New York Giants

Minnesota Vikings vs New York Giants: Winners and losers from week 4

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

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The Minnesota Vikings defeated the New York Giants on Monday night, ending in a 24-10 victory for the purple and gold. Who were the biggest winners and losers from this week 4 clash?

Oct 3, 2016; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Vikings running back Jerick McKinnon (21) celebrates his touchdown with wide receiver Stefon Diggs (14) during the fourth quarter against the New York Giants at U.S. Bank Stadium. The Vikings defeated the Giants 24-10. Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports

The Minnesota Vikings were 3-0 entering Monday night with the New York Giants in town looking to knock them from the ranks of the undefeated. Boasting an explosive offense and a revamped defense, Eli Manning and company should have been able to give the Vikings a good match up. Unfortunately, they couldn’t.

The Vikings have been relying on their defense through the first three weeks, which is understandable when you consider all the abrupt changes because of injuries. On Monday night, the offense was finally able to show signs of life. If this offense continues to improve, and the defense stays at an elite level, this team will be very hard to beat.

While the game may have been lopsided, there were still some performances that stood out. Who were the biggest winners and losers from week 4?

Oct 3, 2016; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Vikings running back Matt Asiata (44) rushes for a first down as New York Giants defensive tackle Johnathan Hankins (95) tackles him and gets assistance from linebacker Kelvin Sheppard (91) as guard Alex Boone (76) blocks in the second quarter at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports

The Vikings’ offensive line

Through the first three games of the season, the team was only averaging 51 rushing yards per game. The biggest reason for that was because the offensive line was unable to open any holes for the running backs to squeeze through. The Vikings were barely averaging two yards per carry, which is very uncharacteristic for this team.

On Monday night, the Vikings were finally able to find some success on the ground. Although their 3.2 yards per carry wasn’t great, it was leaps and bounds better than it had been. The Vikings also had two scores on the ground, which is something they hadn’t been able to do. With Adrian Peterson out for a while, the offensive line will be even more vital to the running game.

The Vikings’ offensive line also had its best game of the season in pass protection. The unit hasn’t given up many sacks this year, but it has still been atrocious for the most part. In the Monday night match up, however, the Vikings were able to hold the pocket and give Sam Bradford time to throw.

The middle of the offensive line was particularly impressive. According to Pro Football Focus, the trio of Alex Boone, Joe Berger and Brandon Fusco didn’t allow a single pressure all night. TJ Clemmings may be the worst graded offensive lineman in the entire NFL, but one poor player along the line can be overcome. If the middle of the line is able to play at a competent level, Sam Bradford will have the ability to step into the pocket. When Sam is given time, he’s proven he has the ability to make defenses pay.

Oct 3, 2016; Minneapolis, MN, USA; New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning (10) throws during the second quarter against the Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports

The defensive line

To begin the season, the Vikings’ defensive line was terrorizing opposing quarterbacks. In week one, they were able to limit the talented and athletic Marcus Mariota. In week two, the defensive line faced former MVP Aaron Rodgers, before facing the reigning MVP Cam Newton in week three.

After facing three quarterbacks who are incredibly difficult to bring down, the Vikings’ defensive, spearheaded by the defensive line, led the league in sacks. On Monday night, the defensive line wasn’t able to register a single take down of Eli Manning, who is basically a human statue.

The front four was helped out immensely by the Vikings’ secondary, who were able to take away New York’s three best receivers. The Giants also game planned against the new edition of the purple people eaters, calling a lot of quick throws and screens to help slow down the pass rush. But after their dominant performances in the first three weeks, it was a let down when we didn’t get to see Eli thrown to the ground.

Oct 3, 2016; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Vikings tight end Kyle Rudolph (82) celebrates with quarterback Sam Bradford (8) his touchdown against the New York Giants in the second quarter at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports

The red zone offense

Through the first three weeks, the Vikings had only managed three offensive touchdowns. On Monday, the team equaled that number, scoring once through the air and twice on the ground. The offense was hit or miss during the game, but they really got the ball rolling when they were in the red zone, scoring on all three of their trips.

Kyle Rudolph has become a favorite target for Bradford, and the two connected for a touchdown against the Giants. If he can keep playing at this high level, Rudolph will become a household name by the end of the season.

Both running backs were also able to find the end zone. Matt Asiata got the party started with his first quarter score, which gave the Vikings a lead they’d never relinquish. Jerick McKinnon was the last one to score in the game, and his fourth quarter touchdown put the Vikings up by two scores and sealed the game.

This team is a defensive team, and that’s fine. The defense has proven it is championship caliber. However, there will be some games when the offense needs to step their game up, and it was great to see them do so on Monday.

Oct 3, 2016; Minneapolis, MN, USA; New York Giants running back Orleans Darkwa (26) beats the tackle of Minnesota Vikings linebacker Eric Kendricks (54) for a touchdown in the fourth quarter at U.S. Bank Stadium. The Vikings won 24-10. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports

Eric Kendricks’ up and down day

The Vikings’ defense has been playing out of this world, but Eric Kendricks might have been the weak link against the Giants. The usually reliable tackler missed four tackles on Monday, which is a problem for a middle linebacker.

Kendricks is the highest graded linebacker on the Vikings, but his run defense could definitely use some improvement. Out of the 81 eligible linebackers in the NFL, Pro Football Focus only has one with a lower run defense grade than Kendricks’ 35.2 (James Laurinaitis, 29.8).

To be honest, at this point I’m really just nitpicking. The Vikings played a fantastic game against the Giants, so there really weren’t any horrible performances. But Kendricks’ poor run defense grade is worrisome, and something I’ll be keeping an eye on.

Oct 3, 2016; Minneapolis, MN, USA; New York Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. (13) talks with Minnesota Vikings cornerback Xavier Rhodes (29) during the second quarter at U.S. Bank Stadium. The Vikings defeated the Giants 24-10. Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports

The game ball belongs to Xavier Rhodes

Xavier Rhodes played one of the best games of his career on Monday, holding Odell Beckham Jr to only 23 yards on three catches. Xavier also had an interception and a pass breakup. Perhaps the most impressive thing Rhodes did was get under OBJ’s skin, which led to an unsportsmanlike penalty. Rhodes’ impressive performance comes on the heels of his performance against Kelvin Benjamin, another young and explosive wide receiver for the Carolina Panthers.

I have been hard on Rhodes in the past, mainly because he only stepped up his game when he was going against talented receivers. In the past, when he played against inferior opponents, Rhodes would tend to get lost in the shuffle a little bit. Hopefully he continues to play at this high level, regardless of opponent.

After sitting out the first two games because of injury, Rhodes has been on a mission to have his name mentioned with the best cornerbacks in the league. If he continues to play like he has been, there is no doubt he’ll be in the conversation at the end of the year.

Next week, the Minnesota Vikings will host the Houston Texans is what should be another hard-fought game. Be sure to come back next week to find out who the big winners and the losers from the week 5 contest!