MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – The Minnesota Vikings were soaring last season, unbeaten in six games until the struggling New York Giants showed up at the end of October and sent them back to sea level.

That marked the first of four losses the Vikings had against teams that finished 4-12 – nobody in the league was worse than that. They dropped seven of their final 10 and wound up missing the playoffs.

Well, it’s a year later and the schedule looks eerily similar. The Giants are due at the Metrodome today, with Minnesota (5-1) riding a strong wave of confidence.

Better not let up this time.

“It’s something that has been on my mind since the game ended,” coach Mike Tice said, reflecting on last season’s 29-17 defeat to New York. “This is the time last year where I thought we drifted a little bit, and that ultimately has to come down to me for letting that happen.”

With that in mind, Tice has been hard on his assistants and players this week, determined to keep the team from slipping with sub-par preparation.

“Hopefully it will be a lot better feeling than we had last year, when some said that we embarrassed everybody after that particular game,” Tice said, a not-so-subtle jab at owner Red McCombs, who told the Vikings they humiliated him and their fans following the game.

Giants defensive tackle Fred Robbins, who played for Minnesota the last four seasons, had no trouble remembering what happened.

“I am sure they don’t want the same thing to happen,” Robbins said. “We have to go in with the mind-set that we need to get a victory and get back on the winning track.”

New York (4-2) has always matched up well with Minnesota, having won three of the last four meetings, starting with that 41-0 romp at Giants Stadium in the NFC championship game after the 2000 season.

Last year’s team finished with eight straight losses, leading to coach Jim Fassel’s firing, an overhaul of the offensive line and a new defensive coordinator, Tim Lewis. Though they lost last week to Detroit, the Giants have rebounded under demanding coach Tom Coughlin, thanks largely to a stellar performance by running back Tiki Barber.

He hasn’t lost a fumble this year, and his 989 total yards are by far the most in the league. Eli Manning isn’t ready, so quarterback Kurt Warner has been able to experience a bit of a renaissance, throwing just two interceptions over the first six games.

“It’s just a great atmosphere right now,” Warner said. “It’s been challenging, frustrating at times, coming from the offense in St. Louis … and trying to adjust my philosophy. But that part has been rewarding, as well.”

The one thing hampering New York’s offense right now is an inability to convert long drives into touchdowns. In three possessions inside the Lions 20-yard line last week, the Giants got just six points.

For the season, New York has turned 21 red-zone trips into only seven touchdowns. That’s the worst percentage in the NFC.

“Execution has to be perfect,” Coughlin said. “Everything happens fast, and we haven’t had the success that we should have. … Until we put the ball in the end zone with some kind of consistency, those questions will prevail.”

The Vikings’ defense is coming off its best showing this season. The three-point yield against the Titans was the lowest in 98 games. E.J. Henderson is back at his middle linebacker spot after missing two games with a sprained knee, and Minnesota has more speed on that side of the ball this year.

“I see an aggressive defense, an attacking defense that does a variety of different things,” Warner said. “I haven’t seen a lot of big plays given up.”

Daunte Culpepper has already thrown 19 touchdown passes, leading the offense to new heights. Randy Moss is expected to play a more meaningful role this week, but his strained hamstring won’t be fully healed.

That will keep the pressure on rookie running back Mewelde Moore, who gained a team-record 610 total yards over the past three games.

Yes, the Vikings have been clicking lately.

“If we didn’t learn our lesson last year, then we probably never will,” center Matt Birk said. “But guys aren’t walking around here high-fiving each other, this and that, just because we’re 5-1.

“Obviously we learned our lesson last year that 5-1 doesn’t get you in the playoffs.”