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Last Sunday, the Minnesota Vikings misplaced to the New York Giants 31-24 within the Wild Card spherical of the NFC Playoffs. Second-year quarterback Daniel Jones loved among the best video games of his younger profession, racking up 301 passing yards, two touchdowns and a 114.1 passer score. The Giants racked up the second-most factors that they had in a sport this 12 months and the third-most complete yards (431).
Four days later, the Vikings fired defensive coordinator Ed Donatell after only one season with the crew.
There have been loads of reliable causes for Donatell to be relieved of his duties. The Vikings protection ranked twenty eighth in factors allowed and twenty seventh in DVOA—and with one of the crucial seasoned defensive rosters within the NFL.
But, for a lot of, final week’s Wild Card sport wasn’t about how unhealthy the Vikings have been. It was, as a substitute, extra about Jones’ breakout sport and New York lastly discovering their groove on offense. With a robust protection to enhance, the Giants have been immediately trying like a sneaky-good crew that would probably make a run.
The Philadelphia Eagles put an finish to that narrative in a rush. During Saturday night time’s Divisional Round matchup with the Giants, the Eagles proved that the Giants offense hadn’t made any actual noticeable strides. Their success within the Wild Card spherical was nearly all because of the horrible Vikings protection they confronted.
The Giants have been completely obliterated by the Eagles to the tune of a 38-7 blowout. Jones and the Giants offense have been shut out of the primary half and managed simply 227 yards for your entire sport— simply 2 yards above their season low. Daniel Jones completed with a season-low 53.8 passer score, was sacked 5 occasions, and threw his seventh interception of the season.
In different phrases, after practically setting season highs in each yards and factors final week, the Giants set a brand new low for factors scored and have been 3 yards away from hitting all-time low in yardage.
But the Giants’ offensive efficiency towards the Eagles was far nearer to their norm for the 2022 season. New York averaged simply 21.5 factors per sport this 12 months and Jones crossed over 300 passing yards in simply three video games this season—two of which have been towards the Vikings.
Sure, the Eagles deserve a ton of credit score for his or her efficiency on Saturday. They do have among the best defenses within the league, rating eighth in factors allowed and sixth in DVOA. But it’s way more telling that this Giants offense that regarded fully misplaced on Saturday towards the Eagles didn’t even should punt the ball till late within the third quarter towards the Vikings.
There is a chasm between the Eagles and Vikings defenses, and whereas the offense was capable of carry Minnesota to the playoffs, the crew’s Achilles heal was finally uncovered—and so they proceed to be uncovered even after being eradicated from the playoffs.
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