The Kansas City Chiefs and Baltimore Ravens put on a classic Thursday night in the NFL regular season opener as meaningful football is finally underway. On Sunday, the Minnesota Vikings will open their season against the last team to face them in the playoffs: The New York Giants .
The story of these two teams is quite different from when they met at U.S. Bank Stadium during the 2022 postseason. Both teams are coming off disappointing seasons last year, with neither returning to the postseason. Additionally, both teams had significant losses during the NFL offseason, with the Giants losing running back Saquon Barkley to the rival Philadelphia Eagles and the Vikings letting franchise quarterback Kirk Cousins walk to the Atlanta Falcons.
The Vikings were expected to turn the franchise over to first-round pick J.J. McCarthy this season, but they lost him during the preseason with a torn meniscus and now will rely on veteran Sam Darnold to carry the offense.
Meanwhile, for the Giants, this seems like the make-or-break year for quarterback Daniel Jones . Many have had doubts about Jones for some time, but with the team having an out within his contract after this season, he must perform to stick with the team long-term.
Luckily for Jones, he was given some much-needed receiver help when the Giants selected LSU standout Malik Nabers as the sixth pick in the NFL Draft . Nabers is a hyper-athletic do-it-all receiver who thrives in one-on-ones with the ball in the air. He is expected to be the team's top target on the perimeter and join the list of great LSU wide receivers in the NFL alongside Justin Jefferson, Odell Beckham Jr, and Jarvis Landry.
On the defensive side, the Giants are looking for vast improvements on a unit that was bottom-10 in total yards, rushing yards, and points allowed per game. With the new addition of pass rush phenom Brian Burns, acquired in an off-season trade with the Carolina Panthers, the Giants hope to have a lethal duo on the defensive line with him and Dexter Lawrence moving forward.
Head coach Kevin O’Connell is in his third season for the Vikings, and for the first time in his tenure, he is returning all three coordinators. The team has undergone many changes during his tenure, with general manager Kwesi-Adofo Mensah retooling the roster on the fly while remaining competitive. The team had some significant losses on the defensive side of the ball this off-season as pass rusher Danielle Hunter departed for the Houston Texans, and linebacker Jordan Hicks signed with the Cleveland Browns. Cornerback Mekhi Blackmon, who was projected to be a starter this season, suffered a torn ACL in OTAs, which will cause him to miss the entirety of the season.
The team also faced major tragedy after rookie cornerback Khyree Jackson tragically passed away after being hit by a drunk driver earlier this summer. In memory of the young player, the team will have patches on their jerseys and helmets this season.
During the off-season, the team added pass rushers Jonathan Greenard and Andrew Van Ginkel to replace the loss of Hunter on the edge. In late August, the team added veteran cornerback Stephon Gilmore as a starting corner opposite Byron Murphy and Shaq Griffin in the secondary.
Neither the Vikings nor the Giants are highly touted picks to make the postseason as they go through their versions of roster reconstruction, but a win in week one could catapult some momentum either team could use to have a fast start to the season.
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