We are now nearly a quarter of the way done with the NFL season as we enter week five. These next few weeks are perhaps the most crucial in the season as teams around the league look to prove their status as playoff contenders.
The Minnesota Vikings and the New York Giants both sit at 2-2 and look to move their record north of the .500 mark. The Giants are slated as the four-and-a-half point underdogs, but they should have no problem winning this game.
Two years ago, the future looked bright for the Vikings. They enjoyed a 13-3 record under quarterback Case Keenum, and after a thrilling victory against the Saints in the playoffs, the team fell just fell short of the Super Bowl, losing in the NFC Championship.
Despite falling short, the Vikings entered the offseason with one of the best quarterback situations in football. They had three quality quarterbacks in Keenum, Teddy Bridgewater and Sam Bradford to choose from. Instead, the team let all three walk and decided to sign Kirk Cousins to a three-year, 84 million dollar contract.
It is safe to say at this point that the Vikings made a huge mistake. After failing to make the playoffs last year, the team is entering this week coming off an embarrassing loss to the Chicago Bears with a 32-year-old backup quarterback Chase Daniel last week. Notably, the loss moved Cousins’s record against winning teams to an astonishing 5-27.
The team has a talented offense. Running back Dalvin Cook and wide receivers Stefan Diggs and Adam Thielen are more than enough weapons for a quarterback to work with. But Cousins simply does not fit the Vikings’ system. He is holding the team back. Things will not get better this week against the surging Giants.
After the Giants fell 0-2 to start the year, the team decided to start rookie quarterback Daniel Jones in week three, and the decision paid instant dividends as Jones had five touchdowns over the course of two games and led the team to consecutive wins.
While the Giants did lose star running back Saquon Barkley to injury, Jones is breathing life into a franchise that desperately needed it. The entire team is playing with more energy, the defense is stepping up and making plays for the first time since 2016.
The Giants also are gaining a huge boost in their receiving core this week as Golden Tate returns from his four-game suspension. This gives Jones a new weapon to work with against a Vikings team that is frustrated and struggling to find solutions.
The Vikings’ division is looking tough this year as the Bears, Packers and Lions all look like playoff contenders. This could be another rough season for the Vikings and while they are the Vegas favorites, things do not look good for the team this week. I have the Giants winning this one 35-20.
