It's only Week 1, but the Minnesota Vikings have already caused a bunch of commotion in another team's fan base after destroying the New York Giants by 22 points on Sunday.
Giants fans let their frustrations be heard throughout the contest, and following the loss to the Vikings, New York defensive lineman Dexter Lawrence shared his reaction to fans booing his team's underwhelming performance.
"I mean, I don't respect it, honestly. I get it, they want to see their team win. it's just a rough patch. I mean, it just is what it is."
Minnesota Vikings backed up trash talk by steamrolling the New York Giants in Week 1
Leading up to Sunday's regular-season opener, Minnesota linebacker Ivan Pace Jr. found himself in a bit of hot water with Giants fans after he essentially alluded to the Vikings defense having an easy matchup this week.
Well, after 60 minutes of football on Sunday, Pace was proven to be right. Minnesota's defense put together a masterpiece of a performance, as they had zero trouble stopping New York's offense all afternoon long.
In the loss to the Vikings, the Giants only scored six points, averaged a pitiful 3.5 yards per play, went 0-for-3 in the red zone, threw two interceptions (including a pick-six), and allowed five sacks. It was an incredible debut for a Minnesota defense that has a ton of potential this season in its second year under defensive coordinator Brian Flores.
Despite the dominance by the Vikings defense on Sunday, a bigger test is on the horizon for the talented unit, as the next game on the team's schedule is a Week 2 matchup inside U.S. Bank Stadium against the reigning NFC champion San Francisco 49ers.
Last season, the 49ers offense ranked first in the NFL in points scored per drive, third in rushing yards per game, and fourth in passing yards per contest. If Minnesota can shut San Francisco's offense down in Week 2, then it will seem fair to assume that the Vikings' defense is probably going to be among the league's best in 2024.