The Minnesota Vikings beat the New York Giants 28–6 in their September 8, 2024 season opener, and the player stats tell a clear story: Minnesota made its biggest plays through an efficient passing game, a productive run game and a defense that repeatedly disrupted Daniel Jones. Sam Darnold threw two touchdown passes, Aaron Jones ran for 94 yards and a score, and Andrew Van Ginkel returned an interception for a touchdown. For the Giants, Jones threw two interceptions and the offense managed two field goals.
That’s the quick read. The more interesting is how the numbers fit together—and what they can, and can’t, tell us about a single football game.
TL;DR
- Final score: Vikings 28, Giants 6, at MetLife Stadium on September 8, 2024.
- Minnesota’s balance mattered: Sam Darnold passed for 208 yards and two touchdowns; Aaron Jones added 94 rushing yards and a touchdown.
- The defense changed the game: Andrew Van Ginkel intercepted Daniel Jones and returned it for a touchdown. New York threw two interceptions overall.
- The Giants had a bright spot: Malik Nabers caught five passes for 66 yards in his NFL debut.
- One-game stats need context: They describe this matchup, not a full season or a guaranteed forecast of what came next.
Quick Answer
In the Vikings’ 28–6 win over the Giants, Sam Darnold completed 19 of 24 passes for 208 yards and two touchdowns. Aaron Jones carried 14 times for 94 yards and a touchdown. Justin Jefferson caught four passes for 59 yards and a touchdown, while Jordan Addison caught three for 35 yards and a score. Giants quarterback Daniel Jones completed 22 of 42 passes for 186 yards, with no passing touchdowns and two interceptions. Rookie receiver Malik Nabers led New York with five catches for 66 yards.
Minnesota Vikings vs. New York Giants player stats
| Player | Team | Key stats |
|---|---|---|
| Sam Darnold | Vikings | 19/24 passing, 208 yards, 2 TD |
| Aaron Jones | Vikings | 14 carries, 94 yards, 1 rushing TD |
| Justin Jefferson | Vikings | 4 receptions, 59 yards, 1 receiving TD |
| Jordan Addison | Vikings | 3 receptions, 35 yards, 1 receiving TD |
| Daniel Jones | Giants | 22/42 passing, 186 yards, 2 interceptions |
| Malik Nabers | Giants | 5 receptions, 66 yards |
| Andrew Van Ginkel | Vikings | Interception returned for a touchdown |
The table highlights notable individual performances, not every player who appeared. Passing, rushing and receiving figures are from the September 8, 2024 game; defensive highlights are described separately.
Darnold kept the offense on schedule
Darnold’s stat line was efficient rather than enormous. His 19 completions on 24 attempts gave Minnesota a strong completion rate, and his 208 yards came with two touchdown passes and no interceptions. He didn’t need to throw for 300 yards: the Vikings converted enough opportunities, avoided giving the ball away through the air and let their other playmakers contribute.
That distinction matters when reading quarterback numbers. Passing yards measure volume and distance, but they don’t tell the whole story about decision-making or the way a team uses its quarterback. A lower yardage total can still accompany an effective performance when the offense is balanced and the quarterback turns chances into points. Here, Darnold’s touchdowns to Jefferson and Addison gave Minnesota two direct scoring plays through the air.
Aaron Jones supplied the ground game
Jones’s 94 yards on 14 carries worked out to 6.7 yards per attempt. He also scored a rushing touchdown. The average is useful as a snapshot of how productive his carries were, but it can be misleading on its own: long run can lift a player’s average, and the number doesn’t show every block or situation behind a carry.
The broader point is that Minnesota didn’t make its passing game carry the entire offense. Jones gave the Vikings a credible rushing threat, forcing New York to account for more than Darnold’s throws. That balance can make an offense harder to defend, even if a box score can’t explain precisely how a defense adjusted on each play.
Jefferson and Addison turned catches into points
Jefferson finished with four receptions for 59 yards and a touchdown. Addison had three catches for 35 yards and a touchdown. Those totals weren’t huge by the standards of a high-volume receiving day, but both players found the end zone, which gives their contributions a different weight than yardage alone might suggest.
