Opposing Viewpoint: Giants Writer Answers 5 Questions About New York

[Viktor]

Moving to defense, the Giants snagged four interceptions and shut down Washington on Sunday. Who is the leader of that unit? Also, how does the loss of linebacker Ryan Connelly (the Minnesota native tore his ACL Sunday) affect the defense?


DS: It was really unfortunate what happened to the Eden Prairie native. He had just intercepted his second pass in as many weeks and registered his first career sack before he suffered a torn ACL. He was looking like a steal of the draft – Daniel Jeremiah ranked him among his top 25 rookies through the first quarter of the season – and they hope he will when he returns. Until then, the Giants need some players to step up at inside linebacker. Defensive co-captain Alec Ogletree has been dealing with a hamstring, and Connelly had been calling plays for him in the huddle. David Mayo was the next man up and led the team last week in tackles. Janoris Jenkins is also the reigning NFC Defensive Player of the Week, and Antoine Bethea has been a veteran voice at safety. The Giants struggled early on, but they have allowed just six points in the past six quarters.


Vikings fans know Giants Head Coach Pat Shurmur well, as he was with Minnesota in 2016 and 2017 in various roles. How has Shurmur put his stamp on the organization since January of 2018?


DS: Giants General Manager Dave Gettleman calls himself a people-watcher, so he had always kept tabs on Shurmur. Then when it came time to hire a new head coach, Shurmur blew him away in the interview. Halfway through the meeting, Gettleman wrote at the top of his notes, “This man is a professional and an adult.” Shurmur has brought over a straightforward, no-nonsense approach to building a team, which he learned in part from Zimmer.


“I know their mindset,” Shurmur said of the Vikings. “I know how they function. This is an old-school team. They have a progressive mindset, certainly, but they’re old school. A lot of what they do there, we try to do here in terms of building our team. It’s going to be quite a test for us.”


Finally, which player on the Vikings are you most looking forward to watching on Sunday?


DS: It all starts with Dalvin Cook. The Giants want to shut him down because they know if he gets grooving, that opens up the play-actions, boots and nakeds for Kirk Cousins and the passing attack. They know this not only because Shurmur has experience with the Vikings’ personnel, but they also have a pretty good running back of their own in Saquon Barkley. Their value cannot be understated.