The Giants and Vikings celebrated the holidays together, with the two NFC contenders taking a Christmas Eve showdown to the wire on their respective marches to the playoffs. Now, they're gearing up for a belated New Year's showcase, with New York set to rematch Minnesota on U.S. Bank Stadium turf this Sunday. This time, the stakes are even higher. Both Brian Daboll and Kevin O'Connell, first-time head coaches making their postseason debuts, have a chance to guide their clubs to the divisional round.
Last time, it took a last-gasp 61-yard field goal for the Vikings to come out on top. So who's got the upper hand this time? Can the Giants really march into Minnesota and claim the upset? Here's a preview of the rematch:
How to watch
Date: Sunday, Jan. 15 | Time: 4:30 p.m. ET
Location: U.S. Bank Stadium (Minneapolis)
TV: Fox | Stream: fuboTV (try for free)
Follow: CBS Sports App
Odds: Vikings -3, O/U 48
When the Giants have the ball
They must attack through the air. It should tell you something about the Vikings that Daniel Jones topped 330 passing yards in the first meeting between these teams, and yet failed to clear even 200 yards in nine other games this season. New York is not built to push the ball downfield like Minnesota does, but Ed Donatell's secondary has been a sieve for much of the year. On top of that, starters Cameron Dantzler (ankle) and Harrison Smith (knee) remain banged up.
Saquon Barkley will surely be a pivotal piece of Brian Daboll's strategy; he topped 130 yards from scrimmage on Christmas Eve, averaging 6 yards per touch against the Vikings. But chances are, Minnesota's going to be able to move the ball as well, working against the Giants' own secondary issues. Jones, meanwhile, may require major reinforcements at wide receiver this offseason, but in recent weeks, he's shown added chemistry with guys like Isaiah Hodgins and Richie James. Heck, even Kenny Golladay showed up with a big touchdown catch working with the backups in Week 18.
Controlling the ball is something the Giants have done very well this year, but on a stage like this, they're gonna need to match -- or at least come close to matching -- Minnesota's penchant for airing it out. It's time for Jones to let it rip.
When the Vikings have the ball
If they can do one thing differently this time around, it's take advantage of the two-man backfield. We all know the real keys to the Vikings pulling this out, and they mostly revolve around star receiver Justin Jefferson, who went off against New York. But the ground game was mediocre in their last meeting, and Dalvin Cook's top relief, Alexander Mattison, has shown more juice with more opportunity in recent weeks.
With an increased workload in three straight weeks, Mattison came into 2022 expecting to rotate more with the starting unit, but this is precisely his time to shine. Cook, who had just 14 carries against the Giants in the regular season, is nursing a knee injury suffered in Week 18 and would do well to split the responsibilities this time out. Whatever gets the fresh back on the field, especially in the event Leonard Williams and Azeez Ojulari are back in uniform along New York's front seven.
With the Vikings, the run is always invaluable to the pass, with Kirk Cousins thriving off play-action. Cousins is already historically better airing it out on his home turf in Minnesota, but getting Cook and Mattison their fair share of touches should keep the Giants honest, allow Jefferson to do his damage downfield, and keep the Vikings rolling.
Prediction: Vikings 28, Giants 26
