Giants at Vikings: 3 things we learned from Minnesota

Here are three things we learned from the Minnesota Vikings’ Monday Night Football victory over the New York Giants.

This one was never really in question. The Minnesota Vikings took an early lead over the New York Giants on Monday Night Football and they never looked back. In the end, it was a relatively easy 24-10 victory for the Vikings on Monday night.

This win puts the Vikings at 4-0 on the season. They are clearly one of the top contenders in the NFC.

The Vikings’ defense continued to dominate in this game. They had the Giants on their heels all night, especially in the first half. Eli Manning and company were not able to get anything going in the first half.

They were able to move the ball a bit on their last drive of the half, but it only resulted in a field goal. The Vikings’ 14-3 halftime lead seemed absolutely insurmountable.

Trying to get star receiver Odell Beckham Jr. involved, Eli Manning threw an early second half interception to Vikings cornerback Xavier Rhodes. Manning never really looked comfortable against the attacking Vikings’ defense, and Rhodes was able to shut down Beckham.

The Giants were able to reach the endzone early in the fourth quarter, on a one-yard touchdown run by Orleans Darkwa. A 67 yard catch-and-run by rookie running back Paul Perkins was the big play on that drive.

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That touchdown drive gave the Giants some life, as they only trailed the Vikings by a score of 17-10 at the time. However, Bradford led the Vikings’ offense right back down the field for another touchdown drive. That 24-10 score ended up being the final tally.

The Vikings were in control of this game throughout and are undoubtedly one of the premier teams in the NFC. This was a statement game on a national stage.

What did we learn from this game that will impact both of these teams going forward?

1. Odell Beckham is a head case

Odell Beckham is one of the most talented wide receivers in the entire league. That being said, he was shut down on Monday night. Vikings cornerback Xavier Rhodes did an incredible job on Beckham, using a physical style to keep him down.

Rhodes physically man-handled Beckham, and as we have seen before, Beckham could not handle it emotionally. Rhodes undoubtedly got in the star receiver’s head and his play suffered.

Manning looked for Beckham a lot in this game. He had a game-high nine targets, but he was only able to catch three passes for 23 yards, a career low for him in yardage.

Rhodes is an incredible player, but he may have pieced together a blue print for defending Beckham: Rough him up, because he cannot keep his cool. Beckham is a great player, but he cannot continue to do these kind of things.

2. The Vikings have the best defense in the NFL

With all due respect to the Denver Broncos, the Vikings have the single best defense in the NFL. Rhodes and safety Harrison Smith pace an incredible secondary, while LB Anthony Barr, DE Everson Griffen and DT Linvall Joseph lead an elite-level front seven.

The Vikings are loaded with talent at every level of their defense. The Giants are a good offensive football team, but they simply did not stand a chance. If you were not a believer before, you certainly are now. This defensive unit is setting the standard in the NFL.

3. Sam Bradford is good enough

A former No. 1 overall selection, Sam Bradford has had an underwhelming NFL career. The talent is there, but he has never really put it all together at this level. That is, until now.

Loaded with talent all around him, Bradford is playing in the best situation of his career with the Vikings. They are not asking him to do too much, but Bradford is playing at a high level.

The Vikings do not need Bradford to play at an MVP level, but he has to play well in order for them to be legitimate Super Bowl contenders. With another strong performance on Monday night, I strongly believe that Sam Bradford is good enough for this team.

They are undoubtedly major Super Bowl contenders.

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