Listen to play-by-play of the Sunday Night Football matchup between the N.Y. Giants and the Minnesota Vikings at TCF Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota starting with pre-game at 7:45 PM Monday night on 105.7 The Fan! (no streaming)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PREVIEW
When: 8:30 PM ET, Sunday, December 27, 2015
Where: TCF Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, Minnesota
TV: 8:30 p.m. ET, NBC
By SportsDirect Inc.
Eli Manning will be without top wideout Odell Beckham Jr. on Sunday when the New York Giants continue their pursuit of the NFC East title with a road tilt versus the Minnesota Vikings. Manning found Beckham with his career-high 32nd touchdown pass last week, but the Giants' spirited rally came up short in a 38-35 setback to undefeated Carolina.
The testy matchup led to the one-game suspension of Beckham, who was flagged three times for unnecessary roughness against Panthers cornerback Josh Norman - with one altercation coming after a helmet-to-helmet hit where neither competitor was involved in the play. Replacing Beckham will be a tall task for the Giants, as the second-year star leads the team in receptions (91), yards (1,396) and touchdowns (13). "Outside of Eli Manning, (Beckham's) their best player," said Minnesota's Adrian Peterson, who told reporters that he texted his support for the wideout and didn't think his actions warranted a suspension. Peterson sprained his left ankle in last week's 38-17 victory over NFC North rival Chicago, but the NFL's leading rusher said he expects to play Sunday as Minnesota bids for a playoff berth.
ABOUT THE GIANTS (6-8): Rashad Jennings became the first New York running back to rush for a triple-digit yardage total this season when he rolled up 107 versus the Panthers. The 30-year-old, who found the end zone for the first time since Week 4, has rushed 38 times for 188 yards in the last two contests after mustering just 28 yards total in the previous two. Wide receiver Rueben Randle, who should see an uptick in targets with Beckham suspended, has scored in back-to-back contests and four of his last six.
ABOUT THE VIKINGS (9-5): Should Green Bay falter against Arizona earlier in the day, Minnesota's contest on Sunday night would be rendered somewhat meaningless ahead of a pivotal Week 17 showdown with the Packers for the NFC North title. While Mike Zimmer admitted he would like to "be smart" in his approach, the coach expressed more of a desire to protect his players that are dealing with slight injuries. Teddy Bridgewater has been heating up of late, throwing for 335 yards against Arizona in Week 14 before recording a career-best five touchdowns (four passing, one rushing) versus the Bears.
EXTRA POINTS
1. A Seattle win and an Atlanta loss earlier on Sunday can secure a postseason berth for Minnesota before it even steps on the field.
2. New York, which has been eliminated from the wild-card chase, can clinch the NFC East title by winning both of its remaining games and having Washington lose its final two.
3. Vikings WR rookie Stefon Diggs reeled in a pair of touchdowns last week and faces the Giants' 32nd-ranked passing defense, which yields a staggering 308 yards per contest.
LINE: Vikings -5.5
O/U: 45.5
PREDICTION: Giants 23, Vikings 14