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

The Minnesota Vikings don't have quarterback Teddy Bridgewater or running back Adrian Peterson, who both suffered knee injuries, but they do have a dominant defense and an undefeated record.

Minnesota moved to 4-0 on Monday with a 24-10 victory over the New York Giants at U.S. Bank Stadium.

With Bridgewater and Peterson out, signal-caller Sam Bradford picked up the slack with 262 passing yards and a touchdown.

Jerick McKinnon added 85 rushing yards and a score, which was enough for the Vikings' stingy defense.

Minnesota held Eli Manning to 261 passing yards and an interception while containing New York's talented wide receivers. Odell Beckham Jr. finished with 23 receiving yards, which ESPN Stats & Info noted was a career low. Victor Cruz posted 50 receiving yards, while Sterling Shepard tallied 30.

Tom Fornelli of CBS Sports pointed out the Vikings defense has shut down some of the best quarterbacks in the league:

"

Mariota, Rodgers, Cam and Eli against the Vikings: 85/149 (57%), 971 yards, 3 TD, 6 INT

— Tom Fornelli (@TomFornelli) October 4, 2016"

New York also struggled to find room on the ground. Orleans Darkwa led the way with just 48 rushing yards.

The Vikings seized a quick 7-0 lead thanks to difference-making plays by Cordarrelle Patterson. The receiver served as a special teams gunner, and his pressure forced a Dwayne Harris fumble on Minnesota's first punt. From there, Patterson notched a 21-yard reception and drew a pass-interference flag in the end zone to set up Matt Asiata's one-yard touchdown.

Bart Hubbuch of the New York Post reacted to the 2013 first-round pick's early impact:

The home team found the end zone again in the second quarter, when Bradford directed a 65-yard drive that culminated in a seven-yard touchdown pass to Kyle Rudolph.

The two-score deficit was daunting for the Giants, considering their early struggles on offense. Mark Cannizzaro of the New York Post noted they were not effectively dealing with the crowd noise.

Beckham committed an unsportsmanlike-conduct penalty out of frustration during a scuffle with Xavier Rhodes.

NFL on ESPN shared a look at the fracas, and Andrew Garda of Pro Football Weekly underscored a problem for New York:

The Giants trimmed the deficit to 14-3 by halftime, but they lost a weapon when tight end Larry Donnell suffered a concussion after a big hit from linebacker Anthony Barr, per Vikings PR.

New York garnered some momentum when Blair Walsh missed a field goal on the first possession of the second half. Andrew Krammer of the Star Tribune noted it was the third game in which Walsh has missed a field goal this season, and the crowd responded with a chorus of boos.

However, Manning threw an interception to Rhodes three plays later. NFL on ESPN illustrated how badly the signal-caller missed Beckham on the deep ball:

Walsh delivered on his next attempt after the pick and put the Vikings ahead 17-3.

It took until the fourth quarter, but the New York offense finally woke up with a 67-yard screen pass to Paul Perkins, setting up a one-yard score by Darkwa.

NFL Network shared footage of the play that helped the Giants get back to within striking distance:

The tension at U.S. Bank Stadium dissipated when the Vikings answered with a touchdown drive of their own to push the lead back to two scores. Bradford connected with Charles Johnson for 40 yards, and McKinnon scored from four yards out on the next play.

Patricia Traina of Inside Football noted the injuries at cornerback proved costly for the Giants on the critical completion to Johnson:

The Giants turned the ball over on downs on their next two possessions, which ended any comeback hopes. Minnesota ran the clock out from there and clinched its fourth victory in as many tries.

What's Next?

The Vikings will face the Houston Texans and Philadelphia Eagles in their next two games, with a bye week in the middle. Houston is 3-1, and Philadelphia is 3-0, which means the upcoming stretch is a marquee portion of the schedule for Minnesota before it faces the 1-3 Chicago Bears and 1-3 Detroit Lions.

Even a split in the next two games would put the Vikings in ideal position heading into the middle portion of the season.

The Giants will face the Green Bay Packers and Baltimore Ravens in their next two contests. It doesn't get much easier for Manning and Co., considering Green Bay and Baltimore are a combined 5-2. Keeping pace with the 3-0 Eagles and 3-1 Dallas Cowboys in the NFC East will prove difficult for the 2-2 Giants.

Postgame Reaction

New York recognized it faced a difficult opponent on Monday. Manning said, per the Giants: "They're a good defense. They had a good scheme...you have to give them credit."

Coach Ben McAdoo acknowledged falling behind against a team like Minnesota is not a winning formula, per the Giants: "I thought we played hard tonight. Good team on the road; can't spot them two possessions."

Beckham Jr. didn’t back down when asked about his penalty, per Tom Pelissero of USA Today, "I just have to understand if I sneeze the wrong way it'll be a flag."

As for the Vikings, coach Mike Zimmer realized there was still room for improvement when he said: "The passes opened up the running game but…McKinnon can run better. … He was tiptoeing," per Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press.

Rudolph praised his quarterback after the win, per Krammer: "Sam's a baller. Guys kind of gravitate towards his energy now...bringing a little bit more fire."

Defensive back Captain Munnerlyn put the impressive performance in perspective, per Tomasson: "We used to pee down our leg on Monday night or big-time football. I think it’s out the window now."

If that’s the case, Minnesota is primed to advance past the first round of the playoffs for the first time since the 2009 season.