We’re getting down to the end of the 2025 NFL season, folks, and the picks continue to flow from the group of learned pro football blowhards who power your favorite Minnesota Vikings website. We’ve got our picks locked in for this week, so let’s see who everyone’s going with this week.
As always, we start with our look at how everyone is faring this season with their picks. If you scroll down far enough, you’ll eventually find my name. It’s not been a great season of picks for yours truly on any front, to be honest.
With that, we’re on to our picks for this week. I’ll post these picks with our standard reminder that the numbers for things like picks against the spread and over/unders will vary for each selector based on when they punched their picks into the system that our friends at Tallysight have provided for us. If you want the latest lines and numbers for any NFL game, please be sure to check in with your sportsbook of choice.
Unanimous Picks
- Philadelphia Eagles over Las Vegas Raiders
- Chicago Bears over Cleveland Browns
- Houston Texans over Arizona Cardinals
- Jacksonville Jaguars over New York Jets
- Seattle Seahawks over Indianapolis Colts
- San Francisco 49ers over Tennessee Titans
- Carolina Panthers over New Orleans Saints
- Los Angeles Rams over Detroit Lions
5-1 Picks
- New York Giants over Washington Commanders (Shawn dissenting)
- Cincinnati Bengals over Baltimore Ravens (Chris dissenting)
- Dallas Cowboys over Minnesota Vikings (GA Skol dissenting)
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers over Atlanta Falcons (GA Skol dissenting. . .and getting it right)
4-2 Picks
- Buffalo Bills over New England Patriots (Chris and Shawn dissenting)
- Pittsburgh Steelers over Miami Dolphins (Chris and GA Skol dissenting)
3-3 Picks
- Los Angeles Chargers (Chris/Sam/Shawn) at Kansas City Chiefs (Eric/GA Skol/Warren)
- Green Bay Packers (Eric/GA Skol/Shawn) at Denver Broncos (Chris/Sam/Warren)
Those are our picks for this week, folks! If you’re part of the Community Gaming option that Tallysight has introduced, be sure to get your picks in and see how you’re faring against us.
Who are you rolling with in Week 15, folks?
We’ve got our SB Nation Reacts results for this week, and it looks like folks are finally starting to see a little glimmer of hope in what, to this point, has been a lost season. I suppose a 31-point victory has a way of lifting people’s spirits.
Our only question for this week was the standard question of whether or not you think the Minnesota Vikings are moving in the right direction. After last Sunday’s thumping of the Washington Commanders, I expected the number to go up a bit from last week’s 13% figure, but the number went up even more than I thought it would.
This week, we are back up to 43% of our respondents who believe that the Vikings are heading in the right direction. Things really bottomed out for this team over the past couple of weeks, but maybe we’ll start seeing some reasons for optimism over this final month of the season. The playoffs are a pipe dream, so the rest of the way in 2025 is going to be about building something for fans of this team to believe in for 2026. Last Sunday was a nice start, and hopefully they’ll be able to build off of that when they head to Dallas on Sunday night.
That’s the result of our SB Nation Reacts survey for this week, ladies and gentlemen. Thank you to everyone who participated in our survey this week, and we’ll have another one for you leading up to next week’s game against the New York Football Giants.
We are just half an hour away from kickoff at Jerryworld, as our Minnesota Vikings are ready to face off against the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday Night Football. Let’s get you caught up on everything you need to be ready for tonight’s contest.
Date and Time: Sunday, 14 December 2025, 7:20 PM Central time
Location: AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas
Television Coverage: KARE-11 in the Twin Cities, NBC affiliates around the country, streaming on Peacock
Join the conversation!
Sign up for a user account and get:
- Fewer ads
- Create community posts
- Comment on articles, community posts
- Rec comments, community posts
- New, improved notifications system!
Radio Info: Vikings Radio Network affiliates, SiriusXM Channel 226 (Vikings Radio Network feed), SiriusXM Channel 88 (national feed) SiriusXM App Channel 820
Line: Vikings +6.5, over/under 47.5
Chris’ Prediction: Cowboys 31, Vikings 27
Three Keys
1) Don’t get cute offensively – Yes, last week the Vikings took advantage of one of the NFL’s worst defenses. Well, this week they get to face another of the NFL’s worst defenses, as only one team allows more points than the Cowboys do. The Vikings ran a very quarterback-friendly offense for J.J. McCarthy last week, and there’s no reason to stray from that this week. Keep things simple, take what the defense gives you, and move the football.
2) Get after Dak Prescott – The Cowboys’ offense, on the other hand, is very good, and they can put up points in bunches. This team needs to get pressure on Prescott and try to force him into some bad throws. They finally forced some turnovers last week for the first time in quite a while, and they’re probably going to need a few of those to have a chance in this one.
