NFL Playoffs: 5 bold predictions for Vikings vs. Giants

5. The Vikings don’t crack 100 rushing yards again

In the first game against the Giants, the Vikings only totaled 83 rushing yards on 19 carries, which was shocking, to say the least. New York’s run defense has been one of the worst in the league this year, as they’ve given up the sixth-most yards per game on the ground (144.2).

Dalvin Cook rushed 14 times for 64 yards in their first matchup, good for 4.6 yards per carry. That’s a respectable number per carry, but otherwise a mediocre performance altogether. One would expect the Vikings to be able to run all over the Giants this weekend, but that won’t be the case.

Now, it’s not going to be due to the Giants run defense. This rushing total will come primarily due to the fact that this game will be all about Justin Jefferson and the passing game. We’ve already established that Jefferson is going to top the 200-yard mark, so there’s not a lot of extra room for others to be involved here.

Cousins is going to throw for over 300, for sure. The Vikings will put up over 30 points, easily. But, they are not going to do much of that damage on the ground — and that’s okay. If the Vikings win, and Jefferson inches close to history, I have a feeling that fans will be just fine without a dominant ground performance.