New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart knows that he is in for a challenge Sunday against the visiting Minnesota Vikings and their aggressive defensive coordinator, Brian Flores.
What does Dart see when he studies film of Flores’ defense?
“Just chaos,” Dart said. “Chaos — just trying to disguise different looks and bring a whole bunch of different pressures. But they’re organized in the back end, too, so they do it soundly.”
Dart will try to quell the chaos when the Giants (2-12) kick off against the Vikings (6-8) in East Rutherford, N.J. Both teams have been eliminated from playoff contention and are hoping for good performances from their young quarterbacks as they look toward 2026.
The Giants have lost eight in a row, including a 29-21 home setback against the Washington Commanders last week. New York is looking for its first victory since Oct. 9.
Dart is coming off a solid outing vs. Washington. The 22-year-old rookie out of Ole Miss completed 20 of 36 passes for 246 yards, two touchdowns and one interception.
Giants interim coach Mike Kafka said he wanted Dart to keep an attacking mindset while also understanding the importance of taking care of the football. He said that would be particularly important against the Flores-led Minnesota defense.
“It’s something we emphasize every single week, and Jaxson does a really good job holding on to the football and being a runner and protecting himself,” Kafka said. “… This group we’re playing this week is one of the best. They’re top three in the league in terms of turnovers, fumbles, fumble recoveries, so they do a great job punching at the football.
“We’ve got to have drills, and we’ve got to have an intent on each day in practice here to make sure we get that cleaned up and make sure we’re excellent on game day.”
The Vikings also are focused on the development of their signal-caller, J.J. McCarthy, who is in his first year as a starter. McCarthy has thrown 11 touchdown passes and 11 interceptions in eight games, but he has shown improvement in recent weeks.
Last week, McCarthy completed 15 of 24 passes for 250 yards, two touchdowns and one interception in a 34-26 road win over the Dallas Cowboys. He went 16 of 23 for 163 yards and three touchdowns the week before that in a 31-0 home rout of Washington.
Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell is impressed with McCarthy’s progress.
“I was really, really proud of the way he threw the football (against the Cowboys),” O’Connell said. “As a whole, he played at a winning, winning level, and he now has for the last eight quarters. And pair that with guys doing some good things around him, and we’re starting to function a little bit on offense.”
Just as the Giants are cognizant of the Vikings’ defensive pressure, the same is true on the opposite sideline. O’Connell has emphasized to McCarthy and the rest of the Vikings that they need to be at their best to slow down Giants pass rushers Abdul Carter and Brian Burns.
Burns ranks second in the NFL with 13 sacks.
“If Myles Garrett wasn’t sacking everybody, the whole league would probably be talking about Brian Burns a little bit more,” O’Connell said. “Such an elite athlete. Explosive. (He) has really developed his total repertoire.”
On the injury front, the Giants were without linebacker/defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux (shoulder), defensive tackle Rakeem Nunez-Roches (ankle), linebacker Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles (illness) and receiver Beaux Collins (concussion/neck) at practice on Wednesday. Punter Jamie Gillan (knee) and cornerbacks Art Green (illness/hamstring), Rico Payton (back) and Andru Phillips (heel) were limited.
The Vikings held a walkthrough on Wednesday, with left tackle Christian Darrisaw (knee), right tackle Brian O’Neill (heel), center Ryan Kelly (knee) and nose tackle Javon Hargrave (thigh) estimated as out if it had been a practice. Tight end Gavin Bartholomew (back), receiver Jalen Nailor (back) and linebacker Austin Keys (ankle) were listed as limited.
