MINNEAPOLIS – Maybe these teams will meet again, a bit later in the winter, in the playoffs. If so, the Giants and Vikings will have a tough time topping what went down Saturday inside U.S. Bank Stadium.
The Giants did not get what they wanted or needed but they did extend one of the best teams in the NFL to the absolute limit. The Giants pulled even with a dramatic closing drive late in the fourth quarter and then were sent home 27-24 losers when Greg Joseph drilled a 61-yard field goal as time expired.
The Giants were down 24-16 before putting together a desperation seven-play, 75-yard drive punctuated by Saquon Barkley busting through the middle of the Vikings defense for a 27-yard touchdown run. Needing to convert the two-point conversion to pull even, the Giants did it when Daniel Jones bought time in the pocket, rolled to his right and lobbed the ball into the back of the end zone over the reach of cornerback Patrick Peterson to where rookie tight end Daniel Bellinger made the grab.
The Vikings took over with 2:01 remaining and used a clutch 16-yard hookup from Kirk Cousins to Justin Jefferson to keep alive an eight-play, 33-yard drive that got in range for Joseph’s mammoth kick.
Daniel Jones and the Giants lost to the Vikings on Saturday.AP Photo/Abbie Parr
T.J. Hockenson of the Minnesota Vikings catches a touchdown pass over Darnay Holmes #30 of the New York Giants and Julian Love. Getty ImagesDown 17-16, the Giants came up short when Jones’ third down pass to Isaiah Hodgins was broken up by linebacker Jordan Hicks. Then, Jamie Gillan’s punt was blocked by Josh Metellus on a rush right up the middle. That gave the Vikings the ball on the Giants’ 29-yard line with 4:02 remaining, a crushing mistake. When Cousins found Jefferson between Fabian Moreau and Jason Pinnock and hit the NFL’s top receiver on a 17-yard scoring pass with three minutes remaining.
The game was lost but all is not lost for the Giants (8-6-1), as their playoff hopes remain very much alive — as long as they do not completely go in the tank down the stretch run of the season. If they are able to beat the crummy Colts (4-9-1) on New Year’s Day at MetLife Stadium, that should be enough to include the Giants in the postseason festivities for the first time since 2016 and for only the second time since 2011.
Saquon Barkley scored a fourth-quarter touchdown for the Giants.AP Photo/Abbie Parr The Giants did not help themselves but they received help from elsewhere in the NFC. The Lions (7-8) were beaten by the Panthers and the Seahawks (7-8) were beaten by the Chiefs, results that aided the Giants in their quest to get in the NFC tournament.
