Vikings open NFL season at Giants

The Vikings went into this game against the Giants with the intention of making fewer mistakes than their opponent. That plan didn’t work out well at MetLife Stadium, where normally reliable fullback CJ Ham fumbled the team’s first possession at the 20-yard line. Six plays later, the Giants got a 23-yard field goal, thanks in part to rookie edge rusher Dallas Turner jumping offsides. The good news for Vikings fans is that the Giants’ offense remains lifeless with Daniel Jones at quarterback. In nine plays, they have yet to target first-round receiver Malik Nabers.

Quarterback Sam Darnold will have almost every target at his disposal when he makes his debut for the Vikings on Sunday at the New York Giants.

Receiver Jalen Nailor may not be fully recovered from a sprained ankle that limited him in practice last week, but he will continue to play despite the issue. Nailor practiced this week despite his injury, which head coach Kevin O’Connell was happy to see after the third-year receiver battled various injuries in his young career.

“I look at this with his ankle injury as kind of a validation of the next step for him, which is sometimes processing something,” O’Connell said Friday. “And I’m proud of how he’s approached that. I’m proud of how he’s responded to treatment. … It was a process for him early in his career. And it was always about Jalen’s ability to be on the field and be out there consistently.”

Receiver Jordan Addison is also eligible to play. O’Connell said he is further along in his recovery than Nailor, who suffered a severe ankle sprain during a joint practice with the Cleveland Browns on Aug. 14.