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10 Things To Watch For

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10 things to watch in Giants vs. Vikings

KAFKA-OCONNELL-10-THINGS

MATCHUP OF YOUNG QBs

Jaxson Dart has had a promising start to his rookie campaign. Through his first nine starts, Dart has accounted for 20 total touchdowns (13 passing, seven rushing) with six total turnovers (four interceptions, two fumbles lost) while throwing for 1,802 yards and rushing for another 400. After struggling in the first half of last week's game against the Commanders, Dart turned things around over the final two frames, throwing for 175 yards and two touchdowns. He finished the game with 246 yards through the air and another 63 yards on the ground.

It's been an up-and-down campaign for the young quarterback on the other sideline. J.J. McCarthy struggled for a good portion of the season, but the 22-year-old has seemingly turned a corner in recent weeks. Going up against the Commanders in Week 14, McCarthy threw for 163 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions. He followed that up by throwing for a career-high 250 yards, along with two touchdowns and one interception, while adding another score on the ground against the Cowboys this past Sunday. McCarthy also took zero sacks in Dallas after getting sacked a total of nine times in his previous two outings.

"He's just a young player who's progressing each week…" defensive coordinator Charlie Bullen told the media Thursday. "They scored 30 points in their last two games, so I think they're finding a little balance there. I think he's getting better. And when you look at the quarterback position overall, they've had three guys in there. So, continuity, I think, has been part of them finding a rhythm, has been something that's held them back at times. But if you look at the last two games with him playing, they've done well. And I really believe that they're finding their balance and identifying what that is, as shown by the success on the field."

ALL-TIME SERIES

The New York Giants (2-12) will host the Minnesota Vikings (6-8) on Sunday, December 21. Kickoff is set for 1:00 pm ET on FOX.

Sunday's game marks the 33rd all-time meeting between the teams. In regular season play, they've faced off 28 times, and four times in the postseason.

The Giants' most recent victory over the Vikings came in the 2022 season playoffs, by a score of 31-24, at U.S. Bank Stadium.

See the top photos from practice as the Giants prepare for their Week 16 matchup against the Vikings.

INJURY REPORT

Giants

Out: WR Beaux Collins (Concussion/Neck), OL Evan Neal (Neck/Hamstring), DL Rakeem Nuñez-Roches Sr. (Ankle), OLB Kayvon Thibodeaux (Shoulder)

Questionable: OL Joshua Ezeudu (Calf), LB Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles (Illness), CB Art Green (Illness/Hamstring), CB Rico Payton (Back)

Vikings

The final injury report will be released Friday afternoon.

HOW TO WATCH, LISTEN & STREAM

TV

Channel: FOX

Announcers: Kenny Albert (Play-By-Play), Jonathan Vilma (Analyst), Megan Olivi (Sideline)

Postgame: Giants Postgame Live presented by Hackensack Meridian Health

MSG Networks, The Gotham Sports App, YouTube, Giants.com, Giants App, Giants TV

Radio

Channel: WFAN 101.9PM / 66 AM

Announcers: Bob Papa (Play-by-Play), Carl Banks (Analyst), Howard Cross (Sideline)

Pre- and Postgame: John Schmeelk, Tiki Barber

Pregame: Giants Gameday begins at 11:00 AM, presented by Hackensack Meridian Health.

Postgame: Giants Extra Point

Stream

This week's game can be streamed on NFL+.

CARTER'S BREAKOUT

Abdul Carter has been on a bit of a roll. He picked up a sack in that Patriots game and then registered seven total tackles (five solo), one sack, three tackles for loss and four total pressures to go with his two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery against the Commanders this past week. The three tackles for loss matched the franchise's rookie record for the most in a game and led to Carter being named Pro Football Focus' Rookie of the Week.

"I thought it was a great performance," Bullen said of Carter's breakout game. "Those are the types of games and plays that I think he's capable of making. So, it was great to see, it kind of came together for him and he helped the team win in a big way and made some impactful plays and I was happy for him…

"I think the production on the field was validation for the improvements and commitment he made to the process. So yeah, I mean, he's been foot on the gas. He's even brought a couple teammates with him this week too. So really proud of the way he's been working."

