New York Giants' Saquon Barkley runs for a touchdown during the first half of an NFL wild card football game against the Minnesota Vikings Sunday, Jan. 15, 2023, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO.com) — After a thrilling regular season filled with historic comebacks and numerous broken records, the Minnesota Vikings fell short when it mattered most.
The Vikings were defeated by the New York Giants during Sunday night’s Wild Card playoff game with a final score of 24-31.
While the Vikings offense started out strong with a touchdown on their first possession, Daniel Jones and the Giants responded quickly and wouldn’t let up until time expired, racking up 430 total yards on offense.
Troughout the season, the Vikings faced plenty of questions about their legitimacy as a contender in the NFC.
The source of the doubt could be clearly traced back to a defense that finished second-to-last in the league in yards allowed, and their loss Sunday was the final and most painful piece of evidence why.
Head coach Kevin O’Connell’s first year, a 13-4 record to match the second-most regular-season wins in franchise history and an NFC North title that was clinched with three games to go, was an unquestionable success.
But O’Connell will face one of his most important decisions for Year Two next week when he determines whether or not to bring back defensive coordinator Ed Donatell.
“I think Ed tried to do the best he could this year across the board, installing the defense and the scheme that we had kind of manifested together and hoped it would come to life,” O’Connell said. “He worked his absolute tail off, and his commitment to trying to make some adjustments and improve was there, each and every week, all season long.”
Super Wild Card Weekend continues tonight as the Dallas Cowboys head to Tampa Bay to take on Tom Brady and the Buccaneers.
That game will air live on FOX Sports Radio KWSN 98.1/AM 1230 starting at 6:30 p.m.
Kickoff is set for 7:15 p.m.
(The Associated Press contributed to this report)
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