The Minnesota Vikings hit the road to face the New York Giants last week. They arrived later than anticipated and limped out of the Meadowlands with a 16-13 victory.
New York was playing more for draft position than anything else, so this was a matchup between two teams with no playoff hopes and not much on the line. It made for a preseason-like atmosphere rather than a typical high-stakes late-season matchup.
Every team comes away from each game a little banged up. Still, when trying to end on a high note and play spoiler while also evaluating young talent, it’s hard to do both when meaningful players leave an otherwise meaningless game.
To make matters worse, the team must now defend home turf on a short break in front of a Netflix viewing audience on Christmas Day.
When considering the significant injuries sustained on Sunday, it is paramount to understand the impact the loss of these players may have on a short week.
It is also imperative to mention that they are all on the offensive side of the ball.
J.J. McCarthy
Let’s start with J.J. McCarthy.
McCarthy exited the game with a hand injury right before halftime. It came after a strip sack that the Giants returned for a touchdown, New York’s only non-field-goal score of the game.
After the play, the sideline replay showed the bad news for fans. They watched helplessly as McCarthy winced and pulled his hand away from the training staff.
Watching the significant pain McCarthy was in as the staff checked on their young quarterback makes the news of a negative X-ray a small silver lining.
After McCarthy came out, Max Brosmer entered and rallied the troops. He led a game-sealing drive in the fourth quarter.
With the amount of pain McCarthy had in his throwing hand, we can safely assume that Brosmer will get his second start of the season, and hopefully, it goes better than his first in Seattle.
Ryan Kelly
McCarthy and Brosmer played with a battered offensive line in front of them. The O-line was a top priority in the offseason. However, they will have played just two of Minnesota’s 17 games this season at full strength.
The Vikings added Christian Darrisaw to the IR before the Giants game, then Ryan Kelly went out in the first half. Minnesota pulled Kelly due to concussion-like symptoms after helping the team gain a first down midway through the second quarter.
If he suffered another concussion, it would be his third this season and sixth in his career. Many fans wonder aloud on social media if it’s time to hang it up for the 32-year-old center.
Michael Jurgens took his place for the second half. Jurgens has seen plenty of playing time this season with Kelly’s injuries, and the Vikings could be relying on him in the last two games of the season.
The running back room
The Vikings entered the Meadowlands with three healthy tailbacks and walked out with only Zavier Scott healthy. Aaron Jones and Jordan Mason appear on Week 17’s injury report with ankle injuries.
Jones was able to re-enter the contest, but didn’t look like himself. He was consistently hobbling throughout the rest of the contest. On the other hand, Mason was unable to return, leaving the team with little depth at running back.
Both injuries occurred on the team’s opening drive, leaving Scott as the bell cow back until Jones returned, even though Jones was not fully healthy.
If Jones and Mason are unable to overcome their ankle injuries, the workload will shift to Scott, unless the team believes Ty Chandler is ready to return from the knee injury he suffered in Week 1.
Even with Chandler and Scott taking on the bulk of the workload, if Jones is unable to suit up, it leaves the team thin at a spot the fans have been wanting to see more of throughout this season.
Where do they go from here?
The Vikings entered Sunday knowing that winning, losing, or tying the Giants would have little impact on their 2025 season. In two weeks, they will also be on their couches watching playoff football. It’s fair to assume that expectations were that they would come out of it healthier than they did.
With their next game mere hours away, the fans can expect a more unconventional lineup to potentially end what has been an unconventional season.
