Takeaways from the Giants’ 16-13 loss to the Vikings on Sunday:
1. The first offensive series ended with Jaxson Dart getting sacked on fourth down, continuing a sad trend. It was the 10th drive this season for the Giants that reached the red zone and ended with a turnover or on downs. That means no points. That is the most by any team in the league since at least 2000. When we talk about the uncanny inability to finish games in the fourth quarter, this is another great failing. The Giants cannot finish off drives, either.
2. Seeing left tackle Andrew Thomas limp off the field with a hamstring injury early in the second quarter was a sight no one associated with the Giants wanted to see. He is their best offensive lineman — by a mile. The only silver lining to this in any way, shape or form is that this injury put rookie Marcus Mbow onto the field. Mbow showed promise early this season but had not played at all lately — no snaps on offense since Week 9. Mbow, a fifth-round pick from Purdue, could definitely be an option at right tackle in 2026 if the Giants decide not to re-sign Jermaine Eluemunor. The Giants will be careful with Thomas in the last two weeks and that means Mbow could get quite an audition.
3. There was all this talk heading into the game about the difficulty Jaxson Dart was going to have dealing with the Brian Flores defense. That is the conversation when a truly gifted coordinator comes to town. Remember back in 2007 and 2008, when Steve Spagnuolo was laying the groundwork and building his reputation as a mastermind? The Giants believed they had a big advantage with Spags calling the defense. The Vikes feel Flores gives them an edge. The Giants, whoever their head coach is in 2026, must have someone in the building who is so highly regarded on defense that his unit has a chance to dominate and confound the opponent most weekends.
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
