Minnesota (6-8) at N.Y. Giants (2-12)
Sunday, 1 p.m. EST, Fox.
BetMGM NFL odds: Vikings by 3.
Against the spread: Vikings 6-8; Giants 6-7-1.
Series record: Minnesota leads 19-13.
Last meeting: Vikings beat Giants 28-6 on Sept. 8, 2024, in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
Last week: Vikings beat Cowboys 34-26; Giants lost to Commanders 29-21.
Vikings offense: overall (28), rush (24), pass (28), scoring (25).
Vikings defense: overall (9), rush (24), pass (5), scoring (13).
Giants offense: overall (12), rush (10), pass (15), scoring (22).
Giants defense: overall (30), rush (31), pass (23), scoring (29).
Turnover differential: Vikings minus-13; Giants minus-6.
Vikings player to watch
WR Jalen Nailor. He had his first two-touchdown game last week against the Cowboys, along with a twisting 20-yard catch on fourth-and-3 from the 37-yard line late in the third quarter with the Vikings trailing by six, setting up the go-ahead score. The fourth-year player is 20 yards receiving from a career-best season and has consistently given the Vikings a reliable third option behind Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison.
Giants player to watch
RB Tyrone Tracy. He should again get the bulk of the carries after rushing for 70 yards and a touchdown and scoring another on a catch last week against Washington. The second-year pro is looking to show either the Giants or another team more of what he can do with a full-time workload.
Key matchup
Vikings WR Justin Jefferson vs. Giants secondary. The tall task will likely be up to CB Paulson Adebo and S Jevon Holland to contain Jefferson, who has had just six catches combined over the past three games. If Minnesota coach Kevin O’Connell can find favorable matchups for Jefferson, the two-time All-Pro could turn in a vintage performance against a defense that has allowed the second-most plays of 30-plus yards (27) in the league this season.
Key injuries
Vikings: Two defensive starters, OLB Jonathan Greenard and SS Josh Metellus, went on injured reserve this week with shoulder surgery planned. … Four other starters did not practice Wednesday and are considered day-to-day with their availability: DT Javon Hargrave (thigh), LT Christian Darrisaw (knee), C Ryan Kelly (knee) and RT Brian O’Neill (heel).
Giants: OLB Kayvon Thibodeaux could miss a fifth consecutive game because of a shoulder injury. He didn’t practice Wednesday. … Starting DT Rakeem Nunez-Roches (ankle) was also held out of practice Wednesday. He has missed the last two games.
Series notes
Minnesota has won the past five meetings, the longest winning streak in the series by either side. New York’s last victory was in 2013, a 23-7 win at home. That’s the only loss on the road to the Giants for the Vikings in five trips since the 41-0 loss in the NFC championship game after the 2000 season. … The Giants are 3-1 against the Vikings all-time in the playoffs.
Stats and stuff
Each team has been eliminated from playoff contention. The Giants were the first and the Vikings got knocked out last week before taking the field against the Cowboys. … Vikings QB J.J. McCarthy will make his ninth career start. He had a career-best 250 yards passing last week against the Cowboys with three total touchdowns. No other player in NFL history has multiple passing touchdowns and at least one rushing score in three of the first eight games of his career. … Jefferson needs 168 yards over the last three games to keep his streak of 1,000-yard seasons alive. He needs 112 yards to pass Randy Moss for the most yards receiving in NFL history over a player’s first six seasons. … Vikings TE T.J. Hockenson had a season-high 66 yards receiving last week. His averages of 8.7 yards per reception and 31.1 yards per game are career lows in his seventh NFL season. … The Vikings did not allow a sack against the Cowboys, their second clean sheet of the season. … The Vikings have at least one sack in 25 straight games, including the postseason, for the team’s longest streak since a 30-game run from 1999-2000. … Will Reichard has nine field goals of 50-plus yards this season for the Vikings and 17 over his first two years in the league. Only Chase McLaughlin (10) has more in the NFL this season. … The Giants have lost eight in a row. Their last victory was on Oct. 9 against NFC East-leading Philadelphia. … Giants QB Jaxson Dart’s 13 touchdown passes are the most among rookies, even though he has only started nine games. … Tracy has 95 or more yards from scrimmage in four of the past five games. … TE Theo Johnson had a team-high 72 yards receiving against Washington. … Edge rusher Brian Burns ranks second in the NFL in sacks with a career-high 13. … Edge rusher Abdul Carter last week became the first rookie this century with seven-plus tackles, three tackles for loss, a sack, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery in the same game. Carter did not have a full sack until two games ago. … Ben Sauls could make his NFL debut as New York’s kicker after Younghoe Koo was released.
Fantasy tip
Dart, as usual, should be good for a healthy amount of yards rushing, as well as passing. He had been better about not turning the ball over until an interception last week, but that’s always a risk with rookie quarterbacks. Dart has 400 yards and seven touchdowns rushing this season.
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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL
The Associated Press
