3 Takeaways from Giants' Week 16 Loss vs. Vikings

The New York Giants couldn't quite muster enough offense against the Minnesota Vikings on Saturday. Though they took the NFC North champions down to the wire, the Giants fell just short in the 27-24 loss.

Quarterback Daniel Jones may get a bit of the blame for tossing a fourth-quarter interception in Vikings territory. However, he wasn't the only one to make a mistake, as coverage miscues, penalties and a blocked punt also contributed to New York's loss.

As losses go, though, the Giants shouldn't feel too bad about this one. The Vikings are one of the top teams in the conference, and if New York gets into the postseason, it could see them again. If it cleans up a few things, it can win the rematch.

And the playoffs are very much within reach.

Here are our three biggest takeaways from New York's Week 16 loss to the Vikings.

New York Is a Playoff-Caliber Team

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Giants RB Saquon Barkley

Here's the biggest takeaway from Saturday's loss: The Giants belong in the NFC playoff picture.

While New York's 6-2 start to the season was perhaps a little flukey—the Giants have won just one of their last six games—it wasn't a total mirage. The Vikings are good, and very good at winning close games. They're now 11-0 in one-score contests. The Giants played them to the wire.

Saquon Barkley had another strong game (84 rushing yards, 49 receiving yards, 1 TD), and Jones was mostly solid aside from the interception. The offense racked up 445 total yards but fell just short in the scoring department. The defense did enough to keep the Giants in the game.

If New York visits Minnesota in the postseason, it should feel good about its chances. And with losses by the Detroit Lions, Washington Commanders and Seattle Seahawks in Week 16, the playoffs are likely.

The Giants close their season with the Indianapolis Colts and a Philadelphia Eagles team that may have the No. 1 seed locked up by Week 18. If the Giants win one of those games, they'll be in the dance and playing postseason football for the first time since 2016.

New Stars Are Emerging at the Right Time

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Giants WR Richie James

The Giants have spent much of the 2022 season struggling to find reliable pass-catchers on the perimeter. However, they've uncovered a few surprising stars recently—perfect timing for the playoff push.

Isaiah Hodgins, who was claimed off waivers in early November, has caught at least four passes in each of his past four games. He has found the end zone in three of the last four and finished Saturday's game with eight catches for 89 yards and a touchdown.

Hodgins is gaining confidence by the week.

"I'm in that attack mentality all the time and trying to show I belong in this league," Hodgins said, per Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post. "It's a week-by-week league. Every week I'm trying to prove it."

Richie James also showed up big again, catching eight of 12 targets for 90 yards. He's caught at least four passes in each of his last three games.

Hodgins and James might not be the stars New York expected to showcase at the beginning of the season, but they've emerged at the right time to make the Giants a playoff threat.

Daniel Jones Will Probably Be the Quarterback in 2023

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Daniel Jones

It's hard to look ahead and not view Jones as New York's starting quarterback in 2023. Has he been perfect? No, but he's shown growth under head coach Brian Daboll, and he's played well enough to put New York on the brink of the playoffs.

Jones finished Saturday's game 30-of-42 for 334 yards with a touchdown and an interception. He also rushed for 34 yards. His dual-threat ability will keep defenses honest, and he's shown that he can go toe-to-toe with a quarterback like Kirk Cousins.

Just as importantly, the Giants won't find any obvious upgrades in the spring. If the season ended today, New York would select in the bottom half of the first round, possibly too late to take one of the draft's top quarterback prospects.

And the free-agent market won't exactly be loaded with talent. The 2023 player pool will be headlined by the likes of Jones, Geno Smith, Jacoby Brissett and perhaps Tom Brady. Unless the Baltimore Ravens inexplicably let Lamar Jackson walk, one could argue that Jones is just as good as any of the veterans who will be available.

While Jones hasn't solidified himself as a franchise quarterback just yet, he's shown enough under Daboll to justify running it back for another year at least.