MINNEAPOLIS -- Nearly a month ago, the Minnesota Vikings lost their starting quarterback and hastily traded for another.Nearly two weeks ago, the Vikings lost their star running back and a key offensive lineman.However, Minnesota hasnt lost a game in more than eight months.Heading into their Monday night matchup with the New York Giants (2-1), the Vikings (3-0) qualify as one of the early surprises in the NFL. They topped the Tennessee Titans before earning surprise wins over the Green Bay Packers and Carolina Panthers despite an unimpressive offense that is now led by a quarterback who didnt arrive in Minnesota until the preseason ended.For these Vikings, it is not about offense. With running back Adrian Peterson gone and new signal-caller Sam Bradford doing just enough to move the ball, Minnesota is winning thanks to defense and special teams.Coach Mike Zimmer -- a defensive specialist during his six years as an assistant with the Bengals -- has a defensive unit that heads into the Giants matchup averaging an NFL-best five sacks per game and is tied for second in interceptions.The Vikings defensive unit insists it isnt focusing on its own press clippings, instead doing its homework on the Giants and quarterback Eli Manning.Weve got our hands full, said Vikings defensive back Harrison Smith, who had a 35-yard touchdown return after intercepting Manning in late December when the Vikings won 49-17 -- a Giants loss that all but sealed the fate of since-dismissed former coach Tom Coughlin. Theyve got a bunch of very talented receivers that pop out on film, so theres definitely a lot to do this week. Anytime you play a quarterback like that, it challenges you.Last year, the teams played outdoors on a cold winter night in Minnesota. This year, the Vikings sparkling new U.S. Bank Stadium is the site, and conditions will be perfect under the glass roof.The Giants three-headed tandem of wideouts is sure to test the Minnesota defense on the turf, with rookie Sterling Shepard joining Victor Cruz and Odell Beckham Jr. as deep threats. Shepard, a second-round pick from Oklahoma, caught five passes last week, including his second pro touchdown.While Petersons absence means that the Giants run defense will get a potential break, there are sudden question marks in the New York backfield as well.In a 29-27 home loss to the Washington Redskins last Sunday, New York running back Shane Vereen was lost, likely for the season, to a triceps injury. That means the Vikings wont be the only team with a running back by committee approach.The Giants Orleans Darkwa and the Vikings Jerick McKinnon arent the running backs one would normally expect to delight a national TV audience, but both teams will battle with what they have.Orleans always runs hard, Giants guard Justin Pugh said. Even going back to last year, he puts his head down and hes going to get some yards. Im excited for him to get the opportunity. Thats huge, thats something that you dream about, to be the starting running back. Hes going to have his chance on Monday Night Football.In addition to Mannings two interceptions during the Washington loss, the Giants other glaring issue was penalties. New York was flagged 11 times for 128 yards, a trend that first-year coach Ben McAdoo knows cannot continue.We knew (the referees) were going to throw the flags, and throw them early and often, McAdoo said. We need to be a more disciplined football team, and well get that fixed.Yes its disappointing. We need to be better than that, we are better than that, we need to address it this week, and were going to fix it.The Vikings had similar troubles in their only other home game, a 17-14 win over the Packers in Week 2, when they were penalized 13 times for 137 yards. That was an error Zimmer vowed to correct as the season goes along.For non-division rivals, there is plenty of recent history between the Giants and Vikings. The Monday game will be the 12th regular-season meeting in the past 16 seasons. Perhaps the most famous Vikings-Giants matchup determined the 2001 NFC title, when New York advanced to the Super Bowl via a 41-0 blowout of Minnesota in the Meadowlands.Theyre playing good football, Manning said of the Vikings. Well have to see if we can get back on track and play some better football. Discount Vans Shoes Uk . 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This may sound like a self-help pitch, but there is a quick-and-easy formula that experienced fantasy players use that will help even the most inexperienced fantasy player succeed: If an over-30 player has a higher-than-career shooting percentage and/or an inordinate number of second assists, beware of drafting that player too high the next season.You can probably already figure out the logic is based in regression. Most 30-and-up NHL players will see their production dip, especially if thhey had good puck luck the season before.dddddddddddd And points totals can be inflated by second assists, which have been found to be largely random. So you cant count on your draftee to have the same number of points as the previous season, unless that player repeats a lucky draw.Lets have a look at a handful of players who have red flags on them for 2016-17: ' ' '