New York Giants

Minnesota Vikings vs New York Giants: 5 keys to victory

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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What are the five most important things the Minnesota Vikings need to do in order to defeat the New York Giants and move to 4-0 during the 2016 NFL season?

The Minnesota Vikings are off to a great start. Not only are they undefeated through 3 weeks of the 2016 season, but they’ve knocked off the Green Bay Packers at home and the NFC Champion Carolina Panthers on the road to get to that point.

All this has been done with the help of a great supporting cast that has been forced to step into action this year as well as some excellent work from head coach Mike Zimmer and his staff. But the team will face another tough challenge on Monday Night Football when the New York Giants come to town.

The Giants may not be undefeated, but they have many of the tools needed to upset any team any week of the NFL season. With an explosive offense and an underrated defense, they will serve as an interesting challenge to a Minnesota Vikings team hoping to remain undefeated at U.S. Bank Stadium.

Here are the 5 keys to success for the team’s Monday Night Football matchup:

Aug 18, 2016; Seattle, WA, USA; Minnesota Vikings offensive tackle Jeremiah Sirles (78) blocks against Seattle Seahawks defensive tackle Jarran Reed (90) during the first quarter at CenturyLink Field. Minnesota defeated Seattle, 18-11. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports

The offensive line needs to shine

This week, tight end Kyle Rudolph told the media that he wants the team to get off to a faster start offensively. That could be even more important against an explosive New York Giants team that can light up a scoreboard in a hurry.

For Minnesota to be successful, they’ll need solid pass protection and holes to run through. That means much will be expected from an offensive line that has been decimated by injuries and has replacement players up and down unit.

The biggest question mark still remains left tackle T.J. Clemmings, who graded out as the worst at his position in the league during week 3 of the NFL season according to Pro Football Focus. That issue compounds with the status of left guard Alex Boone up in the air.

Boone will be replaced to Jeremiah Sirles if he is unable to play. Sirles did an admirable job against the Panthers when he entered the game, but the Giants defense is a bit underrated as they have only given up 3 touchdowns on the season and currently allow the 5th fewest rushing yards per game.

Sep 18, 2016; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Vikings cornerback Trae Waynes (26) intercepts a pass in front of Green Bay Packers wide receiver Davante Adams (17) during the fourth quarter at U.S. Bank Stadium. The Vikings defeated the Packers 17-14. Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports

Disciplined cornerback play

If you watch football related programs at all, you know that Odell Beckham Jr. is a big deal. His face and one-handed catches have been plastered on every social media site ever and the New York market has built him into a highly respected wide receiver.

So far this year, Beckham has been held without a touchdown and Yahoo! Sports thinks he will struggle in a big way against Minnesota, but that doesn’t mean that he’s not a threat. He averages over 6 catches a game so far, and that number is only likely to increase as the season continues. However, when he does catch the ball, he is a danger to pick up massive yards after the grab.

The re-emergence of Victor Cruz and a breakout season from Sterling Shepard forces defenses to respect all three receivers. The Minnesota Vikings will need to play disciplined defense against these guys and not allow them to get deep or have mismatches that cause defensive confusion.

Controlling the secondary will be a task for the Vikings coaching staff. That shouldn’t be a major problem though, as the team has bought into everything Mike Zimmer has been preaching to this point, but the Giants talented pass catchers are known to make plays even when defenses are playing solid coverage.

Sep 25, 2016; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning (10) prepares to throw the ball during the first half against the Washington Redskinds at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports

The crowd needs to be LOUD on defense

Sometimes, players, coaches, or the media helps opposing teams out. They give out bulletin board material to motivate a team even more than usual. Eli Manning may have thrown down a gauntlet to Minnesota Vikings fans that he could end up regretting.

U.S. Bank Stadium is built to be loud. When the crowd is rowdy, it can be almost impossible to hear anything on the field of play. However, Eli Manning is headed into the Monday Night Football game thinking that the noise won’t be a big factor during the game.

But he’s never played at U.S. Bank Stadium. The place should be packed with purple and this statement alone should make fans in Minnesota want to be so loud that Eli Manning can’t even hear himself think on the field.

This is a call, Vikings fans. Make his night miserable and teach him that U.S. Bank Stadium and Vikings fans aren’t just something to brush off.

Dec 20, 2015; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Vikings running back Jerick McKinnon (31) rushes for a touchdown away from Chicago Bears linebacker Shea McClellin (50) in the second quarter at TCF Bank Stadium. The Vikings win 38-17. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports

Seriously, run the football well

If you would have told me that the Minnesota Vikings would be three weeks into the 2016 NFL season without scoring a single rushing touchdown, I’d call you a liar. With how much the Vikings used to rely on running the football, it’s hard to imagine Minnesota as a passing team.

The Vikings rushing attack is nothing to fear right now. Despite having road-grading linemen in front of them, the Minnesota running backs are averaging a paltry 2.2 yards per carry this season and with how the Giants are shutting down running games, it could be a long day for the offense.

However, if the team can get going early and pick up some yards on the ground in the first quarter, it can open things up for the offense in a big way. Not only does that make the play action more unpredictable, but it would tighten up the defense.

Minnesota doesn’t need massive numbers in the run game, but they need to be able to balance their offense in a better way so that defense can’t key into individual parts of the plays. Hopefully, the Vikings can achieve that on Monday night.

Sep 18, 2016; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Giants wide receiver Victor Cruz (80) reacts during the fourth quarter against the New Orleans Saints at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports

Don’t get in a shootout!

So far this year, the Giants are struggling when it comes to holding on to the football for long drives. In fact, they rank 27th in the league when it comes to time of possession at 27:59 per game. They strike fast and struggle to make big stops on defense.