Behind Enemy Lines: Week 16 Q&A with Vikings Wire
The New York Giants (8-5-1) and Minnesota Vikings (11-3) will square off on Saturday afternoon in a Week 16 matchup at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
The Giants opened the week as 4-point road underdogs and that’s where the spread remains as of this writing.
With this matchup on tap, Giants Wire took the opportunity to hold a Q&A with Vikings Wire managing editor Tyler Forness.
After such an emotional and historic comeback a week ago, is there a chance for a letdown in Week 16? Maybe that classic “trap game?”
Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports
Forness: I don’t know if this team has the ability to have a trap game. One of the reasons this team has been so successful is that they have prevented themselves from getting too emotional and they believe they can overcome any in-game situation. They are 10-0 in one-score games this season and Kirk Cousins leads the National Football League with seven fourth-quarter comebacks. With the No. 1 seed still available for the taking and this being a special home game where the fans, players and endzones will be a “Winter Whiteout” theme, the Vikings will come out ready to roll.
Why has the Minnesota secondary struggled so mightily this season?
Stephen Maturen/Getty Images
It’s a layered conversation. The Vikings are playing in a relatively simple schematic defense that thrives with execution and disguises. The biggest issue with that has been poor communication and a lot of that comes with injuries.
The Vikings spent three picks in the first four rounds on the secondary and all three of them are on injured reserve. That element of injuries has also been difficult to deal with. Cameron Dantzler has also missed five games and at the end of the game against the Indianapolis Colts, the Vikings were playing sixth and seventh-string cornerbacks Duke Shelley and Kris Boyd.
That’s not a recipe for success, but poor communication and lack of disguise have been the biggest issue.
What’s the key to slowing down Justin Jefferson? Is it even possible to stop him?
Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports
There really isn’t a way to truly stop him unless you completely sell out to stop him. The Lions did just that in Week 3 and held him to three catches for 14 yards. The difficult part of doing that for an opposing defense is the Vikings’ other weapons.
It’s hard to stop Dalvin Cook, Adam Thielen, K.J. Osborn and T.J. Hockenson as well as selling out to stop Justin Jefferson. The way Wink Martindale likes to play defense is a very aggressive, blitz-heavy style that has the cornerbacks playing man coverage frequently.
Asking non-elite cornerbacks to cover Jefferson 1v1 is a recipe for disaster. Heck, it was just that for former All-Pro Stephon Gilmore last week.
Who are some under-the-radar players the Giants and their fans should be concerned about in Week 16?
Adam Bettcher/Getty Images
The biggest wild card in this game will be rookie linebacker Brian Asamoah. The 66th overall pick in this year’s NFL draft, Asamoah is a heat-seeking missile that needed time to learn some of the technical aspects of the game.
In the preseason, he showed that he couldn’t be trusted with gap integrity and that could spell disaster. They started working him into the defense the last two weeks and it has worked really well. His eyes are not a disaster and his quick trigger gives the Vikings second level an element that they need.
How has New York’s old friend, Dalvin Tomlinson, been playing this season?
Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports
He’s been tremendous. When the Vikings signed him, it was to make him a 3-technique in Mike Zimmer’s 4-3 defense. That wasn’t a fit for his playstyle and it showed.
With the Vikings making the switch to the 3-4, he’s much more suited to playing as a 5-technique and being a game wrecker. With Za’Darius Smith and Danielle Hunter on the edge, Tomlinson is seeing more single-team situations and is taking full advantage of that.
How do you see this one playing out and who wins?
Elsa/Getty Images
This is going to be a fascinating game. The Vikings still have something to play for. If they win out, they will be the two seed and with three losses by the Philadelphia Eagles, they can earn the number one seed in the NFC.
The Giants also have something to play for, as they have a chance to clinch a playoff spot with a win and some help. The key to this game will be in the trenches. Whoever wins there will have the best chance to get the win.
I think the Vikings will do just that and Justin Jefferson will go off for over 100 yards and at least one touchdown.
Prediction: Vikings 27, Giants 21