3) Win on special teams – The Vikings can’t afford to have a bunch of special teams issues in this one. They managed to avoid that last week, and they need to do that this week. When you come into a game as a significant underdog, you need to do the little things right in order to have a chance, and special teams give you an opportunity to do that. Here’s hoping that the third phase can give the Vikings an advantage tonight.
Know the Foe: Blogging the Boys
Twitter: @DailyNorseman
FaceBook: https://www.facebook.com/thedailynorseman
As always, we will start a brand new Open Thread at the beginning of each quarter, so keep your eyes open for those and be sure to move the discussion along accordingly.
Here’s hoping that, even though there are no more playoff hopes for this team anymore this season, this team can give us something positive to build on going forward for the rest of this season.
SKOLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL VIKINGS!!!!
When J.J. McCarthy took a knee to seal the Minnesota Vikings’ 34-26 victory over the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday Night Football, it put the cap on a trifecta that hadn’t been seen in Minnesota sports since. . .well, since before this website was even a part of this vast internet of ours.
Yesterday marked the first time in 22 years that the Vikings, the Minnesota Timberwolves, and the Minnesota Wild all won games on the same day.
The last time that it happened was back on December 20, 2003, and all of the games took place in the Twin Cities. . .on a Saturday, no less. On that day, the Vikings pounded the Kansas City Chiefs at the Metrodome by a score of 45-20. (Don’t look up what happened the next week. Seriously, don’t. . .you’ll just be sad.) The Wild took down the Columbus Blue Jackets by a score of 5-2 in St. Paul, while the Timberwolves sent the Indiana Pacers out of the Target Center with a 102-80 loss.
Join the conversation!
Sign up for a user account and get:
- Fewer ads
- Create community posts
- Comment on articles, community posts
- Rec comments, community posts
- New, improved notifications system!
Yesterday, in addition to the Vikings’ win in Dallas, the Wild beat the Vancouver Canucks at the Boston Bruins, 6-2, at the Grand Casino Arena (which used to be the XCel Energy Center) in the Wild debut of newly-acquired star defenseman Quinn Hughes, while the Timberwolves beat the Sacramento Kings at the Target Center by a final score of 117-103.
Yes, it’s been a disappointing season for the Vikings in 2025. But it’s always nice to see the local teams win, and given the drought that Minnesota sports has gone through in terms of championships. . .the state hasn’t seen a championship in any of the “Big 4” professional sports since the Minnesota Twins won the World Series back in 1991. . .it’s nice to see some of the other local teams have some success. Hopefully one of them will break the drought here sometime soon. Sure, it would be even nicer if it happened to be the Vikings, but at this point seeing any of them do it would be nice.
As the Minnesota Vikings prepare for the final three games of their 2025 season, they will do so without one of their top players on the defensive side of the ball.
At his Monday press conference, head coach Kevin O’Connell announced that edge defender Jonathan Greenard would undergo season-ending surgery on his shoulder, meaning that he will miss the last three games for Brian Flores’ defense.
Greenard, who was already dealing with a shoulder issue that caused him to miss a game earlier this season, re-aggravated the injury last night while attempting to bring down Dak Prescott late in the Vikings’ 34-26 victory over the Cowboys on Sunday Night Football. He left the game and headed straight to the locker room.
After a 2024 season that saw him make the Pro Bowl and even collect some Defensive Player of the Year votes, Greenard had a bit of a down year this past season, collecting three quarterback sacks and a dozen quarterback hits. By my unofficial numbers, he had approximately 47 almost-sacks, which isn’t an actual statistical category but maybe it should be.
With Greenard going on the shelf for the final three games, it will give Dallas Turner an opportunity to step into a full-time starting spot on the defense across from Andrew Van Ginkel. It will also likely give some more opportunities to some younger players like Bo Richter and Tyler Batty, who will be looking to potentially carve out bigger roles on the team for 2026.
Here’s hoping that Jonathan Greenard’s recovery from surgery goes smoothly and that he’s ready to go for the offseason program so that he can be full speed for the purple next season.
The early betting lines are out for Week 16 in the National Football League, and the Minnesota Vikings find themselves in a role that they haven’t been in for a while: favorites.
According to the folks from the FanDuel Sportsbook, the Vikings are an early 2.5-point favorite over the New York Football Giants in what will be their final road game of the 2025 season this Sunday at MetLife Stadium. The over/under for this one current sits at 43.5 points. Unless my memory is failing me, this is the first time the Vikings have been favored since their game against the Cleveland Browns in London back in Week 5. (The line for the game against Washington went back and forth, but the Commanders were favored at kickoff, according to FanDuel.)
The Giants come into this one having lost eight consecutive games, including a loss to the Washington Commanders this past week by a score of 29-21. The Giants currently have a record of 2-12 and, if the season ended today, would hold the #1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. They are 0-4 since they fired head coach Brian Daboll and replaced him with Mike Kafka, who has not brought about the metamorphosis some may have hoped for.
