Week 16: Vikings vs Giants - Winners & Losers

The Minnesota Vikings won 16-13 against the New York Giants in a low scoring game. The Vikings move to 7-8 on the season as we take a look at the Winners and Losers from this game.

Winners of the Game

1. Brian Flores

Brian Flores keeps up his defensive masterclass with zero touchdowns allowed by the defense. Flores generated pressure all game, getting home to Jaxson Dart five times with different players making plays. The defense only allowed Dart 33 yards through the air the entire game, along with an interception from Byron Murphy.

Flores again proves to the NFL that he deserves a head coaching job—and also shows just how much the Minnesota Vikings will miss him when he eventually gets it.

2. Justin Jefferson

Every Minnesota Vikings fan has waited for this since JJ McCarthy returned from injury. Justin Jefferson had his best game in months, hauling in six catches for 85 yards. Jefferson also became the all-time leader in receptions for a player in their first six NFL seasons. It was refreshing to see JJ back out there doing his thing as he inches closer to keeping his 1,000-yard season streak alive, currently sitting at 917 yards with two games remaining.

3. Will Reichard

Will “The Thrill” Reichard… where do I even begin? Will continues to be the missing piece at the kicking position that Vikings fans have despised for so long. The Vikings finally have not only a competent kicker, but a top kicker in the National Football League—something Vikings fans never thought they’d see. Will Reichard is perfect on extra points this season and 27/29 on field goals, including nine makes from beyond 50 yards.

4. Blake Cashman

Blake Cashman continues his career year, racking up 16 total tackles on the day. This marks his eighth game this season with double-digit tackles out of the 11 games he has played. Cashman has looked great all year and has been a consistent part of this defense. Luckily, Blake Cashman has another year remaining on his deal as he looks to secure a big payday and possibly an extension this offseason.

5. Aaron Jones

You gotta love a high-volume Aaron Jones game. Jones touched the ball 23 times for 93 all-purpose yards. Jordan Mason went down early in the game, which led to Jones becoming the bell cow, and he looked great. He stepped up in a big way with the injuries in the backfield as well as at the quarterback position. Even later in his career, Jones continues to prove he’s an important piece of this team and locker room as a captain.

Losers of the Game

1. JJ McCarthy

It sucks that we have to put JJ McCarthy in this category after having back-to-back really good games and a mostly solid first half of the Vikings vs. Giants game. McCarthy played the entire first half, recording 108 passing yards on nine completions and 20 rushing yards with a rushing touchdown. He also threw an interception that bounced off Jalen Nailor’s hands and lost a fumble late in the half that led to a defensive touchdown. McCarthy was sacked three times, including the strip sack that Brian O’Neill allowed, which led to the injury that ruled McCarthy out for the rest of the game. With this right-hand injury, McCarthy now seems likely to miss even more time, and it just keeps stacking up.

To say JJ McCarthy’s injury issues within his first two seasons are concerning would be an understatement, and that’s why he lands on the losers side of this game recap.

2. Offensive Line

The Minnesota Vikings offensive line has been a train wreck all season. They’ve played a very limited amount of snaps fully healthy, and it shows week in and week out. The line gave up four sacks to the New York Giants, including a costly strip sack that knocked JJ McCarthy out for the rest of the game and potentially the season. Ryan Kelly was injured again and ruled out with a concussion, and it feels like his career may be nearing its end as this is his third of the season. Christian Darrisaw didn’t play after being placed on season-ending IR as he deals with more injury issues, which has unfortunately been the case throughout his NFL career.

3. Jalen Nailor & Jordan Addison

The Minnesota Vikings have dealt with receiver drops all season, and the two main culprits in this game were Jalen Nailor and Jordan Addison. Nailor dropped two passes that were tipped and resulted in interceptions—luckily, one of them was called back due to a penalty. Jordan Addison also dropped a pass in the end zone from McCarthy early in the game that would have been an early touchdown and a huge boost of energy behind their young quarterback. Overall, this team has struggled with drops all season, which isn’t ideal for a young quarterback trying to get through the year while cutting down on mistakes each week.

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