Giants grades: Offense aces test in NFC wild-card win over Vikings
Saquon Barkley #26 of the Giants rushes for a touchdown during the first quarter against the Minnesota Vikings in the NFC Wild Card playoff game at U.S. Bank Stadium on January 15, 2023 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Credit: Getty Images/David Berding
OFFENSE: A
Daniel Jones has evolved from game manager to game-changer, and Sunday might have been his finest moment yet. He was 24-for-35 passing for 301 yards and two TDs and rushed 17 times for 78 yards, including sneaks on two fourth-down plays in the fourth quarter. His rushing stats would have been better if not for a welcome reason: He had four kneel downs, three in the final seconds. Saquon Barkley ran nine times for 53 yards and two TDs and caught five passes for 56. Isaiah Hodgins caught eight passes for 105 yards and a TD. When the Giants beat the Colts, 38-10, on Jan. 1, it snapped a streak of 43 games without reaching the 30-point mark. Now they have done it twice in a row with Jones and Barkley in the lineup.
DEFENSE: B
For much of the game, the Vikings offense looked as unstoppable as the Giants’, and tight end T.J. Hockenson, who gave the Giants fits on Christmas Eve, was at it again. He finished with 10 catches for 129 yards. But on the game-clinching play, Xavier McKinney tackled Hockenson well short of a first down. The Giants did an excellent job bottling up star receiver Justin Jefferson, holding him to seven catches and 47 yards – 25 of them on the first drive of the game. Dexter Lawrence was an unstoppable force in the middle of the line.
SPECIAL TEAMS: A
The offense was so good, it did not give the special teams much to do. Jamie Gillan punted only twice, averaging 45 yards. Graham Gano was only asked to kick one field goal and made a 25-yarder. Gano was pleased to be called up to try four extra points after touchdowns. He made them all.
COACHING: A
Brian Daboll stuck to his season-long approach of aggressive calls, including going for and converting on two fourth-and-1s in the fourth quarter. The first, from the Vikings’ 6-yard line, led to the winning touchdown. The second, from his own 45, allowed the Giants to burn off more time before giving the ball back to Minnesota. Defensive coordinator Wink Martindale blitzed less than usual but got good push from his front four. His plan kept Jefferson under wraps all day.
Neil Best first worked at Newsday in 1982, returned in 1985 after a detour to Alaska and has been here since, specializing in high schools, college basketball, the NFL and most recently sports media and business.
