Takeaways: J.J. McCarthy goes down as injuries pile up for Vikings in win over Giants

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — The Vikings won for the third consecutive time this season, beating the New York Giants 16-13 at MetLife Stadium on Sunday. They finished the day with their starting quarterback, center and one of their top two running backs watching from the locker room after injuries that will overshadow their win in a game between two last-place teams.

J.J. McCarthy left with a right hand injury just before halftime after Brian Burns came unblocked on a screen pass and leveled the quarterback for a strip sack that produced a Tyler Nubin touchdown on the fumble recovery. Fox’s broadcast showed McCarthy recoiling in pain as the medical staff examined his right hand, and he quickly went to the locker room.

Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell said he did not know when the injury occurred, but that it was before Burns’ strip sack. McCarthy was “unable to grip the football” at some point in the second quarter, the coach added.

“The only information I have is that X-rays were negative,” O’Connell said of the injury.

Before the injury, McCarthy was 9-for-14 for 108 yards and an interception to go with a rushing touchdown. Jordan Addison had dropped a would-be touchdown pass from McCarthy as the quarterback threw deep in the first quarter while absorbing a hit from Dexter Lawrence. Justin Jefferson also dropped a pass, and McCarthy’s interception was bobbled by Jalen Nailor before Paulson Adebo picked it off.

The Vikings (7-8) also lost Ryan Kelly to his third concussion of the season, and the sixth documented concussion of his career, which could put the veteran center’s career at risk. Jordan Mason was ruled out with an ankle injury in the first half, while Aaron Jones Sr. played through an ankle injury and had a season-high 85 yards.

“Aaron Jones was an absolute warrior playing through being a little dinged up there, but just continuing to run hard,” O’Connell said.

“The defense as a whole, that’s their game ball right there for what they were able to do,” O’Connell said. “Two of 10 on third down, 0 of 3 in the red zone for those guys, and then the five sacks and whatever it ended up passing yardage-wise. So really, really impressive performance by them.”

It was enough for the Vikings to overcome two turnovers and a raft of concerning injuries. Vikings backup QB Max Brosmer led a 14-play, 57-yard drive in the fourth quarter, capped by Will Reichard’s winning 30-yard field goal with 4:15 left.

“It was an interesting 24 hours or so for our team, but really proud of the way the guys handled a little bit of the adversity yesterday and then found a way to win a football game,” O’Connell said, referring to mechanical problems on the team charter flight that caused them to arrive in New Jersey late Saturday night.

The game has little effect on the Vikings’ 2025 season, given the fact they had already been eliminated from the playoffs. But the fact McCarthy’s first year as a starter might be over after 8½ games means the Vikings will head into the offseason with big questions about the quarterback position. Respectable performances for McCarthy the last two weeks had created reasons for hope, and the quarterback had some strong moments in the first half (despite Vikings receivers dropping several fastballs from McCarthy). But his hand injury, which followed his high ankle sprain and concussion earlier this season, could end his season without a chance for the 22-year-old to build on that momentum.

Dart hadn’t completed a pass to one of his receivers by 3:45 left in the first half, when his pass went off Theo Johnson’s hands and Byron Murphy Jr. hauled it in for his first interception of the season. Murphy returned it to the Giants 15-yard line, setting up McCarthy’s 12-yard touchdown run that made the score 13-3.

Thursday vs. Detroit, 3:30 p.m. (Netflix/WCCO-TV)

The Vikings will wrap up their season with two straight games at home, beginning against the Lions on Christmas Day at U.S. Bank Stadium. Netflix will broadcast the game, with Snoop Dogg headlining the halftime show. Detroit (8-7) lost 29-24 to Pittsburgh on Sunday.