The Vikings, who have also been eliminated from playoff contention, have won two consecutive games, including a 34-26 victory over the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday Night Football that all but ended Dallas’ postseason hopes. J.J. McCarthy has accounted for six touchdowns over the past two weeks (five passing, one rushing) with only one turnover, and the offense has scored 65 points in those two contests. He still doesn’t have any sort of chemistry with Justin Jefferson but, hey, he’s looked pretty darn good throwing to everyone else over the past two games.
Minnesota’s final two games of the year will both take place at U.S. Bank Stadium, so this is the last potential “weather” game of the year for the purple. It doesn’t look like things will be too bad in East Rutherford, though. The current forecast is showing temperatures at kickoff sitting in the mid-40s with no chance of precipitation, which is just about as good as you can hope for in East Rutherford in late December.
Kickoff for this one is slated for noon Central time, with coverage being provided by the FOX family of networks.
Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NFL. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Vikings fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.
The season is winding down for our Minnesota Vikings, but we still have room for more of our SB Nation Reacts surveys about our favorite team, and it’s time for this week’s edition, so let’s have at it.
We’ve got two questions for you this week, folks. The first one is the one that we bring you every week, and that’s the question about whether or not you think the team is heading in the right direction. The Vikings got themselves a second consecutive win this week, and a big one in prime time at that. Can this team get back over the 50% mark this week? We shall see, but I do sort of like our chances.
The other question has to do with the guy who has been the subject of a lot of the conversation surrounding this team this season. . .for better or for worse. Yes, it’s time to talk about J.J. McCarthy once again. Now, over the past two weeks, McCarthy has looked pretty impressive in helping the Vikings average over 30 points per game in those two victories, and it looks like his early season struggles may. . .possibly. . .be in the rear-view mirror. But we want to know what you think of what his performance over the past couple of weeks means to you and how your impression of him has changed.
As always, we invite you to make your voice heard by casting your vote in the survey below, as well as sounding off on both of these questions in our comment section. We’ll get you the answers to both of these questions over the weekend before things kick off at MetLife Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
Have at it, ladies and gentlemen!
A couple of days after announcing that Jonathan Greenard will miss the remainder of the Minnesota Vikings’ 2025 season with a shoulder injury, one of his defensive teammates has seen his season come to an end for the same reason.
The team has announce that, along with Greenard, they have placed safety Josh Metellus on injured reserve today. Metellus will also be having surgery to repair an injured shoulder, and that will end his 2025 campaign.
Metellus, who signed a three-year, $36 million extension with the Vikings this offseason, played more of a traditional safety role in the Vikings’ defense this season than he had in past years following the departure of Camryn Bynum. In prior seasons, Brian Flores had moved him around to various spots around the defense, and his impact was diminished somewhat this season. We’ll have to see what the Vikings do this offseason, but hopefully they can bring in someone at the safety spot to allow Flores to resume moving Metellus around the defense a bit more than he was able to this season.
In a bit of a surprise move, the team also announced the return to practice for rookie tight end Gavin Bartholomew. Bartholomew, the team’s final pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, has not seen any action at all this season. The team placed him on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) List at the start of Training Camp, and he has remained there all season. Bringing him back to practice now gives him the opportunity to, potentially, take part in the Vikings’ final three games of this 2025 season, or at least one of them, at any rate.
The first injury reports of Week 16 should be along later this afternoon, and once they drop we’ll have them for you here.
Beating the Cowboys is always good! Our young QB is slowly beginning to show the things that KOC has confidence in. I posted this link the other day but it is still relevant and kind of prescient.
A very good article here that says “NFL quarterbacks do not take any semblance of final shape, on average, until 250-300 drop backs”. It includes a lot of super nerd stats and a comparison to Jared Goff and Josh Allen to support the theory that by the Giants game we should be seeing the real version of JJ.
The Sneaky Reason to Be Excited about J.J. McCarthy
So far, in his career, JJ has completed 117 out of 206 passes. He might not get to the 250 mark until Christmas when they play the Lions. It is unfortunate for him, the team, and the fans that he was hurt earlier this year and missed those 7 games. He’d probably have at least another 100 attempts by now. He really needs all the reps he can get as we look towards the 2026 season.
There is a lot of talk about bringing in a “veteran” to compete with some folks even suggesting a trade might be in order. I think it is going to be very hard to do though. The number of “competent” QBs that will be available is very small. Daniel Jones, Aaron Rodgers, Russell Wilson, Marcus Mariota, Tyrod Taylor, Joe Flacco, and Jimmy Garoppolo are some. I do not see other teams not trying to keep most of these players though. Those teams need either a starter or a viable backup as well. Maybe some QB will want to come to Minnesota but why not stay where you are (Mariota, Taylor, and Garoppolo). Then, you have a situation in KC where Mahomes might miss the first couple of months of the season. Will they get someone new or re-sign Minshew? Zach Wilson may stick with Miami in case they do something with Tua or he unfortunately gets hurt again. I think Jimmy G sticks with the Rams next year. I’m thinking it could and should be Carson Wentz again. This time they should sign him in March so he is able to continue to pick up the offense. It’s not pretty but what can you do?
