Not long after the Vikings and Giants last met, New York gave its quarterback $40 million a year while Minnesota handed its defensive coordinator a pink slip.
Vikings defense reunites with Giants QB Daniel Jones, sporting a whole new look
In the 2022 playoffs, the Vikings couldn’t stop Daniel Jones, leading the quarterback to get a raise and Minnesota’s defensive coordinator to get fired. What’s in store for Sunday’s season opener?
The Minnesota Star Tribune
September 3, 2024 at 11:35PM
The moves were not unrelated.
It was Jan. 15, 2023. U.S. Bank Stadium. An NFC wild-card playoff game.
Giants rookie coach Brian Daboll fast-tracked new General Manager Joe Schoen’s rebuild to garner the NFC’s sixth seed en route to winning Associated Press NFL Coach of the Year.
Meanwhile, Vikings rookie coach Kevin O’Connell executed his team’s mantra — “competitive rebuild” — wonderfully while winning 13 games, including a 27-24 edging of the Giants on a team-record 61-yard walk-off field goal by Greg Joseph at U.S. Bank Stadium on Christmas Eve.
Unfortunately for the Vikings, Jan. 15, 2023, changed the Purple vibe from sweet to sour. All because Giants quarterback Daniel Jones had the game of his life against then-defensive coordinator Ed Donatell and his passive, vanilla schemes.
Jones completed 24 of 35 passes (68.6%) for 301 yards, two touchdowns and a 114.1 passer rating while also running for 78 yards on 17 carries (4.6 yards per carry) in a 31-24 upset, the Giants’ first playoff win since 2011. Throw in the Christmas Eve game and Jones looked unbothered while completing 54 of 77 passes (70.1) for 635 yards and three touchdowns while running 21 times for 112 yards.
Not keeping up with this particular Jones got Donatell fired and replaced by Brian Flores, whose multiple looks and heavy-pressure schemes stand in stark contrast to what the Vikings did in 2022.
“I was watching some of our games from 2022 the other day,” said 13-year safety Harrison Smith. “I hardly recognized us.”
Jones, meanwhile, landed a giant payday — four years, $160 million — that surprised the league and played a role in the negotiations that led to the Vikings choosing to move on from Kirk Cousins’ asking price this past offseason.
A lot has changed since then as these teams prepare for their season opener at MetLife Stadium on Sunday.
Both teams fell back in 2023 as injuries struck at quarterback. The Vikings went 7-10 with Cousins playing eight games. The Giants went 6-11 with Jones missing three games because of a neck injury, looking awful in six games — 1-5 with two touchdowns and six interceptions — and then going down for the season with a torn ACL in Week 9.
Now, instead of Jones being serenaded with chants of “MVP!” as he was near the end of 2022, the sixth-year quarterback and his third-year coach are on hot seats. The Giants can get out of Jones’ contract after this season and are on the record on “Hard Knocks” as trying to trade up in this year’s draft to select a quarterback.
No pressure, Daniel.
“He’s a very talented quarterback,” Flores said. “Smart. Has command of the offense. Has won in this league. Athletic. QB mobility is the thing that jumps out. His ability to run. He’s dealt with some injuries, but I’m sure that’s still a part of his game.”
Because it’s Week 1, Flores has to watch a lot more film than he’ll be watching once opponents begin showing their new identities as early as next week.
The Giants’ offense, much like a Vikings defense with potentially six new starters, is somewhat of a mystery. New York replaced star running back Saquon Barkley with former Bill Devin Singletary, revamped its porous line with new faces at left guard (Jon Runyan) and right tackle (Jermaine Eluemunor) and drafted LSU receiver Malik Nabers sixth overall.
Asked if he’s watched Donatell’s defense against Jones in 2022, Flores said, “I think you take a look at everything.”
Mainly, Flores is leaning on what he knows about the offensive-minded Daboll. The two were assistants together in New England from 2013-16 and AFC East opponents from 2018-2021 as Daboll moved on to Buffalo as offensive coordinator in 2018 and Flores became Dolphins head coach in 2019.
“[Daboll] is as good an offensive mind, really football mind, as there is,” Flores said. “I think schematically there are some things they like to do that are just standard operating procedure for them.
“We’ll obviously prepare for that. But, Week 1, everyone has some new wrinkles. Everyone’s got a new play they can’t wait to run. I got a couple myself.”
Vikings fans would welcome that because there were few if any wrinkles for Jones back on Jan. 15, 2023, the day he cinched a mega deal for himself and the exit door for Donatell.
Aaron Jones’ instincts and vision have his new teammates and coaches in Minnesota in “oh my gosh” mode. “I can’t believe the Packers got rid of that guy,” says one of his blockers.
