New Faces Shine in Vikings Dominant Week 1 Showing
Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
“It’s a transitional year,” was the go-to refrain for any commentary on the Minnesota Vikings. The Vikes said goodbye to longtime staples Kirk Cousins and Danielle Hunter, then brought in new faces like Sam Darnold, Aaron Jones, Jonathan Greenard, Andrew Van Ginkel, Shaq Griffin, and Stephon Gilmore.
It’s only Week 1, but the Vikings made “transitional year” look more appealing than ever, easily dispatching the New York Giants in a 28-6 rout on the road.
Brian Flores’ defense got a makeover after his unit fell apart down the stretch. Little of that was the fault of Flores, as his blitz-heavy scheme held a limited squad together with duct tape. The freed-up money from losing Cousins and Hunter meant Minnesota could invest in talent like Greenard, Van Ginkel, and more.
Those investments paid off early on Sunday, after C.J. Ham fumbled on Minnesota’s opening drive, putting Daniel Jones and company on the Vikings’ 20-yard line. The defense bent with a first down, but Van Ginkel refused to let them break, holding New York to a field goal and a 3-0 lead.
The Vikings took advantage of the stop on the next drive, when Jones scored on a three-yard run. The “D” kept holding strong, holding the Giants to punts on their next two drives, while a fourth-down Darnold-to-Justin Jefferson strike put Minnesota up 14-7 at the half.
4th down, might as well go to Justin Jefferson 🤷♂️
First TD of the year for @JJettas2!
📺: FOX pic.twitter.com/4rp5dUj1tq
— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) September 8, 2024
The teams traded scores to open the second half, with Minnesota getting a 21-yard Jalen Nailor touchdown and the Giants ending a 52-yard drive by settling for a field goal. But Van Ginkel put an exclamation point on the defense’s strong game with a quick pick-six, returning the ball 10 yards to go put Minnesota up 28-6.
VAN GINKEL PICK-6! 🚨
📺: #MINvsNYG on FOX
📱: https://t.co/waVpO909ge pic.twitter.com/dTkLrnbCOh— NFL (@NFL) September 8, 2024
Van Ginkel, who also added four tackles and a pass deflection, wasn’t the only player on the defense with a big day. Harrison Smith ended a potential scoring drive in the fourth quarter with an interception in the end zone. First-round pick Dallas Turner made an impact right away with his first sack of his career. Four players combined for five sacks, and six players registered pass deflections, including Byron Murphy, Jr. in the fourth quarter to create a turnover on downs.
Welcome to the NFL, Dallas Turner!
The @vikings rookie gets his first-career sack 💪
📺: #MINvsNYG on FOX
📱: https://t.co/waVpO8ZBqG pic.twitter.com/9KiwhxvE40— NFL (@NFL) September 8, 2024
The offense’s new faces enjoyed a big day as well. Jones averaged 6.8 yards for each of his 16 touches, and Darnold went 19-for-24 with 208 yards and two touchdowns. His lone misstep was an interception caused by a hit from Dexter Lawrence II.
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