure following the conclusion of drive after drive that ended in either turnovers or punts.