Behind Enemy Lines: 5 Questions Answered About Giants' Week 1 Opponent

We check in with Wil Ragatz of Minnesota Vikings on SI to get some firsthand intel on the New York Giants Week 1 Opponent

Nov 27, 2023; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; A Minnesota Vikings helmet sits idle on the field before the game between the Minnesota Vikings and the Chicago Bears at U.S. Bank Stadium. / Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images

Will Ragatz of Minnesota Vikings on SI checks in to answer five questions about the New York Giants' Week 1 opponent.

How much is there concern about the Vikings' secondary?

The secondary isn't a major concern for the Vikings this season. Their safety trio of Harrison Smith, Camryn Bynum, and Josh Metellus might be the best in the league.

At cornerback, there was certainly concern six weeks ago when projected starter Mekhi Blackmon suffered a torn ACL on the first day of training camp, but that's been shored up since then with the addition of five-time Pro Bowler Stephon Gilmore.

Despite turning 34 this month and being on his fifth team in five seasons, the former DPOY has continued to play at a very high level in recent years. Gilmore, Byron Murphy Jr., and Shaq Griffin should be a solid, if unspectacular, group of veteran corners for Brian Flores.

Had JJ McCarthy not needed season-ending knee surgery, how close do you think he was to winning the starting QB job?

Closer than some people might think. The Vikings were blown away by how far McCarthy progressed from when he showed up in the spring to when he tore up the Raiders in the preseason opener. He showed comfort in Kevin O'Connell's offense, poise beyond his years, and the arm talent that made him a top-ten pick this year.

I still think Darnold would've probably opened the year as the starter if McCarthy hadn't gotten hurt, but who knows? At the very least, the rookie would've been ready to step in as soon as the veteran showed any signs of faltering. Unfortunately, he's on the shelf until 2025.

The Vikings remade their pass rush. What have you seen from it, and what’s the linchpin in that unit?

Much has been made of the departure of Danielle Hunter (16.5 sacks last year) to Houston, but I think the Vikings' edge rusher group is pretty clearly better on the whole than it was in 2023.

Although Jonathan Greenard isn't quite Hunter, he had 12.5 sacks for the Texans last season and is in line for another big year.

The Vikings also added Andrew Van Ginkel — a do-it-all veteran who previously played for Brian Flores in Miami — and first-round rookie Dallas Turner to that room. The linchpin is Flores' aggressive scheme and complex array of pressure packages.

An X-factor for the Vikings' pass rush is whether or not defensive tackles Harrison Phillips and Jerry Tillery can generate any interior pressure to complement the OLBs.

How has Sam Darnold looked as compared to his other stops?

Darnold is the key to everything for the Vikings this season. If he takes advantage of this great opportunity in Minnesota and has a Baker Mayfield, Geno Smith-like career resurgence, this team could surprise people and be very interesting in 2024. If he's the same inconsistent, mistake-prone quarterback we saw with the Jets and Panthers, the Vikings will be in for a long year.

Darnold's arm strength was on display throughout training camp, and he looked good on his lone drive during the preseason, but some picks were mixed in during camp as well. It'll be very important for the Vikings to protect him effectively, as he's struggled when pressured in his career.

Coming off a decent stretch in Carolina and his "redshirt" year in San Francisco, I'm cautiously optimistic that Darnold will be solid for the Vikings.

What is the biggest X-factor in this game?

Number one, by a lot, is how Darnold plays. Tying into that is how well the Vikings can block the Giants' three-star pass rushers, particularly Dexter Lawrence in the middle. He ate Garrett Bradbury's lunch twice back in the 2022 season.

I think Flores will make things tough on Daniel Jones and New York's offense, so it'll be up to Darnold and the offensive line to deliver a season-opening victory on the road.

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