The New York Giants will attempt to bounce back from their first loss of the season Monday night when they play the Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium.
It’s not going to be easy. The Vikings (3-0) boast one of the NFL’s best defenses and pass rushes. They’re allowing just 13.3 points per game and lead the league with 15 sacks.
The Giants will have their hands full after facing the Dallas Cowboys, New Orleans Saints and Washington Redskins the first three weeks of the season. None of the three are ranked better than 22nd in total defense.
But despite the difficult opponent, there are some matchups that work in the Giants favor, beginning with defensive end Olivier Vernon against a new starting left tackle. Minnesota has been hit in recent weeks with more than a few injuries.
To help get a scouting report on the Vikings, here are six players to watch, courtesy of ESPN’s Vikings reporter Ben Goessling.
Offense
QB Sam Bradford: When he played in rhythm in the second half last week against the Panthers, the Vikings’ pass protection issues suddenly went away, and Bradford was pressured on just 11.8 percent of his second-half dropbacks. He’ll face a Giants team that’s 26th in the league in sacks per dropback, and if Bradford can find the kinds of clean pockets he had against the Green Bay Packers, he could help spark the Vikings’ passing game as they continue to adapt to life without Adrian Peterson.
LT T.J. Clemmings: He did a solid job at left tackle in his first test last week against Carolina, but the Giants figure to test the second-year tackle on Monday night with Olivier Vernon. Clemmings, who’s filling in at left tackle with Matt Kalil out, has the mobility to deal with edge rushers, but his technique lapsed at times during his first season with the Vikings. Expect the Giants to come after Clemmings and try to rattle Bradford.
C Joe Berger: Even though the Vikings were more productive on the ground in the second half of Sunday’s game against Carolina, they still ended the afternoon with an average of fewer than three yards per carry. Berger has a tough assignment this week against the Giants’ hulking defensive front, but his own size and strength is a major reason why the Vikings chose to make him their starting center and part ways with the undersized John Sullivan. If Berger can move Damon Harrison, or at least prevent him from creating a pileup in the middle of the line of scrimmage, the Vikings could find some running room in the middle of the field against the league’s fifth-ranked run defense.
Defense
DE Everson Griffen: Coming off a game where he posted three sacks while battling an illness in 90-degree weather, Griffen looks as fearsome as any pass rusher in the league right now. He’s tied for second in the NFL with four sacks, and his quick first step should become even more effective at U.S. Bank Stadium if the noise on Monday night causes problems for the Giants. Second-year tackle Ereck Flowers, who has struggled at times in the NFL, is going to have his hands full with Griffen’s combination of edge quickness and strength.
CB Xavier Rhodes: He would have been shadowing Odell Beckham last December had Beckham not been suspended for his exchange with Josh Norman, and this time Rhodes should see plenty of Beckham on the heels of another matchup with Norman. Rhodes played 57 of the Vikings’ 77 defensive snaps on Sunday in Carolina, though the Vikings worked Trae Waynes into the mix against Kelvin Benjamin, as well, with Rhodes returning from a knee injury. Rhodes’ physicality makes him a good fit for Beckham if he’s healthy, and Waynes -- who took a pass away from Benjamin for an interception on Sunday -- could see some time against the receiver, as well.
CB Captain Munnerlyn: Rookie Sterling Shepard has been one of the league’s best newcomers so far, and Munnerlyn will be tasked with slowing him down from the slot on Monday night. The 28-year-old corner briefly left Sunday’s game with cramps in the second half but should be ready to play against the Giants. He’s pugnacious and physical, though he’s been susceptible to crossing routes at times when he lets receivers gain inside leverage on him. His matchup with Shepard could be a pivotal one Monday night.