Giants’ Isaiah Hodgins proves he’s Daniel Jones’ go-to receiver

MINNEAPOLIS — Isaiah Hodgins has reached the point where he can let his play do the talking.

For the second time in 22 days, the no longer unknown wide receiver got the best of future Hall of Famer Patrick Peterson and the rest of the Vikings secondary on Sunday in 31-24 playoff victory. This time, he did it with the rest of the league watching and without a huge amount of jaw-dropping back and forth with Peterson after every game.

If there was any debate about who the starting quarterback Daniel Jones is in these high-pressure games, it’s quiet now that Hodgins totaled eight catches for 105 yards in his first playoff game despite hurting his ankle during Saturday’s run. He scored his fifth goal in six matches (sixth in seven if not from a penalty kick in play).

“It’s easy to look at me, but it’s really a group thing,” Hodgins said. “I went into this game with a few strokes, but I was still able to execute. This credit to Daniel and the coaching staff has put me in the right positions to do what I do.”

Hodgins beat Peterson on a 14-yard touchdown run late in the first quarter as the Giants scored a touchdown on their first possession of the game for the first time this season. He threw the ball into the stuffing against the end zone wall in celebration.

On a two-play stretch on the first drive of the third quarter, Hodgins made a 10-yard catch for a controllable third touchdown, and broke away 32 yards after Saquon Barkley moved the chains. Just like that, the Giants were in the red, about to add another touchdown.

The Giants will play at least one more time before the end of the season, however Hodgins’ rapid rise Since he was added off waivers from the Bills on November 2, he has eased some of the pressure to adjust the receiver corps. The future #1 receiver may already be at the facility.

“To be honest with you, I wasn’t familiar with him before he got here, but he’s a good player,” said fellow receiver Darius Slayton. “That’s all he’s shown since he’s been here. He’s consistent and consistent, and that’s what I expect from him.”

When Hodgins wasn’t making passes, he was taking penalties. Twice on a kickoff by the Giants midway through the fourth quarter, Hodgins was held off the line of scrimmage to lose first with a penalty on what appeared to be an incomplete touchdown.

“[My ankle] “It gets a little rough at the end,” Hodgins said, “but when the adrenaline kicks in, you just keep playing.”

Talking trash between itdgins and peterson A highlight was the team’s regular season meeting on Christmas Eve. Hodgins established himself with eight catches for 89 yards and a touchdown that day, but Peterson ran into an interception at the 18-yard line to stop a potential tying drive. Peterson made no such response this time.

In the days leading up to the rematch, Hodgins said it was his personal goal to earn Peterson’s respect if he had not already done so.

“I tried to keep a low-key style throughout the game,” Hodgins said. “We just had to go out there and finish no matter how we started, and I think we did really well today.”