Do you remember the 21st (night) of September?

Not the Earth, Wind & Fire hit "September" from 1978 but Sept. 21, 1969?

On a cool Sunday afternoon in the original Yankee Stadium, the Minnesota Vikings opened their ninth season as a franchise against the New York Giants in the NFL's "Game of the Week."

The Vikings – led by quarterback Gary Cuozzo – held a 23-10 lead in the fourth quarter after a trio of Fred Cox field goals and a pair of touchdowns from Cuozzo to John Henderson and Gene Washington, respectively. But the Giants – who were led by former and future Vikings QB Fran Tarkenton – came back with a couple of touchdown passes of their own to earn a 24-23 victory.

Fast forward 20,076 days, and it'll be this Sunday, when the Vikings open their season at the Giants for just the second time in franchise history.

The Vikings and Giants have met 31 times, including four postseason clashes, with Minnesota currently holding an 18-13 advantage in the all-time series. Minnesota won four consecutive games against the Giants from 2015-22, but New York claimed the latest contest 31-24 in the NFC Wild Card Round following the 2022 regular season.

Let's see who the experts are picking to win the game:

Giants 23, Vikings 21 – Pete Prisco, CBS Sports

Sam Darnold is the quarterback for the Vikings, playing in the stadium where he began his career with the Jets. The Giants will have Daniel Jones back as he's recovered from a torn ACL. The Giants defense will be better this season with the addition of Brian Burns. They will force Darnold into a few turnovers, which will lead to points. Giants take it.

Vikings 20, Giants 17 – Staff, Bleacher Report

Far from a matchup between marquee quarterbacks, the Minnesota Vikings will open the season with journeyman Sam Darnold under center while New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones is, somehow, still in the prove-it stage, entering the second term of his four-year, $160 million contract.

One of these quarterbacks could make you believe in their future again. They're both top-six draft picks from back-to-back classes with a chance to change the perspective of their career futures.

"Big Blue recorded 29 total TDs a season ago, which was somehow not the worst number in the league (fourth-worst)," Bleacher Report editor Wes O'Donnell said. "But 10 of those scores belonged to the former Giants running back now playing in Philly. It's a pretty irreplaceable number for [Giants Head Coach] Brian Daboll's team.

"We don't know which Daniel Jones we'll see. We don't know if the new-look Giants offensive line can protect him at all, let alone enough to find rookie wideout Malik Nabers," O'Donnell added. "You regularly find me fighting for the positives with this team. Not right now. Gotta prove something first this year. Getting less than a field goal, even from a Sam Darnold-led Vikings team with question marks just as big as the Giants' own, is not enough."

Giants 21, Vikings 18 – Bill Bender, Sporting News

The Vikings will start veteran Sam Darnold on the road. Minnesota was 5-4 S/U on the road last season. Much of the focus on the Giants is on quarterback Daniel Jones and first-round pick Malik Nabers, but the defense under new coordinator Shane Bowen could be the key here in a pick-em matchup. Darnold has a 75.7 career passer rating on the road.

Giants 17, Vikings 14 – Vinnie Iyer, Sporting News

Sam Darnold is Minnesota's starting quarterback with rookie J.J. McCarthy (knee) out for the season. Darnold returns to his original home as a former Jet, but the Giants defense won't be kind, getting good pressure on him with its improved front. Daniel Jones hasn't inspired much as New York's QB in his return from major knee injury, but he can make enough plays with his legs to steal an ugly one, as he will have his share of passing woes vs. Brian Flores' pass rush.

1 of 6 experts pick the Vikings, The MMQB

7 of 11 experts pick the Vikings, ESPN

6 of 8 experts pick the Vikings, Bleacher Report

7 of 10 experts pick the Vikings, The Athletic