Impressive play in the trenches highlight Minnesota Vikings Week 1 victory vs. Giants

The Minnesota Vikings didn't just pull out a win in New York against the Giants, they played excellent football across all four quarters in a 28-6 victory. Both the offense and defense played really well while not showing any rust. Things were so good for the Vikings that the Vikings fans in the crown were doing the SKOL chant throughout the fourth quarter.

Arguably the most impressive performance for the Vikings came from quarterback Sam Darnold. He started the game 12-for-12 and finished 19-of-24 for 208 yards, two touchdowns and an interception when his arm got hit. The win was the first the Vikings have gotten a win of three or more scores since December 15th, 2019 when they beat the (then) San Diego Chargers.

The Vikings got the win for head coach Kevin O'Connell who held the biggest lead he's had as a head coach. The key to the win was the trench play across the board.

4 edge rusher packages

Last season, the Vikings mitigated their issues on the defensive line by using three edge rusher packages frequently. In the season opener, the Vikings took it one step further by using four edge rusher packages.

It's an interesting idea by the Vikings but only plausible due to the personnel the Vikings currently have. Jonathan Greenard's 35.5" arms and Jihad Ward's thick build and physical play-style make them easy candidates to put inside and wreak havoc with their athleticism. It allows them to be multiple with stunts and also keep better contain on a mobile quarterback.

In game adjustment with the OL

The first drive was brutal for the offensive line. They didn't open up any holes for Aaron Jones, Dexter Lawrence beat Ed Ingram for a sack after being left on an island and C.J. Ham fumbled on the third snap. How the offensive line played the Giants defense was frustrating.

In this game, it's not about how you start but rather how you finish. The Vikings adjusted really well after the first two drives and minimized the effectiveness of Lawrence throughout the rest of the game. It wasn't perfect, as Lawrence hit Sam Darnold's arm forcing an interception. While the Vikings have a solid interior of the offensive line, none of them are good enough to handle the second-best defensive lineman on their own.

Containing Daniel Jones

The Vikings had a difficult task in front of them. Quarterbacks who are impactful with their legs provide a difficult challenge for defenses, as they can gash your defense with their legs if you break contain.

One of the biggest keys of the game was containing Jones within the pocket. He struggles throwing the football down the field and that was proven true again. The Vikings found a way to keep Jones contained in the pocket. Jones ran the ball just six times for 15 yards and was sacked five times. Not great numbers and a key reason why the Giants offense couldn't get rolling.

Related: Minnesota Vikings sit atop the National Football League in stat that drives Kevin O'Connell crazy