The New York Giants are moving on.
The G-men defeated the Minnesota Vikings 31-24 at U.S. Bank Stadium on Sunday to advance to the Divisional round of the NFL playoffs.
With the win, New York will head to Philadelphia to take on the top seeded Eagles. The Vikings were 13-4 during the regular season and the Giants were 9-7-1.
Won and not done!!!! pic.twitter.com/Gi8pTg399p
— New York Giants (@Giants) January 16, 2023
It was a masterful performance by Giants’ quarterback Daniel Jones. Jones led New York to points on their first four drives of the game. According to ESPN, Jones threw for over 300 yards and two touchdowns, and was also New York’s leading rusher. He tallied 78 rushing yards on 17 carries, 25 more than Pro Bowl running back Saquon Barkley.
The Giants took the lead at the 7:47 mark of the fourth quarter when Barkley powered through the teeth of the Vikings’ defense for a two-yard touchdown.
Saquon FIGHTS for the end zone 💪
📺: FOX pic.twitter.com/ZMcB5S4LPY
— New York Giants (@Giants) January 16, 2023
After Barkley’s score, Vikings’ quarterback Kirk Cousins failed to move the chains on a last-chance 4th & 8 pass to tight-end T.J. Hockenson. After the failed fourth down attempt, the Giants offense would just kneel down until the game clock hit zeros.
This game could have gone the other way if rookie wide receiver, Justin Jefferson, showed up to play. Jefferson led the NFL this season in yards with 1,809, according to ESPN. I figured that the LSU standout would have put on a clinic in his first career playoff game, but instead, he had one of his worst games of his young career. Jefferson only caught one pass during the second half of the Vikings’ loss. He seemed to shy away during the biggest game of the season and it negatively effected Minnesota’s chances.
I have a lot of faith in the Giants to capture a win next weekend against the Philadelphia Eagles, despite losing to the Eagles twice in the regular season. Philly took down the G-men by 26 points in week 14, and then again in the regular season finale by six.
Being how the Eagles and Giants are NFC East division rivals, I feel that New York is DUE to capture a game against them. It might be counterintuitive, but I remember my New England Patriots defeating the Giants in the final game of the 2007 regular season to go 16-0 and then losing to them in Super Bowl 42 just a month or so later.
Ever since then, I have firmly believed that teams learn more from losing then they do from winning.
Historically, the Giants find ways to get better and better throughout the course of the playoffs, and after defeating the Vikings on Sunday, they may just catch fire.
Don’t be surprised if the Giants go into Philadelphia next week and knock off the top team in the conference.