The New York Giants, sitting at 2-12, welcome the 6-8 Minnesota Vikings to MetLife Stadium this Sunday in a matchup that, at first glance, may not carry playoff implications-but make no mistake, there’s still plenty of intrigue. The Vikings, despite being mathematically eliminated from postseason contention, are riding a two-game win streak and playing some of their best football of the season.
After taking down the Cowboys 34-26 in primetime and blanking the Commanders 31-0 the week before, Kevin O’Connell’s squad is showing fight down the stretch. They enter this one as 2.5-point favorites.
Flores’ Defense: Blitz, Pressure, and Chaos
Brian Flores continues to do what he does best-bring the heat. His defense is aggressive, unpredictable, and built to make quarterbacks uncomfortable. The Vikings rank ninth in total yards allowed per game (307.9) and are 13th in points allowed (21.9), but it’s how they get there that makes them so dangerous.
Flores dials up pressure like few others in the NFL. Minnesota blitzes on 43% of its defensive snaps-most in the league-and generates pressure 28.1% of the time, which ranks third.
That’s not just noise; that’s disruption. The Vikings are third in the league in tackles for loss and have 35 sacks on the year.
They’ve done it without piling up interceptions, though-they’ve only picked off five passes all season, tied for second-worst in the league.
Still, this defense thrives on confusion and speed. Flores isn’t afraid to send the house with Cover-0 looks, and he mixes in exotic coverages and fronts designed to rattle quarterbacks, especially young ones. That’s bad news for rookie Jaxson Dart, who’s still finding his footing under center for the Giants.
Injuries Hit Minnesota’s Defense
The Vikings will be without two key defensive starters this week-edge rusher Jonathan Greenard and safety Josh Metellus, both placed on injured reserve. Greenard leads the team in pressures with 47 and was coming off a strong showing against Dallas, while Metellus is third on the team in tackles and one of its most reliable defenders on the back end.
Replacing them won’t be easy. Dallas Turner, who’s tied for second on the team in pressures (32), will take on a larger role opposite Andrew Van Ginkel, who’s quietly had a productive season with 18 pressures, four sacks, and a pick-six last week.
Safety duties will likely fall to Theo Jackson alongside veteran Harrison Smith. Jackson was a full participant in practice last week but didn’t log a defensive snap.
With Metellus out, that should change.
Up front, the Vikings still have plenty of firepower. Jalen Redmond is emerging as a real threat from the interior, tallying 30 pressures in his third season. He lines up next to veterans Jonathan Allen and Jevon Hargrave, while Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins and Levi Drake Rodriguez provide depth.
In the secondary, Byron Murphy Jr. and Isaiah Rodgers are the starters at corner. Murphy has allowed a 69.4% completion rate, Rodgers 64.4%. Fabian Moreau, a familiar name for Giants fans, has only played 151 snaps this year but could see more action, especially if Murphy moves inside to cover the slot.
At linebacker, Eric Wilson and Blake Cashman are the primary options. Ivan Pace Jr. remains more of a special teams contributor at this stage.
Scheme vs. Scheme: Flores vs. Kafka
This game sets up as a chess match between Flores’ aggressive, pressure-heavy defense and Mike Kafka’s attempt to protect a rookie quarterback behind a shaky offensive line. Expect Flores to throw the kitchen sink at Dart-blitzes, disguised coverages, and pre-snap movement designed to confuse and collapse the pocket.
The Vikings use base personnel on 44% of snaps and run a 2-4-5 nickel package about 29% of the time. Against the Giants’ heavy usage of 11 personnel (80% last week), we could see plenty of nickel and even some dime (2-3-6) looks from Minnesota. Flores adapts based on situation, and he’ll likely tailor his packages to keep Dart guessing.
New York will need to counter with a heavy dose of screens, quick throws, and misdirection-anything to slow down the rush and buy Dart time. Screens to tight end Theo Johnson could be a key part of the plan.
Expect Kafka to lean on the run game early, especially with how Minnesota has struggled to stop it. The Vikings allow 127.9 rushing yards per game, ranking 24th in the league.
If the Giants can establish the run and keep the game manageable, they’ll have a shot to control tempo and keep Dart out of obvious passing downs. But if they fall behind early or the run game stalls, things could get dicey fast.
Passing Game: Pick Your Spots
When the Giants do go to the air, they’ll need to be selective. Deep shots should come off play-action with max protection-seven-man protection schemes that give Dart the time he needs to let routes develop.
Concepts like Yankee, Mills, or Dagger can work, but only if the protection holds up. That means tight ends staying in to block and backs chipping on the edge.
RPOs and quick-game concepts will be essential, especially against a defense that loves to sugar the A-gaps and then drop into coverage or spy the quarterback. Dart will need to process quickly and avoid the big mistake-easier said than done against Flores.
Final Thoughts
This is a tough spot for the Giants. Flores’ defense is built to feast on inexperienced quarterbacks, and even with the injuries, Minnesota still brings plenty of pressure and creativity.
The Vikings' offense hasn’t been lighting up the scoreboard this season, but JJ McCarthy has done enough to guide them to back-to-back wins. O’Connell should be able to find ways to exploit a thin Giants defense, even if it’s not flashy.
The Giants will fight, and they’ll try to make this a physical, run-heavy December game. But unless they can control the clock and avoid turnovers, it’s hard to see them keeping up for four quarters. The edge here goes to Minnesota.