The real Vikings showed up Sunday night. Now they are headed to the playoffs.
For the first time in three prime-time games this season, the Vikings on Sunday night showed the football-watching American public their preferred style of football, relying on a fast, smothering defense and a careful, calculated offense to defeat a New York Giants team that had nothing to play for but pride at frigid TCF Bank Stadium.
With the 49-17 rout, the Vikings secured their first playoff berth since 2012. They will head into the regular season finale at Lambeau Field next weekend with a two-game winning streak and a chance to win their first division title since 2009.
The Vikings could have clinched a playoff berth before kickoff on Sunday, but the Atlanta Falcons beat the previously undefeated Carolina Panthers and the Seattle Seahawks lost to the already-eliminated St. Louis Rams, keeping alive the possibility of a three-way tie with those two teams that would keep the Vikings out.
So the Vikings, specifically their defense, took care of it themselves by halftime Sunday.
In the first half, the Vikings held the Giants to 112 yards of offense. They sacked Eli Manning three times and they picked off Manning twice, one of which was returned for a backbreaking touchdown by safety Harrison Smith.
While the Vikings offense got off to a slow start, their defense kept the Giants, who were without star wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. as he served a one-game NFL suspension, under wraps and continued to put the offense in favourable starting field position.
After the two teams exchanged punts early, the Giants crossed into Vikings territory midway through the first quarter. But safety Andrew Sendejo intercepted Manning after cornerback Xavier Rhodes deflected a pass intended for Giants wideout Hakeem Nicks.
On New York’s next drive, rookie defensive end Danielle Hunter blew by Giants right tackle Marshall Newhouse on third down for his sixth sack of the season.
The Vikings started their next drive near midfield. Quarterback Teddy Bridgewater made an impressive throw on the run to wide receiver Jarius Wright for an 18-yard gain. After running back Adrian Peterson rumbled for another first down, the drive stalled and Blair Walsh booted a 32-yard field goal for a 3-0 lead.
The Giants went backward on their next drive. Defensive end Brian Robison sacked Manning on first down and the Giants lost another 13 yards on third down when Manning couldn’t handle a shotgun snap he might not have been expecting.
The Vikings offense would again take advantage of excellent field position. Starting in Giants territory, they went 44 yards in five plays, with Bridgewater capping off the touchdown drive with a 28-yard strike up the seam to tight end Kyle Rudolph.
The Giants got on the board midway through the second quarter. A 50-yard screen pass to running back Rashad Jennings set up a field goal that made it 10-3.
With four minutes remaining in the second quarter, Manning overthrew Giants wide receiver Rueben Randle and was picked off by Smith, who sprinted down the left sideline untouched for a 35-yard score to put the Vikings up 16-3. The interception return for a touchdown was the fourth of Smith’s career, a franchise record.
Smith was back in the lineup after a two-game absence. Outside linebacker Anthony Barr and nose tackle Linval Joseph also returned from injuries, getting the Vikings back to full strength on defense for the first time since their Week 11 loss to the Packers.
Peterson also started despite an ankle injury suffered in last week’s win over the Chicago Bears. He scored his 10th rushing touchdown of the season in the third quarter after cornerback Captain Munnerlyn intercepted Manning and returned it 32 yards to Giants 4-yard line.
Jerick McKinnon added the first two rushing touchdowns of his career, a week after he scored his first career TD on a reception.
It was a complete performance in the “Sunday Night Football” spotlight by coach Mike Zimmer’s Vikings, who got embarrassed in prime time in the season opener by the feeble San Francisco 49ers and lost a close one to the formidable Arizona Cardinals two weeks ago.
They will be in prime time again next Sunday. The Packers, who are also 10-5, got rocked by the Cardinals 38-8 on Sunday, which ensured that next Sunday’s game in Green Bay would be for the NFC North title. The NFL announced it moved that game from noon to Sunday night, too.
So with the division on the line in prime time, will these Vikings show themselves again?