5 Bold Predictions: Minnesota Vikings vs. New York Giants – Week 16
By Chris Schad
Minnesota will hold New York’s receivers under 200 yards
The first 30 minutes of last week’s game didn’t go well for Minnesota, but one of the positives was the performance of the defense.
Defensive coordinator Ed Donatell turned several of his star players loose against the Colts, blitzing over a 40 percent rate. That was over twice the 16 percent rate where the Vikings blitzed this season and could continue on Saturday against the Giants.
That should leave the Vikings cornerbacks on an island, but the good news is, they don’t have an intimidating threat. Darius Slayton leads the Giants with 631 receiving yards on the year, and Richie James is second with 403 yards.
Even when Daniel Jones gets the ball in their hands, it’s not a guarantee it will generate a big play. The Giants have combined for 23 drops this season, and Slayton ranks fifth among NFL receivers with six drops.
This should help a porous Vikings secondary with their coverage and force the Giants to be one-dimensional on offense.