NFL Week 4: Who Plays on Monday Night Football?
Now that NFL Week 4 has arrived, which two teams will be squaring off in a big-time Monday Night Football game?
In what promises to be an exciting Monday Night Football matchup in NFL Week 4, the New York Giants will travel to US Bank Stadium to face off against the Minnesota Vikings. This will be the first Monday Night Football game at the Vikings new stadium. It also happens that it could be a pivotal matchup in regards to the NFC standings.
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Minnesota is 3-0 on the season. Mike Zimmer’s Vikings have been playing against the odds with Adrian Peterson, Teddy Bridgewater, Matt Kalil, and Sharrif Floyd all out with injuries. Despite their loss at quarterback with Bridgewater out for the season, the Vikings look phenomenal. Sam Bradford had a decent game in Week 3 with a 64.3 percent completion rate and a 93.0 passer rating.
The Vikings handily beat the Panthers at home (Carolina had won 14 straight home games), which was no small feat. Thanks to Zimmer’s leadership, he’s kept the team focused after each injury has threatened to throw away the team’s playoff chances. The Vikings defense has looked stellar. In Week 3 they made Cam Newton look like a rookie, picking off three interceptions and sacking him eight times. They’re a well-rounded team and a formidable opponent.
On the other sideline, the New York Giants are 2-1. In what appeared to be an easy win, the Giants blew their lead over the Washington Redskins with a game-ending interception from Eli Manning. The game was peppered with mistakes across the board from the G-men. Shane Vereen had a fumble and Weston Richburg was tossed from the game after two unsportsmanlike penalties. To top it all off, Olivier Vernon was called out for roughing the passer, setting up the Redskins to kick the game-winning field goal. The Giants weren’t defeated by the Redskins in this matchup—they were defeated by themselves.
Statistically, the Giants have had a better season offensively, with more rushing, passing and total offensive yards so far this season than the Vikings. The Giants are also the better team in third down conversion percentage. The only offensive stat the Vikings outdo the Giants in is time of possession, and it’s only by one minute. Although the Giants offense is statistically better than the Vikings, the Vikings defense has the advantage in this matchup. They’ve only allowed an average of 13 points per game and have outplayed the Giants in both total yards allowed and passing yards allowed.
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In the end, football is rarely about stats. It’s about heart and focus. The Vikings have pushed through each setback and rallied around their backups. They’ve been focused and made few mistakes in 2016. If the Giants make the same careless mistakes they did against Washington, it’s likely the Vikings will add another win to their record and continue to be undefeated.