The NFL wild-card weekend continued Sunday with the No. 6-seed Giants knocking off the No. 3-seed Vikings. New York advances to face the No. 1-seed Eagles in the divisional round of the NFC playoffs.

The Athletic NFL Staff

17 New Updates

Summary

The NFL wild-card weekend continued Sunday with the No. 6-seed Giants knocking off the No. 3-seed Vikings. New York advances to face the No. 1-seed Eagles in the divisional round of the NFC playoffs. Check in with The Athletic for all the latest news, highlights, reaction and analysis.

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(Photo: USA Today)

Richie James celebrates the Giants win with a backflip

After knocking out Kevin O'Connell, Brian Daboll is the last rookie head coach left standing.

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Giants advance

That should be it. The Giants will take knees and win this game. New York will advance to play the top-seeded Eagles, after eliminating the No. 3 seed Minnesota.

Kirk Cousins’ pass to T.J. Hockenson is short of the sticks on fourth-and-8 and the Giants will take over.

Giants are going to get their first playoff win since the 2011 season when they won the Super Bowl.

Have yourself a day Daniel Jones

Historic game for Giants QB Daniel Jones.

Tough call

Even the referee on the broadcast had a hard time defending that huge roughing the passer call on Dexter Lawrence. That was a tough call.

All comes down to this

Vikings begin perhaps their final drive with 2:56 left and facing a 31-24 deficit.

During the regular season, Minnesota scored an NFL-high 60 points in the final three minutes of regulation, per TruMedia.

No faith in Minnesota

The betting public doesn’t expect a Vikings comeback, as New York is listed at -2000 in moneyline odds in live in-game betting at BetMGM.

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Costly drop

Oh my goodness. Darius Slayton just had a chance to all but end this game, and dropped the pass. Huge break for Minnesota.

Big day for Giants QB Daniel Jones

Giants QB Daniel Jones is now at 300 yards passing. He's having the game of his life, at 24-34 for 300 yards and two touchdowns, to go along with 79 yards rushing. He went over 300 yards just twice during the regular season.

Points on the board

This is only the second time that the Giants have scored 30+ points in a game this season, with the first being a 38-point performance over a demoralized Colts squad in Week 17.

Giants DB is carted off the field

Giants DB Jason Pinnock was carted off the field. Coach Brian Daboll and rest of defense were out there as he went on cart.

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What a difference a year makes

What Brian Daboll and Mike Kafka has done with this offense is one of the more special coaching jobs you’ll see.

This offense was dead last in points per drive last season.

They have 31 points in a playoff game with more then 7 minutes remaining in the game.

Saquon Barkley TD gives NYG the lead

The Giants running back plowed through Vikings defender Dalvin Tomlinson to give New York the lead, 31-24, with 7:47 left in the game. Barkley only has seven carries for 53 yards, but he has scored a pair of touchdowns.

Saquon Barkley has found the end zone twice and thus has made a major impact on this game, but he still only has 11 touches with 7:47 left to go in the fourth quarter. That is tied for the lowest scrimmage play volume for Barkley in a game this season and speaks volumes for how diversified the Giants offense has been today. Hampton's second touchdown was also a two-yard rush and clinched a 17-10 win for the Giants.

Saquon Barkley ranked 28th in the NFL in yards after contact per rush among running backs this season, according to TruMedia, but his push of Vikings defensive tackle Dalvin Tomlinson after getting hit at the 2-yard line earned him his second touchdown of the day and gave the Giants a 30-24 lead midway through the fourth quarter.

Big time addition

Isaiah Hodgins wasn't even a member of the Giants on Nov. 1, 2022. They claimed him off waivers on Nov. 2. The 2020 sixth-round pick of the Bills has seven catches for 97 yards and a touchdown against the Vikings. His previous career-high in receiving yards was 89, which came in Week 16 against ... the Vikings.

Good company

Jordan is one of the best Vikings tight ends of all time, so Hockenson is in very good company.

A potentially impactful injury for the Giants

Christian Darrisaw is out of the tent and back on the bench.

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All tied up at 24-24

Giants coach Brian Daboll was about to challenge the spot to say Vikings TE T.J. Hockenson was short of the line to gain, but the officials made it easy on him, changing their minds and calling Hockenson short.

That call proved massive, as the Vikings were then flagged for a false start just before QB Kirk Cousins dove forward for a first down on a QB sneak. So instead of a first down, Minnesota settled for a 38-yard field goal. The game is now tied at 24 with 12:34 left.

Vikings are closers

The Giants lead the Vikings 24-21 heading to the fourth quarter but this is when Minnesota has been at its best.

The Vikings outscored opponents 169-91 in the fourth quarter during the regular season.

That was the most points scored and the largest scoring margin (+78) in the NFL.

Trust the numbers

An 18-yard reception by T.J. Hockenson moved the chains for the Vikings on fourth down. Hockenson now has 96 yards on four catches today. In terms of receiving yards, two of the top five receiving performances of Hockenson's career have come this season against the Giants:

• 109 yards and two touchdowns on 13 catches against the Giants in Week 16
• 96 yards on four catches today

The Giants finished the regular season ranked 31st in pass defense DVOA vs. TEs.

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