Giants-Vikings final score: Giants win, 31-24, face Eagles next

The New York Giants advanced to a divisional round matchup with the Philadelphia Eagles by upsetting the Minnesota Vikings 31-24 Sunday in the wild-card round of the 2023 NFL playoffs.

The time and date of the divisional round game with the Eagles is to be determined.

This was the Giants’ first playoff victory since they won the 2011 Super Bowl, ending a drought of more than 10 years.

The Vikings were 11-0 in one-score games during the regular season. The Giants were 8-3-1 in such games. Thus, no surprise that the teams were tied 24-24 with 12:34 to play.

The Giants got a 2-yard touchdown run by Saquon Barkley to take a 31-24 lead with 7:47 to play. They sealed the victory when Xavier McKinney tackled Minnesota’s T.J. Hockenson short of the first down on a desperation fourth-and-8 with 1:44 to play and the Vikings out of timeouts.

“I knew I had one job and that was to get the stop,” McKinney said. “I did

Riding Daniel Jones

Any questions remaining about whether or not Daniel Jones is a quarterback who can win big games?

Jones had a monstrous game, the best of his career as head coach Brian Daboll and offensive coordinator Mike Kafka put their fate in the quarterback’s hands.

Jones completed 24 of 25 passes for 301 yards, two touchdowns and a 114.1 passer rating. He ran 17 times for a team-leading 78 yards.

On a pair of critical fourth-and-1 situations in the fourth quarter the Giants put the ball in Jones’ hands to get the first down on quarterback sneaks.

“Played good,” coach Brian Daboll said of Jones. “As the leader of our football team, I’m proud of him”

Stats

Saquon Barkley had touchdown runs of 28 and 2 yards, but had just nine carries for 53 yards.

Isaiah Hodgins had eight receptions for 105 yards and a touchdown. Darius Slayton had four receptions for 88 yards.

The Giants held Minnesota superstar Justin Jefferson to seven catches for 47 yards.

First half

The Giants scored all three times they had the ball, engineering drives of 75, 81 and 85 yards

See it

Saquon Barkley fourth-quarter touchdown run.

Saquon Barkley first-quarter touchdown run.

Tricky ball handling.

Injury news

• Edge defender Azeez Ojulari was ruled out with a quad injury. Ojulari dealt with a pair of quad injuries earlier this season, and was coming back from an ankle injury suffered in Week 16 against the Vikings.
• Giants safety Jason Pinnock was carted off after making a fourth-quarter tackle on a kickoff return. He was ruled out with an abdomen injury. The Giants announced after the game that Pinnock had been transported to a local hospital.

Giants inactives

CB Rodarius Williams
RB Jashaun Corbin
LB Micah McFadden
G Wyatt Davis
G Jack Anderson
WR Kalil Pimpleton
DT Henry Mondeaux

What’s next?

The Giants will be in Philadelphia to face the Eagles for a divisional round game.

More Giants-Vikings coverage

• I think Giants’ QB Daniel Jones has ended the argument about the kind of player he is
• Giants-Eagles opening odds: Philadelphia is a heavy favorite once again
• 4 downs: Takeaways from the Giants’ 31-24 win over the Vikings
• Giants injury news: Jason Pinnock flying home with team
• Social media reaction: Giants top Vikings in 31-24 thriller