The Giants ended the Vikings’ winning streak in close games with a fourth-quarter stop, becoming the first lower-seeded team to pull off an upset in the NFL playoffs.
After 11 years, the Giants emerged victorious over the Vikings with a 31-24 win in a thrilling playoff game. The Giants’ quarterback, Daniel Jones, played a key role in the victory, showcasing his skills as a franchise player by completing 24 of 35 passes for 301 yards, 2 touchdowns and 78 yards on the ground.
Other key players such as wide receiver Isaiah Hodgins and running back Saquon Barkey also played an essential role by contributing 214 total yards and three touchdowns between them. Jones’ historic performance made history by becoming the first quarterback in the Super Bowl era to have 200-plus passing yards, two-plus passing touchdowns, and 70-plus rushing yards in a playoff game, and also being the first QB in the postseason history to eclipse 300 passing yards. Jones’ outstanding performance earned him the player of the game honors.
The Giants needed all of the 379 yards Jones accounted for to secure the win. After the Vikings scored on the opening drive, the Giants put up 17 unanswered points. The team held leads of 17-7 at halftime and 24-14 after its first possession of the third quarter, but the persistent Vikings continually answered and at one point had the game tied 24-24 a couple minutes into the fourth quarter. That’s when Jones responded again with the game-winning, 67-yard touchdown drive. The Giants’ head coach, Daboll, made some gutsy calls and Jones gave the Giants the confidence they needed to upset the Vikings in their first playoff appearance since 2016.
Saquon hit 🅱️
— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) January 15, 2023
(via @NFL)pic.twitter.com/6opiwbMaS3
“We were going after it,” Daboll said about the first fourth-down play, which took place with the game still tied. “We were going to try to win the game. We had confidence in Daniel moving the pile. And I could’ve lived with the consequences.”
Jones gave the Giants the confidence they needed to make those gutsy calls and the play they needed to upset the Vikings in their first playoff appearance since 2016, when Eli Manning was still in town.
“We’re excited,” Jones told NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero about delivering a long-awaited postseason victory for Big Blue. “You know, we’ll keep going. We’ve got a lot ahead of us. It’s been fun so far.”
Jones and the Giants are now looking forward to the next challenge, facing off against the No.1 seed Eagles next weekend. Jones will need to deliver another outstanding performance to secure the victory and keep the Giants’ playoff journey going.
