Nfl Previews

Vikings at Giants

Line: Giants by 4.

Last meeting: Giants won, 15-10, at East Rutherford, N.J., on Sept. 29, 1996.

Key stat: Giants led the NFL with a turnover differential of plus 25.

Worth watching: New York will again try to rely on the efficient work of QB Danny Kanell, who will try to find Chris Calloway (58 catches, seven touchdowns). To pull off the upset, the Vikings need big games from quarterback Randall Cunningham and running back Robert Smith, who rushed for a team-record 1,266 yards (5.5 yards a carry).

Outlook: The Vikings are in the playoffs for the fifth time in Dennis Green’s six years, but still haven’t won a playoff game under Green. Cunningham must find Cris Carter, who caught a league-leading 13 TD passes. As long as Giants keep playing solid, conservative football, they should send the Vikings home.

Jaguars at Broncos

Line: Broncos by 7-1/2.

Last meeting: Jaguars won, 30-27, in Denver in last season’s divisional playoffs (Jan. 4, 1997).

Key stat: Denver led the NFL in total offense with 367 yards a game.

Worth watching: Two of the game’s top quarterbacks - Jacksonville’s Mark Brunell, who led the AFC with a passer rating of 91.2, and Denver’s John Elway.

Outlook: Broncos faltered down the stretch, settling for a wild-card berth after leading the AFC West for the first two-thirds of the season. Can Denver regain its momentum against a team it lost to at home in the playoffs last year? If Terrell Davis’ shoulder injury doesn’t slow him too much, they can.