EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) -- The last time the Minnesota Vikings and New York Giants got together at Giants Stadium, it resulted in one of the most exciting playoff games of the 1997 postseason.

For all practical purposes, their meeting Sunday in the next to last week of the regular season has playoffs written all over it.

The Giants (7-7) and Vikings (8-6) both are looking to nail down postseason berths. If either team wins out, it will be in the playoffs, with Minnesota getting a home game.

New York has less room for error. A loss on Sunday and a Green Bay win against Tampa Bay would all but eliminate the Giants. They would have to beat Dallas by about 60 points and also get some help.

Minnesota can clinch a playoff berth by beating the Giants, and either a Green Bay loss or tie, or a Carolina loss or tie and a Dallas loss or tie.

"This is a one-game playoff for us," Giants defensive tackle Keith Hamilton said. "If we want to get to the playoffs, this game is everything. You can talk the talk about what we need to do, but we gotta get it done.

"... I really like to think this team plays its best when its back is up against the wall and we know what we have to do," Hamilton said. "I don't think we deal with prosperity that well. We haven't this year."

The Giants, tied for first place in the NFC East at the halfway point, also haven't dealt with prosperity that well in playoff games against the Vikings. In the NFC wild-card game in 1997, Minnesota scored 10 points in the final 1:38 for a 23-22 win and sent New York home.

"It's a lot of different faces," Giants linebacker Jessie Armstead said of the last game. "We're just worrying about winning this game so we can get back into the same type of situation we were in last time, being in the playoffs. We need to win this game and they need to win, also."

The Vikings and Giants come in off very different performances.

New York took a beating last week, losing to the Rams 31-10. Kerry Collins had two interceptions returned for touchdowns.

Minnesota enhanced its playoff chances by beating Green Bay 24-20 behind a five-catch, 131-yard, two-touchdown performance by Randy Moss.

The talented receiver was still in college during the 1997 Vikings-Giants game, but his arrival last year helped Minnesota reach the NFC title game and established it as a favorite to reach the Super Bowl this year.

The Vikings got off a 2-4 start, but they moved into playoff contention since Jeff George replaced Randall Cunningham at quarterback.

"As a player coming in here it was a little frustrating to start out the way we did, with the expectations so high," George said. "Our confidence level is there. We believe in ourselves. It is a hard road, but we feel like we still have a good chance to get in."

Moss, averaging almost 17 yards on 72 catches, might be the key against the Giants, who are hurting at cornerback with Jason Sehorn out for the year and Phillippi Sparks bothered by a groin injury.

Jeremy Lincoln and Emmanuel McDaniel have started the last two games, but neither is good enough to handle Moss. Conrad Hamilton, who started last year in place of Sehorn, saw his first action of the season last week and he may start this week.

"He's a nightmare if you let him," Giants safety Percy Ellsworth said of Moss. "He is that good. He's one of the best, if not the best, in the league."

To control Moss and the Vikings air attack, the Giants need to control the line of scrimmage, something they didn't do in the loss to the Rams.

New York also has to eliminate mistakes on offense. If it does, Collins has shown the ability to put up points on the Vikings, who have given up 301 points this season.

MINNESOTA Season schedule and results

NY GIANTS Season schedule and results

September 12 @Atlanta W 17-14 September 19 Oakland L 17-22 September 26 @Green Bay L 20-23 October 3 Tampa Bay W 21-14 October 10 Chicago L 22-24 October 17 @Detroit L 23-25 October 24 San Francisco W 40-16 October 31 @Denver W 23-20 November 8 Dallas W 27-17 November 14 @Chicago W 27-24 November 28 San Diego W 35-27 December 6 @Tampa Bay L 17-24 December 12 @Kansas City L 28-31 December 20 Green Bay W 24-20 December 26 @NY Giants 1:00pm ET January 2 Detroit 1:00pm ET

September 12 @Tampa Bay W 17-13 September 19 Washington L 21-50 September 26 @New England L 14-16 October 3 Philadelphia W 16-15 October 10 @Arizona L 3-14 October 18 Dallas W 13-10 October 24 New Orleans W 31-3 October 31 @Philadelphia W 23-17 November 14 Indianapolis L 19-27 November 21 @Washington L 13-23 November 28 Arizona L 24-34 December 5 NY Jets W 41-28 December 12 @Buffalo W 19-17 December 19 @St. Louis L 10-31 December 26 Minnesota 1:00pm ET January 2 @Dallas 4:05pm ET

Records source: STATS, Inc.

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