The New York Giants are making the trip out to Minnesota to take on the Minnesota Vikings. The Vikings have arguably the best defense in the league. In order for the Giants to leave Minnesota with a 3-1 record, here is what they need to do:
New York Giants Week Four Keys to Victory
Limit the Turnovers
It is essential that the Giants limit their turnovers this week. Eli Manning had a few blunders last week, one in which was a costly interception on their final drive of the game. This was not one of Manning’s best performances. Even though he connected on a beautiful touchdown with rookie sensation Sterling Shepard earlier in the game, he could not continue his dominance and threw two costly interceptions in the second half. Even though Will Tye seemed to run the route on Manning’s first interception, it still came at a time in which the Giants needed to put points on the board. If the Giants want to leave Minnesota with a victory, they need to hold onto the ball and make better decisions.
Shane Vereen also had trouble holding onto the football and fumbled twice. This proved to be just as costly as the mistakes made by Manning. Ball security is a must. This game will be a defensive battle. Starting field position will be the deciding factor in the winner of this game, so the Giants must not turn the ball over if they want to have a chance of winning this game.
Keep Odell Beckham Jr. Level Headed
Most people witnessed Odell Beckham Jr.’s meltdown last week. If one did not see it live, they saw it through one of the many vines or memes created exhibiting it. Beckham cannot repeat these antics on Monday night. It is imperative to keep him calm because he will create a distraction for the team. Even Head Coach Ben McAdoo has called out the Pro Bowl wide receiver, expressing his displeasure with his actions. Beckham must put his personal struggles aside and do whatever it takes to win. He is a top 3 receiver in the NFL and can make any defender look foolish. He was open on the majority of his routes while being covered by All-Pro cornerback Josh Norman. If he could make the self-proclaimed “best cornerback” look like a linebacker, he should have no problem doing this against the Vikings. Keeping him calm is the only obstacle standing in between Beckham and the end zone.
Defense Stops the Run
The Giants have had an effective run defense this season. However, it is even more vital on Monday that they continue this dominance on the line of scrimmage. The reason why the Vikings are 3-0 is because their defense and special teams have outscored their offense. It is imperative that the Giants keep the Vikings near nonexistence offense off the field. If they obtain a foothold in the line of scrimmage battle, this will stop their run game as well as put pressure on Sam Bradford to make critical throws. The Giants have a good chance of winning if they force Bradford to throw because he has shown time and time again he is not a consistent quarterback. Also, since the Giants have an improved secondary, it will make it even more difficult for Bradford to throw on them.
By keeping the Vikings offense off of the field, the Giants should win the time of possession battle. This will allow them to wear down an extremely talented Vikings defense. If they are able to continually wear their unit down, look for Manning to find holes in a worn out defense. This is crucial to winning this game.
The Giants are not the favorites in this game. They know they need to play the best they have all season in order to win. A defensive battle is expected and whichever offense strikes first will have a huge advantage.
