Vikings snap count analysis and notable PFF grades against Giants

Minnesota's defense limited the Giants' offense with some standout performances.

Dec 21, 2025; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Giants wide receiver Wan'Dale Robinson (17) attempts to make a catch against Minnesota Vikings cornerback Isaiah Rodgers (2) during the first half at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images | Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images

The Vikings may have gotten the win on Sunday in New York, but it wasn't exactly the most pleasing game on the eyes. Minnesota claimed its third-straight victory to continue a late-season surge in an attempt to end the season with a +.500 record.

J.J. McCarthy's continued development ended at halftime after he suffered a hand injury, which forced him to miss the entirety of the second half. Max Brosmer stepped in and kept the train on the track to keep the Vikings in the win column. Let's dive into the notable PFF grades and snap counts from this one.

Vikings offensive snap counts vs. Giants (out of 61)

• LG Donovan Jackson : 61
• RT Brian O'Neill: 61
• RG Will Fries: 61
• LT Justin Skule: 61
• WR Justin Jefferson: 58
• TE T.J. Hockenson: 46
• WR Jordan Addison: 41
• C Michael Jurgens: 40
• RB Aaron Jones: 39
• WR Jalen Nailor: 38
• QB J.J. McCarthy: 32
• TE Josh Oliver: 32
• QB Max Brosmer: 29
• C Ryan Kelly: 21
• FB C.J. Ham: 20
• TE Ben Sims: 8
• RB Zavier Scott: 8
• WR Tai Felton: 7
• RB Jordan Mason: 4
• TE Ben Yurosek: 2
• RB Myles Price: 2

Minnesota attempted to help J.J. McCarthy out last week by running bigger sets, and that worked to the tune of his best performance of his career. That appears to have lasted all of one week. Jalen Nailor saw more snaps than second tight end Josh Oliver. Though Jordan Mason's early injury, forcing the Vikings to rely solely on Aaron Jones in the running game, could be a big part of that.

The Vikings mixed in rookie receiver Tai Felton for a handful of snaps. Meanwhile, C.J. Ham was featured quite a bit on Sunday, presumably to help out the ailing Jones.

Top 5 PFF grades on offense (min. 20 snaps)

1. Justin Skule — 86.6
2. Justin Jefferson — 85.3
3. Max Brosmer — 77.8
4. Aaron Jones — 74.3
5. Josh Oliver — 73.0

Starting in place of star left tackle Christian Darrisaw, Justin Skule had himself a great day on Sunday. Skule led the team with the highest overall offensive grade, allowing just one pressure on the afternoon. Justin Jefferson's outstanding day was highlighted by the second-highest offensive grade on the team.

Notably, backup rookie QB Max Brosmer comes in with the third-highest grade. A much-needed sign of improvement after a dismal outing in his first career start in Seattle a couple of weeks ago. On the opposite end of things, before his hand injury, J.J. McCarthy was having a rough day. McCarthy's 45.7 grade was the third-lowest on the offense, only ahead of Jalen Nailor and T.J. Hockenson.

Vikings defensive snap counts vs. Giants (out of 56)

• CB Byron Murphy: 56
• LB Eric Wilson: 56
• LB Blake Cashman: 56
• S Harrison Smith: 56
• DT Jalen Redmond: 55
• OLB Andrew Van Ginkel: 54
• CB Isaiah Rodgers: 51
• DT Jonathan Allen: 49
• S Jay Ward: 44
• OLB Dallas Turner: 37
• DT Levi Drake Rodriguez: 32
• DT Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins: 24
• S Theo Jackson: 21
• CB Fabian Moreau: 14
• DT Elijah Williams: 10
• LB Ivan Pace Jr.: 1

In place of Jonathan Greenard, who landed on injured reserve following the Week 15 win over the Cowboys, Dallas Turner received the bulk of the work opposite Andrew Van Ginkel. With Javon Hargrave out, the Vikings mixed in Levi Drake Rodriguez, Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins, and Elijah Williams throughout the day.

Jay Ward was the biggest beneficiary of Josh Metellus' season-ending injury, playing a season-high 44 snaps against the Giants. Theo Jackson only appeared on 21 of the available 56 snaps.

Top 5 PFF grades on defense (min. 20 snaps)

1. Isaiah Rodgers — 82.5
2. Blake Cashman — 72.3
3. Andrew Van Ginkel — 70.9
4. Jay Ward — 68.3
5. Byron Murphy — 64.8

Isaiah Rodgers ended the day with the highest overall grade on defense. Overall, it was a good day for the Vikings' secondary, who took up three of the top five grades on defense. Blake Cashman bounced back from a rough game against Dallas with one of the better performances of the day.

Turner failed to impress with his increased workload, coming in with the lowest overall grade on the Vikings' defense (46.6). PFF also gave linebacker Eric Wilson a similarly bad grade for the day, coming in at 48.4.

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