After the Dallas game, the future looks bright!
Minnesota Vikings News and Links
JJ McCarthy Sends Defiant Message on Future After Vikings Defeat Cowboys
JJ McCarthy Sends Defiant Message on Future After Vikings Defeat Cowboys
Minnesota Vikings quarterback JJ McCarthy was not shy about his prospects with the team following a win over the Dallas Cowboys in primetime.heavy.com
McCarthy missed all of his rookie year with a knee injury. He has sat out six games in 2025 due to a high-ankle sprain that cost him five contests and a concussion that robbed him of another. So while the former No. 10 pick is just three weeks away from the end of his second NFL campaign, he has less than a half-season of starting experience under his belt.
McCarthy made an Instagram post following his performance on “Sunday Night Football” in a win over the Dallas Cowboys, during which the QB completed 15-of-24 passes for 250 yards, two scores and one INT, while also adding a rushing TD. The final photograph in a series of them was as much a message to McCarthy’s doubters as it was a reminder to himself of where he is and where he hopes to go.
“You are not behind,” the message said. “You are on your own timeline.”
Lunchbreak: PFF Takes a Look at ‘Big Time Throws’ by J.J. McCarthy
The more you know: Analytics website Pro Football Focus defines a “Big Time Throw” as a pass with excellent ball location and timing, generally thrown farther down the field and/or into a tighter window.
The more you know: J.J. McCarthy has the best big-time throw percentage among starting quarterbacks.
No hyperbole. McCarthy’s 7.2 BTT% sits atop PFF’s chart and is tied with MVP candidate Matthew Stafford of the L.A. Rams for the highest mark. Stafford owns 36 BTTs on 493 dropbacks, and McCarthy 16 on 246.
It’s a stat that illustrates accuracy, arm strength and a fearlessness in attacking defenses.
Nick Akridge of PFF on Tuesday explored McCarthy’s tantalizing skill set, which has really come into focus in his past two starts, an efficient 31-point win against Washington and a dynamic 34-26 victory at Dallas.
The latter performance earned McCarthy his top single-game grade (89.7) so far and ranked him third for his position in Week 15. With a 78.4 mark the game prior, McCarthy is the No. 4 graded QB in that span.
Akridge wrote the following:
Even when things weren’t clicking earlier in the season, McCarthy never shied away from pushing the ball downfield. Entering Week 14, he ranked fourth among all quarterbacks in big-time throw rate at 6.6%. …
There’s no denying the pressure on McCarthy. The Vikings went all-in on him as their franchise quarterback this offseason, and the early returns were uneven. But development was always going to take time, and over the past few weeks, the confidence and decisiveness have clearly shown up on tape.
Early in the second quarter at “Jerry World,” the 22-year-old took a shotgun snap, drifted away from quick pressure applied by Cowboys DE Jadeveon Clowney off the right side of the offensive line, and dialed up a 58-yard strike to Jordan Addison. The pass traveled 52.5 yards in the air per Next Gen Stats.
Last but definitely not least, McCarthy lasered a pass to T.J. Hockenson up the seam for a 29-yard gain late in the third frame. The connection sparked the possession Minnesota used to go ahead 24-23 with about 16 minutes remaining in the game. Head Coach Kevin O’Connell addressed it unprompted afterward, labeling it “a spectacular throw,” and McCarthy identified it as his favorite one of the evening.
“It was a tight Cover 2 coverage, kind of pseudo-quarters,” McCarthy said. “But just playing on time, in rhythm, trusting what I see, being decisive and seeing the ball come out exactly the way I wanted to — that was pretty cool. But he made a tremendous catch, like, if you ask him and have him walk you through what that ball was looking like in those lights, it’s pretty cool.” (T.J. told J.J. that it was flickering.)
In a follow-up response, O’Connell noted McCarthy’s placement was “surgical” and the revolutions on the pass created a “runner’s ball” for Hockenson that allowed him to dive forward for a few extra yards.
QB Film Review: J.J. McCarthy’s confidence is starting to show
The former first-round pick earned an 89.7 PFF overall grade, the highest single-game mark of his career and the third-highest among all quarterbacks in Week 15. It marked back-to-back strong outings for McCarthy, who now ranks as the fourth-highest graded quarterback over the past two weeks.
Kevin O’Connell Recaps J.J. McCarthy’s Night at Cowboys & Harrison Smith’s ‘Game Within the Game’
With Sunday’s film fresh in his mind, Vikings Head Coach Kevin O’Connell told Twin Cities media members Monday that McCarthy is locked into a one-play mentality that’s taken his play to new heights.
