The Giants lost their ninth straight game, falling to the Minnesota Vikings by a score of 16-13 on Sunday afternoon at MetLife Stadium.

Here are the takeaways...

-- The Giants came into the game shorthanded along the offensive line, as starting left guard Jon Runyan was a surprising healthy scratch, as he and his wife are expecting a child. Then, star left tackle Andrew Thomas went down with a hamstring injury in the second quarter.

The Giants initially ruled Thomas as questionable to return, but the former first-round pick was downgraded to out in the second half.

To make matters worse, center John Michael Schmitz was banged up in the third quarter, putting the Giants down three starting offensive linemen.

-- It’s been a season to forget for the Giants’ defense, but Brian Burns has been the bright spot all season. Burns made a huge play just before halftime, as the Vikings were looking to build on a 13-3 lead in the final minute. On what was supposed to be a quick screen to Justin Jefferson, Burns blew the play up by going unblocked for a sack on JJ McCarthy, knocking the ball loose. Tyler Nubin scooped it up for a touchdown, making it a 13-10 game at the half.

Not only was Burns’ strip-sack a huge swing in momentum, but it also knocked McCarthy out of the game with a right hand injury, forcing rookie Max Brosmer into the game at quarterback.

Burns ended up with 2.0 sacks and a forced fumble, and now has 15.0 sacks on the season.

-- The Giants’ defense missed a huge opportunity earlier in the first half. With the Vikings driving deep into Giants territory, a would-be 96-yard pick-six by Jevon Holland was called back on an Abdul Carter offsides penalty. Carter was lined up in the neutral zone the entire time before the snap, resulting in a 10-point swing as the Vikings got three on a field goal.

-- Jaxson Dart had one of the strangest halves of football that you’ll ever see from an NFL quarterback. Due in part to penalties, pressure, and a deceptive Vikings defensive scheme, Dart finished the first half just 1-of-5 for two yards and an interception. The pick wasn’t really on Dart, though, as he hit Theo Johnson in the hands, but the ball deflected away for an easy interception.

With a banged up offensive line, Dart couldn't get much going in the second half either. This ended up being Dart's worst game as a pro, as he completed 7-of-13 passes for 33 yards and an interception.

-- After a Will Reichard field goal put the Vikings up 16-13 with just over four minutes to go, the game was in the Giants' hands. After an illegal contact penalty on third-and-nine extended the drive and helped make up for another egregious Darius Slayton drop, Dart was sacked by Andrew Van Ginkel on fourth down to end the drive and the Giants' comeback chance.

The Vikings got the ball back, and after exhausting all of the Giants' timeouts, Aaron Jones converted a third-and-nine with a run to ice the game.

-- The Giants' kicking game has been disastrous without Graham Gano this season, and Ben Sauls' tenure got off to a shaky start, as he booted the opening kickoff out of bounds for a penalty. But Sauls made up for it, hitting a pair of field goals, including a 39-yarder that tied the game early in the fourth quarter.

Game MVP: Justin Jefferson and Aaron Jones

In what was not the prettiest game by any measure, Jefferson finished with six catches for 85 yards, while Jones had 85 yards on the ground, including the play that sealed the victory.

Here are the takeaways...

Game MVP: Justin Jefferson and Aaron Jones

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