NY Giants vs. Minnesota Vikings — Scoring Updates, Highlight Reels & Reactions

Another week, another “just end the season” game between two teams that have been eliminated from postseason contention.

This week, it’s the New York Giants, who will host the Minnesota Vikings in the penultimate home game for Big Blue.

The attraction for this one, though, is the showcasing of the two young quarterbacks, Jaxson Dart of the Giants, and J.J. McCarthy of the Vikings, who, although in his second NFL season, is actually playing in his first after missing last year due to a season-ending knee injury.

McCarthy, despite having slightly better skill players around him, is currently last among NFL quarterbacks in terms of completion percentage (56.8%). His 6.5 yards per pass attempt also ranks 23rd.

Dart, meanwhile, is ranked 24th (62.5%) in terms of completion percentage, and his 6.8 yards/completion attempt is 23rd.

But this isn’t necessarily Dart vs. McCarthy; it's each quarterback against the other team’s defense. Starting with McCarthy, he has been pressured on 40.7% of his dropbacks this season, fourth in the league among quarterbacks with at least 100 dropbacks.

McCarthy, who will be without starting left tackle Christian Darrisaw, who was placed on IR Friday, has a 47.7% completion rate when under pressure, 18th out of the 29-man sample size.

Speaking of pressure, Dart is going against one of the toughest and most creative defenses he’ll face all season in the Vikings, who are masters of disguise when it comes to coverages.

The Vikings have blitzed at a 47% rate this season, the highest in the league (the next-highest is the Falcons at 36.1%).

The good news is that Dart has a respectable 62.1% completion rate when blitzed this season, having thrown eight of his 13 touchdowns against the blitz.

Can the Giants snap their league-long eight-game losing streak, or will the Vikings make it three in a row over NFC East teams?

Second Quarter

7:27: Aaron Jones picks up 3 yards and the first down, but Dru Phillips gets called for unnecessary roughness after the play ends. Discipline, people. Discipline.

⬛VIKINGS INJURY UPDATE: RB Jordan Mason has been downgraded to out.

11:07: Sauls's 27-yard field goal ties it up. MIN 3, NYG 3

⬛GIANTS INJURY UPDATE: LT Andrew Thomas (hamstring) is questionable to return. Marcus Mbow comes in at left tackle.

First Quarter

The New York Giants meet before a game against the Minnesota Vikings at MetLife Stadium, Dec 21, 2025, East Rutherford, NJ, USA | Yannick Peterhans / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

END OF QUARTER

1:46: Hooray! The Giants come up with a turnover as Paulson Adebo picks off McCarthy's pass intended for Jalen Nailor. That's Adebo's first INT as a Giant.

PICKED OFF BY ADEBO 🔥

📺: FOX pic.twitter.com/DhkEfCUO9m
— New York Giants (@Giants) December 21, 2025

3:52: Burns sacks McCarthy for a 2-yard loss.

Brian Burns brings him down 😤

📺: FOX pic.twitter.com/Pa6wic3Z3m
— New York Giants (@Giants) December 21, 2025

5:21: Dart gets sacked on 4th-and-5 from the Vikings' 10-yard line. This is after three straight runs. Change of possession on downs. I think Schmitz's man got Dart.

⬛VIKINGS INJURY UPDATE: RB Jordan Mason (ankle) is questionable to return.

⬛VIKINGS INJURY UPDATE: RB Aaron Jones Sr. (ankle) is questionable to return.

8:00: Vikings sack Dart, but Harrison Smith gets called for roughing the passer. Smith's helmet made ccontact with Dart's

10:05: Another nice run by Tracy up the gut. 13-personnel again.

10:43: Nice run by Tyrone Tracy for 18 yards as the Giants line up 13 personnel. Tracy has been playing well these last three weeks.

10:53: Vikings are on the board on Will Reichard's 43-yard field goal. MIN 3, NYG 0

10:59: QBP by Dexter Lawrence as McCarthy's pass to Jordan Addison falls incomplete after the receiver can't hold onto it in the end zone. Cor'dale Flott was in coverage.