“And even when we don’t hit them all,” the coach said after applying serious credit to McCarthy’s past two performances, “he’s making some really high-level throws, and I thought that was on full display.”
…
“I was really, really proud of the way he threw the football last night,” O’Connell commented. “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.”
…
No 1. Pass game success
“I thought we ran it just well enough to kind of weather the snap-to-snap storm and not have to be totally off balance, one way or the other, run or pass, and then I thought there were some great, great examples of just decision making from J.J. trying to activate some play-passes down the field,” O’Connell assessed. “That allowed us to continue to kind of use some of those completions as extensions of our run game in a lot of ways, and doing it out of different groupings.
“And then finding some space maybe on the edges at times, either on some design kind of throws or some unique run concepts that give us a chance to find some space because it was hard to come by against that front with those three guys in there (Cowboys DL Quinnen Williams, Kenny Clark and Osa Odighizuwa) … We knew it was going to be a different kind of game than maybe some of the others, where we’ve been able to lean on the run game a little bit, but we wanted to try to stay balanced enough to allow those explosives to come our way.”
…
No 2. Getting ‘Jets’ open
The most elusive part of McCarthy’s maturation is his chemistry with Justin Jefferson.
“Jets,” the All-Everything receiver, was targeted more by McCarthy than anyone else (8) but for the third straight game managed two catches (for 22 yards). Honestly, it should have been a lot more, though. At one point, with a defender barreling down on him, McCarthy missed Jefferson on a deep crossing route; and in the low red zone, late in the third quarter, prior to C.J. Ham’s 1-yard TD, Jefferson failed to bring in a ball in the back-left corner that O’Connell said “had some sauce on it” but was placed in the right spot.
“I did think we had some good ops,” O’Connell explained, before diving into the incomplete crosser. “Those have been kind of plays, that when we get that one chance, that sometimes can be the chance for Justin for a sequence of 20-25 plays where there’s not a safety leaning into him, there’s not a double team, there’s not a cloud coverage rolling to him. So when those aren’t — when you’re second-and-10 after those plays, it does feel a little bit more significant than just standard get-back-on-track play.
“But like I said, Justin is still doing all the things required for us to win, and nobody wants to make those plays more than Justin, and nobody wants to make those throws more than J.J. And we just got to continue to try to find ways to allow Justin to impact the game,” O’Connell continued. “We created 4×1 one time and got him a look in the red zone (his second of two slants, which netted 10 yards). … We’re just going to always try to find ways where we’re not going to mess it up.
“And I think he got an ample amount of targets for the kind of game that it was, considering the total number of pass attempts we had. But we absolutely are on the hunt to have our best players involved as much as we possibly can.”
…
No 3. Game within the game
The Vikings are one of two NFL defenses since 2009 to not let a team score through the air in five games in a row. Yup, Minnesota has not given up a passing touchdown since Lamar Jackson took advantage of a coverage breakdown in Week 10. Since then, five opposing players have gone 79-for-142 (55.6 percent) with 160 yards per game and two interceptions (h/t Washington). Oh, and Minnesota has 11 total sacks.
What’s been working for the Vikings in that area? The full gamut.
“I think there’s been a really, really good combination of the marriage of our pressure packages, coverages, and then getting the quarterback off the spot — even on plays where we’re maybe not in a full send-it mode,” O’Connell detailed. “That’s the interior guys. That’s J.G. (Jonathan Greenard), Dallas [Turner], “Gink’ ” (Andrew Van Ginkel), whether it’s one of the ‘backers going on a simulated pressure where we’re only bringing four, but we’re bringing one of those guys and dropping somebody out.
“It’s been a really good combination of all those things,” O’Connell said. “And then, specifically, speaking to Harrison Smith last night, it felt like it during the game — just listening to the calls and then kind of how things played out — but the game within the game that Harrison was playing was as special as maybe any game since I’ve been here, as far as against a quarterback [of Dak Prescott’s caliber], and an offense and what weapons that they have, and he’s really in total control and command of what the final (defensive) call kind of is there based upon his assessment of what Dak is trying to get to. And there’s some back and forth going on there. As a self-proclaimed football nerd, it was pretty fun to watch.”
Smith posted six tackles, a QB hit and two passes defensed. The Hitman has four of those since Week 13.
…
No 4. Respect for Paul Wiggin
The late, great former player, coach and scout was a football lifer and the ultimate representative of what it means to be a Minnesota Viking — talented but modest; cerebral, committed and passionate.
O’Connell began his press conference by reflecting on Wiggin and his appreciation for the College Football Hall of Famer and Pro Bowler who was involved in the careers of so many legendary players.
“I just remember when I was having my weekly lunches with Bud, with Coach Grant back in ’22,” O’Connell said with a smile. “There’d be times where Coach Grant would say some things to me and I didn’t want to be the young, annoying, first-year head coach, and fire a question back at him, so I would log it away and make sure I went and found ‘Wigs’ and asked him, ‘What exactly did [Bud] mean by that?’