Carter will face a tough matchup this week going up against Vikings tackles Christian Darrisaw and Brian O'Neill. Darrisaw has only one game in which he's allowed a sack all season (he allowed two against the Packers in Week 12) while surrendering a total of 18 pressures in 10 games. Meanwhile, O'Neill has also given up just two sacks and 17 total pressures in 12 games.

FACING FLORES' DEFENSE

Facing a Brian Flores-led defense is never an easy task. The Minnesota defense ranks 13th in points allowed and ninth in yards allowed this season, with the strength of the unit laying in the pass defense, which ranks top five in the NFL. Flores is known for his strong ability to disguise looks and send blitzes from all over the field, something that Dart is going to have to keep a close eye on come Sunday.

"There's going to be a multitude of looks coming from every possible front, every possible coverage, every possible situation," offensive coordinator Tim Kelly said of Flores' defense. "So again, when you play different coordinators and you play different defenses that may have a high-pressure clip, typically, you're not seeing a ton of max out pressure on first and ten or second and six. That's not necessarily the case. So, you have to be on high alert for it the entire game."

This will be Dart's first game facing a Flores defense. While the unit is coming off a game in which the Cowboys scored 26 points, it was only one week earlier that they shut out the same Commanders team that just scored 29 points against the Giants last week. Dart has thrown 46.2 percent of his pass attempts in under 2.5 seconds, the seventh-highest rate among qualified quarterbacks. However, the Vikings have allowed the second-lowest completion percentage (67.5 percent) on passes thrown under 2.5 seconds. Sunday's matchup will be a great test for the Giants' rookie quarterback.

"He's a very unique individual," Kelly said of Dart. "He doesn't get rattled, which is a good thing. And so the big thing is when that happens, when the picture changes, when it becomes crazy, when they start bringing everyone from everywhere, is really just not panicking. Because that's when bad things happen is when you start to panic, you start to hold on to the football, you take sacks, you take hits, you throw picks. So being able to prepare throughout the week and make sure that you understand where the issues are and what your answers are."

PLAYER TO WATCH

RB Tyrone Tracy Jr. – Tracy had his first multi-touchdown game of the season last week against the Commanders. The second-year back displayed a combination of explosiveness and poise in Week 15, which led to 97 total yards of offense and the two scores. Tracy has 97 or more total yards from scrimmage in his last three full games with three or more receptions in each game during that stretch. Minnesota is tougher against the pass than the run, which means the Giants might have to lean on the young back in Week 16.

MATCHUP TO WATCH

OLB Brian Burns vs. RT Brian O'Neill – Burns has not registered a sack in three games, by far his longest stretch without one this season. Despite this stretch, the veteran outside linebacker still leads the NFC with his 13.0 sacks and ranks second in the NFL behind Cleveland's Myles Garrett. O'Neill last surrendered a sack in Week 13 against the Seahawks, which marked the first sack he was credited with allowing since Week 2, according to PFF. O'Neill has just two sacks and 15 pressures allowed across his 12 outings this season. Burns going up against O'Neill should lead to some entertaining one-on-one situations this weekend.

VIKING TO WATCH

WR Justin Jefferson – Despite what his stats on the season might show, Jefferson is still one of the most dangerous playmakers in the NFL. He is on pace for career-low numbers, but that is due more to the inconsistent quarterback play the Vikings have gotten this year. Jefferson has just two touchdowns on the season and has not topped 80 receiving yards since Week 5. The Giants' secondary will have its hands full trying to extend that streak another week.

STAT TO KNOW

Over their last two games, Minnesota has scored a total of 65 points (31-0 win vs. Washington, 34-26 victory at Dallas). Across their first 12 games, the Vikings averaged just 18.7 points per game. Meanwhile, the Giants have allowed 27 or more points in seven of their last eight games, including five games with over 30 points surrendered. Heading into Week 16, the Giants rank 29th in points allowed and 30th in yards allowed on the season.

View rare photos from the all-time series between the New York Giants and Minnesota Vikings

Screenshot 2025-08-01 at 3.36.49 PM

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