Dec 27, 2015; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Vikings safety Harrison Smith (22) returns an interception for a touchdown during the second quarter against the New York Giants at TCF Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports
The Good
- Andrew Sendejo interception. Credit also goes to cornerback Xavier Rhodes for tipping the ball in the air with a nice pass defense, but Sendejo finished the play by netting his second career interception and helping to give the Minnesota Vikings another chance to get going on offense.
- That young defensive end making veteran lineman look silly. Danielle Hunter is continuing to make the Vikings front office look really smart by selecting him in the third round of the 2015 NFL draft. He used his speed and athleticism to sack Eli Manning on 3rd down and force a first quarter punt. He also returned a kickoff and made some good special teams plays.
- The hard count catching New York off guard. Bridgewater’s command of the huddle and loud cadence seemed to have the Giants baffled. On at least two occasions, the boys in blue were flagged for jumping offsides. Sadly, both of those were run plays, so we didn’t get an exciting free pass play out of it.
- Harrison Smith returning to the lineup. It was nice seeing some young safeties step up in his absence, but there’s nothing quite like having “Hitman” Harry back. He made several impressive tackles and even grabbed an interception that was returned 35 yards for 6 points.
- Not falling for the onside kick again. It worked for the Cardinals, but Minnesota wasn’t about to let it happen again. Robert Blanton was ready for it, as he picked it up and brought it into scoring range for the Vikings. Heads up play by a guy that used to be a starting safety.
Next: The Bad