Giants vs. Vikings: Score and Twitter Reaction for Sunday Night Football

The Minnesota Vikings didn’t need to win Sunday, but don’t tell them that. They beat down the New York Giants, 49-17, like their season was on the line.

Minnesota’s defense sacked Eli Manning four times, and the offense got 168 passing yards and a touchdown from quarterback Teddy Bridgewater as the Vikings clinched a playoff spot for the first time since 2012. Minnesota will play for the NFC North title against the Green Bay Packers next Sunday night in Lambeau Field.           

The Vikings' 49 points were the most they've scored since 1998, per ESPN Stats & Info.

Minnesota tweeted this after the win:

If needed, the Vikings could’ve taken this game off and rested for their showdown with the Packers. Thanks to Green Bay’s loss earlier in the day to the Arizona Cardinals, Minnesota was guaranteed a shot at the division title.

The winner will clinch the No. 3 seed in the NFC playoffs.

It was pure domination by the Vikings from the get-go. Minnesota’s defensive line was the more physical unit, using its power and strength to bypass the Giants offensive line and get to Manning. It hit the New York quarterback seven times.

Manning threw three interceptions, one returned by star Vikings safety Harrison Smith for a touchdown. The Vikings provided a clip for that score:

Bridgewater was hardly rattled. He played an error-free game, completing 15 of 25 passes and not throwing an interception. One of his better throws on the night was his lone touchdown, a 28-yard lob to tight end Kyle Rudolph that split the seam of the defense to give Minnesota a 10-0 lead with 11:02 remaining in the second quarter.

The Vikings provided a clip of the score:

Just with that one catch alone, Rudolph had put together one of his best performances from a yards-per-catch perspective, per Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press:

According to ESPN Stats & Info, that touchdown from Bridgewater was only his second of 20 yards or better this season, and 32 quarterbacks had more touchdowns than him coming into Sunday night.

Minnesota got major production from its running game as well. Star back Adrian Peterson had another stellar day on the ground, rushing for 104 yards and a touchdown on only 22 carries. Backup tailback Jerick McKinnon finished with 89 yards on only seven carries, ending his night with a 68-yard touchdown run late in the fourth quarter.

The Giants were officially eliminated from playoff contention after the Washington Redskins clinched the NFC East on Saturday against the Philadelphia Eagles, so New York was simply playing for pride—which the Vikings quickly ripped away, holding the Giants to only 1-of-11 on third down tries.

Minnesota has outscored its last two opponents 87-34.

It was a rout from the start, and the Vikings have officially set the NFC playoff picture in stone. The only dilemma left to settle is who plays whom in the playoffs. Either there will be a Vikings-Packers rematch in two weeks, or the Seattle Seahawks will be playing in either Minnesota or Green Bay.

One thing is clear after Sunday night: Minnesota made a statement that it is not the same Vikings team that laid an egg against the Packers back in Week 11.

Postgame Reaction

The question game can now begin in New York.

Uncertain futures lie ahead for Giants head coach Tom Coughlin and general manager Jerry Reese. No matter the result next Sunday, the Giants will suffer a third-straight losing season. Coughlin was hoping his team would play for pride, per Bob Glauber of Newsday, but that didn't happen:

Had the Redskins beaten the Eagles, the Giants would have needed a win and a Washington loss to the Dallas Cowboys to clinch the division. The New York team that took the field tonight did not look like a team that was defeated, but rather manhandled by a team that was on a mission to get back to the playoffs and get in the right mindset to play for a division title.

Even though there's no chance of a playoff spot, Coughlin will not let his team get comfortable against a division rival, per the Giants' official Twitter:

With the wind howling and the temperature dropping, the Vikings played like they had cold hearts and showing no mercy against the Giants. Minnesota head coach Mike Zimmer gave high praise to the Vikings fans for braving the cold, per KFAN 100.3 in Minnesota:

Back in Week 11, the Vikings were playing for sole possession of first place in the NFC North against the same Packers they'll see next Sunday night. Aaron Rodgers and Co. handled Minnesota 30-13 in Week 11, and Rudolph knows they're going to get Green Bay's best next week, per Andrew Krammer from ESPN 1500 in Minnesota:

The game was originally slated for 1 p.m. ET on Sunday, but has since been flexed to the final Sunday Night Football game of the 2015 regular season. The Vikings are going into Green Bay with confidence.

They may need that and more, if they want a home playoff game in two weeks.