Vikings Favored By 9 In Last Game Of Regular Season Against Giants

NFL News - December 29th, 2009 - Written by John

Minnesota has lost two in a row for the first time since September of 2008. Through 12 weeks of the season, the Vikings were challenging New Orleans for home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. Following losses to Carolina and Chicago however, the Vikings need a win this week over the New York Giants in order to avoid the three-seed in the NFC. The Giants were thoroughly dominated in their last game against Carolina, losing 41-9 and were mathematically eliminated from having any chance of making the playoffs. This week, they are playing for pride.

A week after a "heated discussion" between Viking quarterback Brett Favre and head coach Brad Childress, the problems compounded for Minnesota against Chicago. They were shut out, and completely shut down by the Bears defense in the first half of the game. The lack of points scored by the offense in the first half marked the first time since 2007 that has happened.

Favre and the Vikings did come out in the second half and scored 30 points, but the deficit they created proved too much to overcome.

"At first I didn't think we would be having this conversation that we would have to be talking about turning it around, but we are," Favre said in the post-game interview to the AP.

This week against the Giants, Minnesota cannot afford to get off to another slow start.

The Giants have been a Jekyll and Hyde team as of late. Two weeks ago they thrashed Washington 45-12, their most complete game of the season. They followed that up with the 41-9 loss to Carolina this past week. Quarterback Eli Manning went so far as to apologize to the fans for the inept performance.

"I apologize. I'm sorry. I wish I had an answer," Manning said to the AP. "I wish we could have come out and played better football. I don't have the answer to why it happened or why it has happened kind of throughout the season where we have been up and down in our play."

The Giants get one more opportunity this season to finish on a positive note.

To be competitive against the Vikings, Manning will have to play well. The lack of run production has hampered the Giants this season and is the primary cause for the struggles on offense. Running back Brandon Jacobs has not had the season that everyone expected from him. On the year, he has averaged less than four-yards per carry and has scored only five times.

The lack of a run-attack has put pressure on Manning, and at times has caused him to force throws. He threw the ball almost the entire game against Carolina and the Giants cannot do that against the Vikings. They will need to establish the run and try and create balance. It is just difficult to say which New York team will show up, the one that began the season 5-0, or the one that was trounced by Carolina.

The Vikings defense will look to stop the New York running game and make the Giants one-dimensional. If they are able to do that, then it could be another long day for Manning and the Giants.

The New York defense has not taken any pressure off the offense. They have surrendered 30 or more points in three of their last six games.

The Vikings bring a balanced offense that can beat a team through the air and on the ground. New York will have to find ways to keep the Minnesota offense off the field or it could be a long day.

BetUS Sportsbook have established Minnesota as a nine-point favorite to defeat New York at home this week. The over/under for the match-up has been installed at 48 according to NFL Betting Lines.