Vikings at Giants: What to know ahead of Week 16 matchup

What to know when the Vikings travel to play the New York Giants on Sunday afternoon:

Vikings at Giants
When: noon Sunday
Where: MetLife Stadium
TV: FOX / KMSP-Channel 9
Radio: KFAN
Line: Vikings -2.5
Over/Under: 43.5

Keys for the Vikings

— There have been signs of growth from quarterback J.J. McCarthy over the past couple of games. Though some of that improvement can be chalked up to the opponent — Washington Commanders, Dallas Cowboys — it’s also been a byproduct of the Vikings sticking to the run game. That has taken some of the pressure off McCarthy while setting up deep shots down the field. It needs to be more of the same from the Vikings against the Giants. They must fully commit to running the ball, even if they struggle to generate explosive plays in the process.

Keys for the Giants

— It’s of the utmost importance that rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart takes care of the ball if the Giants want to have a chance to beat the Vikings. That could be easier said than done against defensive coordinator Brian Flores. There are going to be a bunch of exotic looks for Dart to sift through at the line of scrimmage. Will he get rattled in the heat of battle? The answer to that question could be the difference between the Giants winning or losing the game.