“But just even being around him in draft meetings, when he would talk about pass rushers and how he saw it — and he had evaluated everybody — and you’re listening to him and how his eye saw the game, and just the wealth of knowledge and experience. … He had an unbelievable way about him of kind of picking his spots, but at the same time, you found yourself wanting to hear more and more from him,” O’Connell added. “It’s been a really cool part of this job. Not only the time I got to spend with Coach Grant before he passed away, but just having Wigs in the building and being around him, I know, made us all better.”
Controversial playstyle used by Vikings QB J.J. McCarthy looks dangerous, but it’s designed with safety in mind
One of the difficult aspects about the Minnesota Vikings’ developing quarterback J.J. McCarthy has been the injuries.
In the first eight games that McCarthy played in the NFL, including preseason games, McCarthy suffered four confirmed injuries.
Torn meniscus
High ankle sprain
Injured throwing hand
Concussion
…
Wes Phillips explains why J.J. McCarthy dives instead of slides
One thing that McCarthy doesn’t do is slide, but rather dives forward. It’s a different strategy, and one that goes against conventional wisdom. Offensive coordinator Wes Phillips talked about the strategy on Tuesday, shedding light on why he does it.
“I think each situation is a little bit different, and things happen really fast. If you have potentially more open grass, and you’re sliding down early, but what you see is a lot of late slides and guys getting hit, just kind of naturally,” said Phillips.
There is merit to what Phillips is saying. The late slides don’t give much time for the defense to think about what they are doing. Less time to react often ends up with late hits to the head.
“I think you know these quarterbacks are getting hit. I don’t think there’s intent there by guys, but these late slides, you end up naturally getting hit in the head and neck area, and that’s where you’re seeing some of these big shots that guys get fined for,” said Phillips. “But a lot of times, I don’t really blame some of the guys with how late some of these things happen.”
“They’ve changed [the ball being spotted] where it’s not where you’re sliding into. So, J.J. [McCarthy] had one where he dives forward and he’s past the sticks there, and you got a fresh set of downs. And sometimes I think you can even avoid some of the hits and see out in front of you a little bit better,” said Phillips.
Wes Phillips on Offensive Line & Pass Protection, J.J. McCarthy’s Play, Jalen Nailor’s Strengths
Matt Daniels on Special Teams Impact, Why Will Reichard Is A Top Kicker in NFL, Ryan Wright’s Season
Vikings snap count analysis and notable PFF grades against Cowboys
Top 5 PFF grades on offense (min. 20 snaps)
- McCarthy — 89.7
- Nailor — 86.0
- Hockenson — 82.4
- O’Neill — 74.3
- Kelly — 70.6
Top 5 PFF grades on defense (min. 20 snaps)
- Greenard — 90.5
- Moreau — 79.6
- Wilson — 78.7
- Redmond — 72.5
- Rodgers — 68.3
How Bo Nix, Trevor Lawrence and J.J. McCarthy are developing: Week 15 film review
How real is McCarthy’s improvement?
McCarthy is the youngest of the three quarterbacks discussed in this article and has the most to work on. His issues with accuracy, particularly throwing to his left, cannot really be corrected during the season. He’s going to have to rebuild his mechanics and footwork during the offseason. Last week, he had the lowest rate of off-target passes (4.3 percent), but against the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday, he was scatter-shot again (16.7 percent off-target passes).
How high or low can the Vikings pick in the 2026 NFL Draft?
One way or another, the 6-8 Vikings are currently slotted to pick 13th in the 2026 NFL Draft, with room to move up or down depending on how the last three games go.
The odds of Minnesota landing a pick higher than No. 10 are pretty low, because the teams currently picking 7-9 are the Saints, Commanders, and Bengals, who are all 4-10. The Vikings beat the Commanders and Bengals, so the only way they moved ahead of one or both is by finishing 6-11 while they win out to finish 7-10. No chance, right?
On the flip side, the Vikings, Dolphins, and Chiefs are tied at 6-8. Right now, the Dolphins have the 11th pick, the Chiefs are at No. 12, and the Vikings are 13th because they have a higher strength of schedule. Slipping down to 14th, 15th, 16th, or even 17th isn’t out of the question since the Cowboys (6-7-1), Ravens (7-7), and Panthers/Bucs (7-7) are nearby.
Harrison Smith Addresses the Retirement Question
C.J. Ham & Vikings Host Annunciation Students on North Pole Express
C.J. Ham, the Vikings Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Club Winner, and his family joined Verizon Tuesday to host children from Annunciation Catholic School and their parents for a night highlighted by the North Pole Express, a holiday-themed train ride from St. Paul Union Depot to … well, you know, Santa Claus’ headquarters.
…
C.J. was introduced to the group as the Vikings WPMOY Club Winner for the second straight season and presented with a trophy, as well as a custom-painted Vikings helmet.
