The NFL playoffs are here. And the Giants are in the tournament.
Big Blue is a three-point underdog at the Vikings in Sunday’s NFC wild card game. Here are the ESNY staff picks for the weekend:
Josh Benjamin, staff writer. The Vikings may have the better team on paper, but the Giants have the more experienced coach in Brian Daboll. Kevin O’Connell will be the latest Sean McVay disciple who learns from inexperience as Big Blue pulls off the shocker. Giants 27, Vikings 24.
James Kratch, managing editor. The Giants’ bandwagon has gotten a bit too crowded, no? Be wary when a parade of pundits coalesces behind a playoff underdog like has happened here. Yes, the Christmas Eve game was a thriller. But we can’t help but have two past games in our mind while breaking this one down. The first would be the Giants’ last playoff game before Sunday: They lost to the Packers by a touchdown at Lambeau Field in the 2016 regular season, then returned for the wild card round with high hopes, hung around for a bit and then got blown out. The second is the 2008 wild card game between the Cardinals and Falcons. No one took Arizona seriously and Atlanta was a trendy pick. The Cardinals handled them and then went on to win the NFC. Our point: The Giants have had a great season. And they should be competitive here. But the Vikings are not getting enough respect. And if Minnesota can keep Kirk Cousin upright, the Giants cannot contain T.J. Hockenson and Justin Jefferson enough. Big Blue needs this to be an all-out rock fight; our hunch is it turns out to be a bit too high-flying for them. Vikings 27, Giants 20.’
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Ryan Honey, staff writer. The Vikings torched the Giants through the air during the regular-season meeting on Christmas Eve. Justin Jefferson and T.J. Hockenson combined for 25 catches for 242 yards and three touchdowns.But now, the Giants are healthier in the secondary. Xavier McKinney is back in the lineup and so is Adoree’ Jackson. Their returns are massive for New York — either defensive back should help contain the Vikings’ weapons and ultimately propel the Giants to a huge victory.With the team as healthy as it could be and various starters well rested after sitting out Week 18, the Giants should get their revenge just as long as they keep Minnesota’s passing game in check. Giants 20, Vikings 16.
Danny Small, staff writer. There seem to be two likely outcomes to every Vikings game — they win close or get blown out. The Giants aren’t built to blow teams out, which makes me think the Vikings will win a close one at home, just barely covering the spread. Vikings 24, Giants 20.
Matt Musico, editor. With the possibilities that were there, the Giants drawing a Vikings rematch was probably the best-case scenario for them. They played some of their best football against Minnesota on Christmas Eve, and I think this will be another close game that could go either way. Vikings 24, Giants 20.
Seahawks at 49ers (-9.5):
• JB: 49ers 28, Seahawks 20.
• JK: 49ers 26, Seahawks 18.
• RH: 49ers 27, Seahawks 10.
• DS: Seahawks 24, 49ers 23.
• MM: 49ers 27, Seahawks 14.
Chargers (-2.5) at Jaguars:
• JB: Jaguars 31, Chargers 17.
• JK: Jaguars 28, Chargers 24.
• RH: Jaguars 23, Chargers 20.
• DS: Chargers 31, Jaguars 13.
• MM: Chargers 30, Jaguars 24.
Dolphins at Bills (-13.5):
• JB: Bills 34, Dolphins 13.
• JK: Bills 31, Dolphins 6.
• RH: Bills 27, Dolphins 13.
• DS: Bills 45, Dolphins 3.
• MM: Bills 30, Dolphins 10.
Ravens at Bengals (-9.5):
• JB: Bengals 27, Ravens 10.
• JK: Bengals 20, Ravens 13.
• RH: Bengals 24, Ravens 13.
• DS: Bengals 38, Ravens 13.
• MM: Bengals 28, Ravens 14.
Cowboys (-2.5) at Buccaneers:
• JB: Buccaneers 28, Cowboys 24.
• JK: Cowboys 28, Buccaneers 27.
• RH: Buccaneers 21, Cowboys 17.
• DS: Buccaneers 27, Cowboys 17.
• MM: Buccaneers 27, Cowboys 24.
Final regular season standings:
1-Benjamin: 23-11 against the spread, 21-12-1 straight up.
2-Kratch: 20-14, 18-15-1
T3-Honey: 19-15, 19-14-1
T3-Small: 19-15, 17-16-1
5-Musico: 18-16, 20-13-1
James Kratch can be reached at james.kratch@xlmedia.com