14:15: McCarthy hits Justin Jefferson on 3rd-and-11. Vikings on the move.

And the Giants' special teams get off to a bad start as Ben Sauls's kickoff is out of bounds. Vikings get the ball at the 40.

Pregame

Vikings win the coin toss and will receive. Game on!

Dec 21, 2025; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart (6) practices before the game against the Minnesota Vikings at MetLife Stadium. | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Interesting. The Giants introduced their special teams unit today instead of the offense or defense. Special teams haven't played well these last few weeks, so maybe this is a way to motivate the unit?

So is the Commish

Roger Goodell is at MetLife Stadium for today's Giants-Vikings game pic.twitter.com/Kp9U9ELlhk
— Giants Videos (@SNYGiants) December 21, 2025

Skattebo is in the House

Cameron. Skattebo. pic.twitter.com/c3nyLrGXan
— New York Giants (@Giants) December 21, 2025

KICKING IT?

The Giants have gone for it on fourth down a season-high five times, that coming against the Saints earlier in the year (30% conversion rate).

They have since gone for it on fourth down four times in three of the last five games. Given that they have a rookie kicker, I expect they will go for it a lot on fourth down if they're within a long field goal range.

New kicker Ben Sauls gets ready for his NFL debut pic.twitter.com/C5Lhm2cXDH
— Giants Videos (@SNYGiants) December 21, 2025

GIANTS INACTIVES

OLB Caleb Murphy
WR Ryan Miller
WR Jalin Hyatt
ILB Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles
G Jon Runyan
DL Rakeem Nuñez-Roches Sr.
QB Russell Wilson (3rd QB)

VIKINGS INACTIVES

ILB Austin Keys
DT Javon Hargrave
T Walter Rouse
QB John Wolford (3rd QB)

Jaxson Dart warmin’ up pic.twitter.com/JtTlMgC2LT
— New York Giants (@Giants) December 21, 2025

Statistical Notes

⏹Giants QB Jaxson Dart leads all rookies with 20 total touchdowns in 2025, which is the 2nd-most by a Giants rookie in the Super Bowl Era. He’s six away from tying Daniel Jones’s mark (26) set in 2019.

⏹Dart has thrown 46.2% of his pass attempts in under 2.5 seconds this season, the 7th-highest rate among qualified quarterbacks. On such passes, per NFL+, Dart has recorded a 78.7% completion percentage (5th-highest) and has thrown 7 of his 13 touchdown passes and zero interceptions on attempts under 2.5 seconds.

⏹Since losing receiver Malik Nabers to an ACL injury back in Week 4, the Giants, per NFL+, have used 12 personnel at the fourth-highest rate this season (34.5%), earning 5.9 yards per play (7th-most) and an explosive play rate of 16.3% (4th-highest) out of such groupings. When working in 12-personnel, the Giants have passed for 9.8 yards per attempt (third-most) but have rushed for just 3.8 yards per carry (ninth-fewest).

Blue Notes

⏹Before Week 16, receiver Wan’Dale Robinson was one of six players in the league with three touchdown catches of 30+ yards. Overall, he is tied for sixth in third-down receptions (22), ninth in receptions (78), tied for ninth in receptions of 25+ yards (10), and 14th in receiving yards (882).

⏹Among defenders who have been targeted a minimum of 55 times this season, cornerback Cor’Dale Flott has allowed nine open targets, tied for the fewest in the NFL along with Texans cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. Flott has set a new single-season career-high with 10 passes defensed in 2025.

⏹Against Washington in Week 15, running back Tyrone Tracy Jr. became the first Giant to record a rushing and receiving touchdown in the same game since Saquon Barkley on 9/17/23 at Arizona. The two scores in one game were also a career-high for Tracy.

⏹Since his rookie year in 2024, tight end Theo Johnson has set new career-highs in receptions (45) and receiving yards (528). He leads the Giants with five receiving touchdowns this season, which is also tied for the 9th-most in the league among all tight ends.

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