He took time to connect with families, signing autographs for the kids and shaking hands with parents, looking them in the eyes to encourage them. Less than four months after their lives were violently disrupted by the mass shooting at Annunciation, many of the guests wore navy blue sweatshirts bearing the school’s logo and the words “Move Your Feet,” referencing the “When you pray, move your feet” motto they’ve adopted in response to tragedy. On the sleeves were two white hearts with the initials of 10-year-old Harper Moyski and 8-year-old Fletcher Merkel, who were killed in the shooting.
“I know you all have been through a lot,” C.J. told the group. “I can already tell the reason you are able to make it through is by leaning on your faith, and also community.”
As C.J. spoke, a mother sitting near the front of the room nodded in affirmation, her eyes welling with tears.
“The way you kids and the parents have interacted with each other just in this short amount of time, I can see there’s so much love,” he continued. “There’s so much compassion, and I love to see that. I’m honored to share this night with you all and have fun with you. Thank you for being here.”
Vikings Director of Community Relations Logan Johnson and C.J. both emphasized the desire to honor the Annunciation community in whatever way possible.
“We know nothing the Vikings or anybody else does can change anything these families have had to go through,” Johnson said. “But if we can do something as simple as providing them with a new memory for tonight, that’s really important to us.
“We will have more touchpoints with them moving forward, because we understand how important it is for them to continue to create those new memories,” Johnson noted. “That’s something that we’re going to take very seriously as an organization.”
C.J. later reflected on the evening and expressed gratitude for being able to spend time with parents and young people.
“I can’t even imagine what they’ve been through,” he said. “But they’re leaning on each other, leaning on their faith, doing things together.
“Right before we got on the train, one of the moms came up to me and said, ‘Thank you,’ ” continued C.J., who paused for a moment to gather his emotions. “It’s hard for me to even put into words. Because she said, ‘It’s nice not to be forgotten.’ And it just hit me right in the heart, just to know what some of these young children had to see, had to endure.
“I’m just grateful I was able to share this night with them, celebrate with them, hopefully bring them some hope,” C.J. added. “Because honestly? It’s them who gave me a lot of hope.”
Again, we all know the rules, but in case someone is new:
While navigating the open thread, just assume it’s sarcasm
No discussion of politics or religion
No feeding of the trolls
Leave the gender hatred at the door
Keep the bad language to a minimum (using the spoiler tags, if you must)
Speaking of which, if discussing a newer show or movie, please use spoiler tags
No pictures that could get someone fired or in serious trouble with their employer
If you can’t disagree in a civil manner, feel free to go away
The Minnesota Vikings and the New York Giants put out their first injury reports of the week yesterday as they prepare for this weekend’s game at MetLife Stadium. Let’s take a look at who’s practicing and who’s not, and in what capacity.
Minnesota Vikings
- OT Christian Darrisaw – DNP (knee)
- DL Javon Hargrave – DNP (thigh)
- C Ryan Kelly – DNP (knee)
- OT Brian O’Neill – DNP (heel)
- TE Gavin Bartholomew* – Limited (back)
- LB Austin Keys – Limited (ankle)
- WR Jalen Nailor – Limited (back)
- RB Ty Chandler* – Full (knee)
Both Bartholomew and Chandler are in their 21-day practice windows for their return from the PUP list and injured reserve, respectively, so they still don’t count against the active roster. If the Vikings decide they want to bring either or both of them back, they would have to make a corresponding move, though it’s worth noting that they currently have two open spots on the 53 since they didn’t make any moves after putting Jonathan Greenard and Josh Metellus on IR yesterday. And, if you’re scoring at home, that’s 60% of the starting offensive line that didn’t practice on Wednesday. Not ideal.
New York Giants
- WR Beaux Collins – DNP (concussion/neck)
- LB Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles – DNP (illness)
- DL Rakeem Nunez-Roches – DNP (ankle)
- OLB Kayvon Thibodeaux – DNP (shoulder)
- P Jamie Gillian – Limited (left knee)
- CB Art Green – Limited (illness/hamstring)
- DL Dexter Lawrence – Limited (non-injury/rest)
- CB Rico Payton – Limited (back)
- CB Dru Phillips – Limited (heel)
- OL Joshua Ezeudu – Full (calf)
- OL Evan Neal – Full (hamstring)
- WR Gunner Olszewski – Full (concussion)
The biggest name on the list for the Giants would appear to be Thibodeaux. If the Vikings are going to have several offensive linemen out, it would be helpful to them if they don’t have to see him lined up on the other side of the ball. Olszewski, the pride of Bemidji State, missed the Giants’ game last week against the Commanders but appears to be ready to come back for this week’s contest.
Those are the first injury reports of the week, folks. We’ll continue tracking these injury situations as the week continues.
