5 Bold Predictions: Minnesota Vikings vs. New York Giants – Week 16
By Chris Schad
New York will sack Kirk Cousins multiple times
The Giants have had trouble stopping the run and are banged up in the secondary, but the one thing they have done well is getting after the quarterback. According to Pro Football Reference, New York comes into the game with the NFL’s fourth-highest pressure rate at 24.5 percent, and the Vikings have had varying success against the other teams at the top of the list.
The Patriots lead the NFL with a 26.8 percent pressure rate, but the Vikings were able to get a win on Thanksgiving. The Vikings hosted the Cowboys the previous week, but they turned their 26.3 percent pressure rate up to 60 percent to blow out Minnesota at home.
In all, the Vikings have faced seven of the top 10 teams in terms of pressure this season and have come away with a 5-2 record. But the expected absence of Garrett Bradbury (back) could be a detriment to the cause.
Kayvon Thibodeaux is coming off his best game as a pro, logging 12 tackles and a sack in a win over the Commanders, and with Leonard Williams, Dexter Lawrence, and Azeez Ojulari also on the defensive line, it should be another challenge for the Vikings on Sunday.