Any New York Giants fans who tuned in last Sunday would’ve tuned out by the time the 3rd quarter rolled around. The Minnesota Vikings made short work of the Giants, bringing the game to a 28-6 finish. Well, the New York crowd wasn’t too pleased with the home team’s performance, and they wasted no time showing it.

The boos rang out from the stands, on and off through the game. Some fans later joked that the Giants had already been eliminated from the playoffs. Giants quarterback Daniel Jones found himself a target of a great many of them, owing to his lackluster performance. You’d expect the 27-year-old to start feeling the weight of all this disapproval, but he’s managed to shrug it off.

Daniel Jones speaks out about fan backlash to the Vikings defeat

When asked about his mental toughness, Daniel Jones gave a pretty unbothered reply, “I’ve been doubted plenty for a long time, and I’ve dealt with that time and time again, and done a good job with it.” The QB didn’t just stop here, and continued, “I think my mental toughness is in a good spot.” This came on the heels of harassment not just on the field, but off it too. As he left the stadium, fans recorded him on their phones, yelling, “I need a million!”

While absolutely unjustifiable, the chant is likely inspired by resentment over his 4 year, $160 million contract. In the 2023-24 season, Daniel Jones managed a mere 2 touchdown passes in 11 games. And to add to that, his performance in the opening game has not won him any brownie points. He never once made it to the end zone, and threw two interceptions, to boot. One of those interceptions even resulted in a pick-six.

It’s certainly possible his performance will improve over the course of the season, his reasserting his mental toughness is a positive sign, though some might say it is performative.

Was there something special about the Minnesota Vikings?

Some fans have responded to the thrashing on Sunday as a “revenge game” in reference to the Vikings’ defeat at the hands of the Giants last year. The Giants have defeated the Vikings only once in the last 10 years, losing 5 other matchups in that span. Head to Head, they stand 19-13, with the Vikings in the clear lead.

Sam Darnold was on the ball all game long, despite having replaced injured Rookie JJ McCarthy on short notice. He threw two touchdowns, and his performance attracted praise from Dan Orlovsky on ESPN NFL Live, in particular for bringing back the ‘lost art’ of the quick release. And this after his lackluster 2023 with the San Francisco 49ers, where he made only 2 touchdowns. In fact, in the last 5 years, Darnold has played for 4 teams. Here’s hoping he finds a home with the Vikings.

Aaron Jones was a beauty to watch on the field as well, running a 109 yard game. The resounding win makes it apparent the mighty Vikings have been underestimated. Fans can look forward to an exciting season.