Inside The Vikings

5 things that stood out in the Vikings' 28-6 win over Giants

The new guys stood out big time in Minnesota's blowout victory at MetLife Stadium.

Joe Nelson

Sep 8, 2024; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; Minnesota Vikings running back Aaron Jones (33) runs for a touchdown as New York Giants cornerback Nick McCloud (44) defends during the first half at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John Jones-Imagn Images
Sep 8, 2024; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; Minnesota Vikings running back Aaron Jones (33) runs for a touchdown as New York Giants cornerback Nick McCloud (44) defends during the first half at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John Jones-Imagn Images / John Jones-Imagn Images
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Sam Darnold, Aaron Jones and Andrew Van Ginkel played great, Justin Jefferson scored a touchdown (and didn't do his Griddy dance) and the Minnesota defense was way too good for Daniel Jones and a bad New York Giants offense stood no chance in the Vikings' 28-6 win in the season opener.

Let's dig into five interesting aspects of the game that stood out...

1. 4th-and-goal from the 2? Go for it.

Want to build your much-doubted quarterback's confidence? Just let him throw the ball to Justin Jefferson on 4th-and-goal from the 2-yard line.

Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell could've sent on the field goal unit for an early 10-3 lead, but he risked it by trusting Sam Darnold and the former No. 3 overall pick made him look like a genius by hitting Jefferson on a slant for a touchdown and a 14-3 lead.

2. Andrew Van Ginkel is a defensive menace

While rookie Dallas Turner and free-agent signee Jonathan Greenard got most of the attention this summer as new Vikings edge rushers, it was Van Ginkel wreaking havoc on the Giants in his Vikings debut. Van Ginkel played fast and was all over the field, producing a stat line that might earn him the NFC Defensive Player of the Week award: 4 tackles, 1 sack and an interception returned for a touchdown.

3. Aaron Jones makes something out of nothing

Facing a 4th-and-1 in the first half, Jones' second effort after being hit in the backfield netted the Vikings a first down. That was a nice change after last year's struggles in short-yardage situations, but even better was Jones going wide for the first touchdown the season. Minnesota didn't have a rushing touchdown until Week 8 last season.

4. The bad stuff...

Ed Ingram was pushed backwards and Dexter Lawrence sacked Darnold on the second offensive play of the day for Minnesota.

On the third play, C.J. Ham fumbled and set up the Giants for a short field a chip shot field goal.

The ugliness continued (not for too long) with Dallas Turner lining up offsides and center Garrett Bradbury getting called for holding penalty to erase a 10-yard run by Aaron Jones.

It was all good for a while before the Vikings were forced to burn two timeouts as the play clock ran down on a single drive in the third quarter.

5. Jordan Addison's ankle and impact on the passing game

Addison left the game in the third quarter with an ankle injury. Before departing, he had three catches and helped Darnold to a first half that saw him complete 13 of 14 passes for 151 yards and a touchdown.

Without Addison for the majority of the second half, Darnold didn't stuff the stat sheet. That could be the product of Minnesota leading by a wide margin, but Darnold's numbers in the second half featured 6 of 10 passing for just 59 yards, one touchdown and an interception.

Addison's ankle will be monitored throughout the week and if he can't go next week against the 49ers, it will be a much more challenging day for Darnold and the Vikings offense.

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Joe Nelson
JOE NELSON

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