This is a useful reminder when comparing receiver lines. Receptions and receiving yards show involvement and production, while touchdowns show that a player helped finish a scoring drive. Neither set of numbers tells the entire story: a receiver can draw defensive attention without catching the ball, and a short touchdown can be more valuable to the final score than a longer catch between the 20-yard lines.
New York’s passing game struggled to finish drives
Daniel Jones completed 22 of 42 throws for 186 yards. He did not throw a touchdown and was intercepted twice. That combination—many attempts, modest yardage and turnovers—captures why the Giants had trouble keeping pace. The interceptions were especially costly because Van Ginkel turned into a defensive touchdown, immediately putting points on the board for Minnesota rather than merely ending a New York possession.
The score also reflects more than quarterback play. Football drives depend on field position, protection, rushing production, penalties and the defense on the other side. A quarterback’s line is an important part of the explanation, but it isn’t a complete diagnosis of a team’s offense. For a careful account of this game, keep the passing figures alongside the final score and the defensive scoring play.
Nabers offered a promising individual line
Nabers, making his NFL debut, led the Giants with five catches for 66 yards. That was a notable start for the rookie receiver, even in a game where the team’s offense produced little overall. His numbers show he was a meaningful target; they don’t, by themselves, establish what his full rookie season would become.
That separation between a strong moment and a long-term conclusion is important. A first game can give fans a reason to pay attention, but season-long judgments need a larger sample: more matchups, different defensive schemes and a fuller range of game situations.
What the box score does—and doesn’t—tell you
A box score is a compact record, not a complete replay. It’s excellent for answering direct questions: Who threw the touchdown passes? How many yards did a running back gain? Which team had the interceptions? It is less suited to questions such as whether a receiver was open on a missed throw, how much pressure a quarterback faced, or whether a play succeeded because of an individual effort or a breakdown in coverage. For comparison with other Minnesota matchups, see the Philadelphia Eagles vs. Minnesota Vikings player stats and Atlanta Falcons vs. Minnesota Vikings match player stats.
That’s where modern sports technology, including AI-assisted tools, can help—and where readers should stay cautious. Automated systems can organize play-by-play data, spot patterns across many games and turn a large set of numbers into charts or summaries. That can make analysis easier to explore. But an AI-generated recap can still misread a play, mix up seasons or present a correlation as a cause. For a single-game lookup like this one, the most useful approach is straightforward: confirm the date and final score, compare the key player lines, then use video or a reliable play-by-play record for tactical claims.
If you’re using an AI tool to analyze the matchup, specify the game date. The Vikings and Giants have met in other seasons, and their player stats differ from meeting to another. A prompt that says “Vikings vs. Giants player stats” can invite a muddled answer that combines games. Asking for “September 8, 2024” makes the request precise; checking the resulting figures against a box score makes it safer.
FAQ
What was the final score of Vikings vs. Giants on September 8, 2024?
Minnesota won 28–6 at MetLife Stadium in the 2024 season opener.
How did Sam Darnold perform against the Giants?
Darnold completed 19 of 24 passes for 208 yards and two touchdowns. He did not throw an interception in the game.
What were Daniel Jones’s stats in the matchup?
Jones completed 22 of 42 passes for 186 yards, with two interceptions and no passing touchdowns.
Which Vikings receiver scored a touchdown?
Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison each caught a touchdown pass from Darnold.
Who led the Giants in receiving?
Malik Nabers led New York with five receptions for 66 yards in his NFL debut.
The takeaway
Minnesota’s 28–6 win came from more than standout stat. Darnold was efficient, Aaron Jones gave the offense a strong rushing contribution, Jefferson and Addison scored through the air, and Van Ginkel’s interception return added a defensive touchdown. New York’s passing numbers and two interceptions help explain the gap, while Nabers’s debut offered a bright individual note. Read together, the figures make a useful snapshot of this specific game—not a substitute for context, and not a prediction of what either team would do next.
Related reading
Explore more player-stat breakdowns from notable NFL matchups.
- Packers vs. Steelers Player Stats: What the Numbers Say About Pittsburgh’s 23–19 Win — A look at the player numbers behind Pittsburgh’s narrow win over Green Bay.
- Baltimore Ravens vs Kansas City Chiefs Match Player Stats — Player stats from the Ravens–Chiefs matchup on September 28, 2025.