Vikings-Giants Preview, Q&A: Daniel Jones, Expectations, X-Factors

We got the inside scoop from Patricia Traina of Giants Country on the 8-5-1 Giants.

Two teams currently in the NFC playoff field are set to battle when the 11-3 Vikings take on the 8-5-1 Giants on Saturday at U.S. Bank Stadium. They're also the top two teams in the NFL this year in one-score wins; the Vikings have ten and the Giants have eight.

While the Vikings are fighting for seeding after clinching their division, the Giants will be looking to hang onto a playoff spot and avoid missing the playoffs after a 6-1 start to the season.

To get the inside scoop on the Giants' season, we asked five questions to Patricia Traina of Fan Nation's Giants Country.

After the great 6-1 start, the Giants have gone just 2-4-1 over their last seven. What's the feeling among the fan base right now? Is this all gravy since expectations were low coming into the season, or is there real frustration with the way things have gone lately?

I think if you had asked 100 Giants fans at the start of the year if they would take an 8-5-1 record and a team that’s on the verge of its first playoff berth since 2016, 100 of them would have said “heck yes!” You’re right though when you say that the expectations were low. This was a new coaching staff that had to get to know its players, had to learn who fit into the plans and who didn’t. The general manager inherited one of the worst cap situations in the league, and expectations overall were low. I firmly believe the Giants are playing with house money this year — I know that will irk some people, but I’m not going to sit here and say this team is built to go deep into the playoffs (though you never know, I suppose). I just know that this has been a mostly fun year to cover after nearly a decade of lousy football.

What have you seen from Daniel Jones in his first season under Brian Daboll? Is he becoming a possible long-term option again?

The Daniel Jones haters are going to disagree with me, but I’ve seen growth from him, which I wrote about in this article. He’s making smarter decisions, he’s staying healthy, and the confidence is growing. I think what people have to remember is that this is Year 1 of a new system for Jones and that as far as this regime is concerned, they’re not worried about what happened in the past. I think the brass is also going to grade him on a curve given the MASH unit he has at receiver and the inconsistencies of the offensive line.

If you look at this year as Giants quarterbacking 101, I think you can justly say that Jones has earned a passing grade doing what he was asked to do and that next year, he’ll likely see his range to plays expanded to include more deep shots and such.

What’s been the biggest issue for the Giants this season?

Injuries. I mentioned how the Giants had a horrible cap situation this year, and I think that’s really stopped general manager Joe Schoen from doing things he probably wanted to do to fix this roster (like add to the inside linebacker corps). At least five of his 2022 draft class members had their seasons end early due to injuries. And I mentioned the receiver MASH unit — well, throw in the injuries at cornerback and to safety Xavier McKinney. This team has to figure out why it continues to rank in the top five in man games lost and make sure it has adequate depth across the board to withstand any injuries that hit a specific unit.

What's one or two things that have to happen for the Giants to win this game on Saturday?

They need to play mistake-free. The Giants have proven time and again that they’re not good enough to overcome mistakes that spot the opponent any kind of lead. Another thing, obviously, is to limit the damage Justin Jefferson is capable of inflicting on a defense. Jefferson versus those Giants cornerbacks concerns me. Do the Giants bracket him and leave the other receivers singled up? It’s a dilemma that I’m sure is keeping Wink Martindale up at night, and I’m curious to see how they play it.

Give me one unheralded player on both sides of the ball.

I think of the defensive side, let’s go with defensive lineman Jihad Ward. Ward played for Wink Martindale at one point while they were both with Baltimore, and he’s just been such an underrated player on this defense. His production? 35 tackles, three sacks (tied for third on the team), 10 quarterback hits (tied for third on the team), 3 pass breakups, and two forced fumbles in spot duty (62 percent of the defensive snaps). Not bad for a guy they got for virtually nothing in free agency, right?

On offense, let’s go with receiver Darius Slayton. This is a guy who at the start of the year not many people thought was going to be on this roster. The team also made him take a pay cut. And what did he do? He kept his head down, worked his tail off and when the top three guys in front of him (Golladay, Toney and Shepard) were eliminated from the picture for one reason or another, Slayton stepped up, showing signs of his rookie season when he was such a pleasant surprise. Although I was one of the people who thought he wouldn’t amount to a hill of beans on this team, I applaud that young man for his professionalism and for believing in himself when not many others did.

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