Close Contest Expected in Vikings vs. Giants Wild Card Game

Giants 27, Vikings 26 — Gregg Rosenthal, NFL.com

Kirk Cousins gets hit more than any quarterback in football. That was the case during the Vikings tight win over the Giants just three weeks ago and will be the case again with the Vikings on Sunday without right tackle Brian O’Neill. All season, the Giants made do with scheme over talent. But with Dexter Lawrence dominating alongside Leonard Williams, Kayvon Thibodeaux and Azeez Ojulari, defensive coordinator Don “Wink” Martindale can get truly wild with his blitzes and stunts. They are healthy and peaking at the right time. When the Vikings have the ball, the coaching matchup should be a fascinating back-and-forth. When the Giants have the ball, give [New York Head Coach] Brian Daboll the edge.

I’ve been picking against the Giants all year as they searched for the right mix of players and cohesion. They finally found it in December. This receivers group is good enough. The Vikings played more man coverage and blitzed more late in the season, but they are ultimately a passive defense that struggles against RPOs. I hate picking the trendy upset of the week, but the Giants wanted this matchup for a reason. It will be cruel when Minnesota’s first one-score loss of the season comes when it matters most.

Giants 30, Vikings 28 — Pete Prisco, CBS Sports

These two played on Christmas Eve, and the Vikings needed a 61-yard field goal by _Greg Joseph__ to win it. The Giants gained 445 yards of offense that day and probably should have won the game. But they didn’t. Now it’s a road playoff game, which will be a challenge. Even so, I think [Giants Head Coach] Brian Daboll will take advantage of a bad Minnesota defense. This one should be high scoring, asKirk CousinsandJustin Jeffersonwill make some plays, but it will be the Giants that win it with a late field goal this time to advance.