The Minnesota Vikings were in full control of the New York Giants in their season opener, and Byron Murphy Jr. ensured they stayed that way by batting away a fourth-down pass near the goal line late in the game, keeping their defense from allowing any touchdowns.
Defensive coordinator Brian Flores ran onto the field in a loud show of approval, cheering and pumping his fist as if the Vikings had just won a dramatic last-minute victory.
A new defensive scheme, combined with healthy and skilled players, made a big difference. “We did a lot of the things we wanted to do. We tackled well. We played well as a team.
A lot to build off of for sure,” said safety Harrison Smith, who added an end-zone interception in their strong performance against quarterback Daniel Jones and the Giants, leading to a 28-6 win on Sunday.
Jones completed 22 of 42 passes for 186 yards, took five sacks, and threw two interceptions.
One of those interceptions was returned 10 yards for a touchdown by Andrew Van Ginkel, which even got some defensive coaches celebrating in the end zone.
The Vikings held Jones to just 15 yards on six rushes, which was an improvement from their playoff game two years ago, where Jones had a standout performance.
“Guys were disciplined up front, playing unselfish, doing the right things,” Smith said, “and it made it easy for us on the back end to do our thing.”
In a game on January 15, 2023, the Giants had easily defeated the Vikings at home, ending their 13-win season with a first-round loss. In that game, Jones set records for the most passing yards, passing touchdowns, and rushing yards in a playoff game.
The Giants rewarded Jones with a big new contract, and the Vikings responded by firing defensive coordinator Ed Donatell after just one disappointing year.
