The New York Giants travel to Minnesota for wildcard weekend to take on the Vikings at 4:30 pm est. on Sunday. The Giants lost from a heart breaking 61 yard field goal the first time these two met. Here are some Giants to keep an eye on during the Giants first playoff game since 2016.
Adoree Jackson
The Giants will be getting Adoree Jackson back after missing the last 7 games due to a knee injury suffered during a punt return. The Giants secondary struggled against this Vikings offense before, and facing Justin Jefferson doesn’t make it any easier. Jackson being back will help to give some talent in the secondary and to be able to matchup against the Vikings best offensive player.
Daniel Jones
Jones last two games have been very good. He had four total touchdowns against the Colts and he also threw for over 300 yards against the Vikings in the first meeting. Jones has also been making many plays with his legs, including two runs for a touchdown against the Colts. Jones seems to be calm during big games and crucial moments, and keeps his composure. He has been finding a connection with new comer Isaiah Hodgins, and the Giants offense hopes to have a productive offense that they have had in the last two games when starters played.
Isaiah Hodgins
Hodgins only joined the Giants in November from the Bills practice squad. Since then, him and Daniel Jones have started to form a connection. He has 33 catches for 351 yards and 4 touchdowns on the season. He had a productive game in the last meeting with the Vikings, and even got in the ear of Patrick Peterson a time or two. He logged 8 catches for 89 yards and a touchdown in their last meeting. Look for Hodgins to be Jones’ guy once again Sunday.
Azeez Ojulari
Ojulari has been in and out of the lineup for a large part of the season, but when he’s in, he’s been effective. In 6 games, he has 5.5 sacks, including one against the Vikings. With fellow pass rusher Kayvon Thibideux on the other side, look for Ojulari to have his breakout game we have been waiting for since last season.
Xavier McKinney
McKinney missed the first meeting between these two teams, when tight end TJ Hockenson went off. This time, McKinney will be out there in coverage, helping the Giants against a very good tight end. Tight end has been a position that the Giants have struggled to cover, being in the bottom 5 of the league on defense against tight ends. With having McKinney present, the Giants will have their long ranging safety out there making plays and tightening up the coverage, at the perfect time of the season.
Photo Credit: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Adoree%27Jackson2021.jpg