The Minnesota Vikings will hit the road to take on the New York Giants of New Jersey. The two teams are playing out the string with their young QBs at the helm. Jaxson Dart (with an ‘x’ because his parents are cool) has shown flashes of promise in his rookie year.
Series Record: 19-13
Road Record: 10-7
Streak: W1
- The Vikings have won five straight regular season games against the Giants
- The Vikings have had 300 yards or more on offense in each of those five wins
- Andrew Van Ginkel had a pick six in the Week 1 2024 matchup
- The Vikings also had a 99-yard drive in the 2nd quarter, tying for the longest since Benard Berrian’s 99-Yard Bomb against Chicago in 2008.
Games like this are hard to predict because motivation is uncertain. The Giants haven’t won a game since October 9th. The Vikings are coming off back-to-back wins and have some emotional momentum. The team will be without Josh Metellus and Jonathan Greenard for the remainder of the way. Brian Flores will be prepared and the Giants don’t have enough on offense to make it an issue anyways. J.J. McCarthy will have his 3rd game in a row against a bottom 5 NFL defense from the defenseless NFC East. It will be a good time to fix some chemistry issues with Justin Jefferson.
Two teams moving in two different directions. I see no reason that changes this Sunday.
Vikings 31 – Giants 13
Another day, another one of the Minnesota Vikings’ bigger names being placed on injured reserve. . .and this one ends one of the stranger and more disappointing sagas of the 2025 season for our favorite team.
Head coach Kevin O’Connell just announced that the team will be placing offensive tackle Christian Darrisaw on injured reserve, a move that will end his 2025 season with three games remaining.
Darrisaw tore his ACL midway through the 2024 season and spend the offseason rehabbing that injury. He did not wind up on the Physically Unable to Perform List at the start of Training Camp, but wound up missing the first two games of the regular season. He has had several games this season that have seen him leave early and has missed at least a couple of other games as well as he has worked back from the injury. He had not practiced all week this week leading up to Sunday’s game against the New York Giants, and now the speculation about his status for the rest of the season is officially over.
Given that none of us are in the Vikings’ locker room or training room or anything like that, it’s hard to judge from the outside whether or not Darrisaw’s injury was mishandled or anything like that, or whether he may have come back too early from his 2024 injury. Hopefully any lingering issues that still exist will be addressed during the offseason and Darrisaw will be 100% and ready to go for the start of the 2026 season.
Presumably this means that Justin Skule will start at left tackle for the final three games of the season, though the team could elect to use Blake Brandel at that spot as well. The team could even, potentially, give some opportunities to Walter Rouse, who has been inactive for a number of games this season and could use some evaluation time with the Vikings’ playoff prospects officially at zero.
We’ll be along with the final injury report for Sunday’s game later on today, but you won’t see the name Christian Darrisaw on that list, because his 2025 season is officially over because the team will be placing him on injured reserve.
The final injury reports of the week are out for both the Minnesota Vikings and the New York Giants ahead of this Sunday’s contest at MetLife Stadium. Let’s see which players have been given injury designations for this week, shall we?
Minnesota Vikings
- DL Javon Hargrave – OUT (thigh)
- TE Gavin Bartholomew* – QUESTIONABLE (back)
- RB Ty Chandler* – QUESTIONABLE (knee)
- OT Brian O’Neill – QUESTIONABLE (heel)
Hargrave is the only one who will definitely be sitting this one out. The Vikings also had Christian Darrisaw listed as “out” for this one, but shortly after that they placed him on injured reserve. Both Bartholomew and Chandler are in their 21-day windows to return to the active roster. The team has to make a decision on Chandler by 24 December, while Bartholomew’s window opened just a couple of days ago.
It’s worth noting that the Vikings have three open spots on the 53-man roster, as they haven’t made any moves yet to fill the spots that opened up when they placed Darrisaw, Jonathan Greenard, and Joshua Metellus on injured reserve. They’ll be filling those spots when they make their final moves of the week tomorrow afternoon, so we’ll be keeping an eye out for those.
New York Giants
- WR Beaux Collins – OUT (concussion/neck)
- OL Evan Neal – OUT (hamstring/neck)
- DL Rakeem Nunez-Roches – OUT (ankle)
- OLB Kayvon Thibodeaux – OUT (shoulder)
- OL Joshua Ezeudu – QUESTIONABLE (calf)
- LB Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles – QUESTIONABLE (illness)
- CB Art Green – QUESTIONABLE (illness/hamstring)
- CB Rico Payton – QUESTIONABLE (back)
It will be a fifth straight missed game for Thibodeaux, which will benefit a Vikings team that will definitely be without Darrisaw and could potentially be without O’Neill. Neal has not played a snap this season for the Giants and is in his window to return to the roster after being designated to return from injured reserve. If he does come back, it won’t be this week against the Vikings.
Those are the final injury reports for this week, folks. We’ll see what moves the Vikings make to round out the roster on Saturday afternoon before they depart for the East Coast.
