MINNEAPOLIS — The Giants finally had their front group on defense all together and believed that unit could help make up for deficiencies at inside linebacker and in the secondary. The foursome of Kayvon Thibodeaux and Azeez Ojulari at outside linebacker and Dexter Lawrence and Leonard Williams on the interior gave the Giants a unit that was capable of dominating games.
That unit played a huge role in a 20-12 victory last Sunday over the Commanders, but that unit did not get out of their 27-24 loss Saturday to the Vikings inside U.S. Bank Stadium healthy and intact.
Ojulari had a sack of Kirk Cousins in the second quarter, but left after that with an ankle injury. Ojulari was carted into the locker room, a huge loss for the Giants. The second-year edge rusher has been on a tear since returning from a calf injury in Week 13, with 4.5 sacks in the past four games.
Ojulari said his ankle got “rolled up on” and that X-rays taken after the game came back negative for any structural damage.
“It’s sore,” he said and expressed hope he will be able to play in the next game, on New Year’s Day against the Colts.
It has been a rough go of it for Ojulari, who has been a terror when he has been able to get on the field. A strained hamstring in training camp caused him to miss the first two games of the season. He was able to play in Weeks 3 and 4, but a calf injury put him out again, as he missed the next seven games.
Nick Gates started at left guard last week, but Ben Bredeson returned from a knee injury and played the majority of the snaps against Washington. That did not lead to a change in the starting lineup, as Gates was in with the first-team offense at the start of the game versus the Vikings. Gates was called for a holding penalty in the first quarter and Bredeson received the bulk of the work after that.
Before the first quarter was over, WR Justin Jefferson had three catches for 38 yards, allowing him to move past Randy Moss to set a Vikings franchise record for receiving yards in a season. He now has 1,756 yards; Moss had 1,632 receiving yards in 2003.
The teams are both experts in playing close games this season. The Vikings are an NFL record 11-0 in one-possession games. The Giants have the second-most wins in one-possession games, with a record of 8-3-1.
Tight games are happening everywhere. Heading into the weekend, 133 games this season had decided by eight points or less, the most through 15 weeks in league history. The Vikings are only the third team to ever win at least 10 games in a season by one possession, joining the Houston Oilers (1978) and Seahawks (2019).
The Giants only had two injured players on their inactive list: CB Adoree’ Jackson (knee) and G Shane Lemieux (toe). The other inactive players for the game: WR David Sills, CB Rodarius Williams and G Jack Anderson. … The Vikings were without two injured starters: C Garrett Bradbury and CB Cameron Dantzler.