EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — A rather meaningless game at its core on Sunday afternoon at MetLife Stadium felt even more, well, meaningless once young quarterback J.J. McCarthy exited with a right hand injury. That took away almost all of the intrigue as the Vikings managed to slog their way to a 16-13 win over the New York Giants. It was an uninspiring performance from the offense after McCarthy left the game. It was clear the Vikings didn’t want to ask rookie quarterback Max Brosmer to do too much in relief. They left the game mostly in the hands of their defense, and that unit did the rest. Here are some takeaways from the game: J.J. McCarthy rode the roller coaster There was good and bad from McCarthy before he left the game due to his right hand injury. He showed noticeable command under center and threw accurately for the most part. The final stat line doesn’t tell the full story: He threw for 108 yards and an interception while also running for a touchdown. He would have passed for a touchdown had it not been for a drop by receiver Jordan Addison in the end zone. The interception was his fault as it came after receiver Jalen Nailor failed to reel in a catchable pass near the sideline. The biggest mistake from McCarthy might have been the fact that he suffered a right hand injury and tried to play through the pain. It led to him being unable to grip the ball on a designed screen pass that ended in disaster. After failing to let it rip to star receiver Justin Jefferson, McCarthy was strip sacked by an unblocked edge rusher Brian Burns, and the fumble was returned for a touchdown. That ended up being the last snap McCarthy took. Max Brosmer showed mental toughness It would’ve been easy for Brosmer to doubt himself after struggling mightily in his NFL debut. He was a turnover machine against the Seattle Seahawks a few weeks ago, and while it might have shaken his confidence in real time, he didn’t let it affect the way he prepared. That ensured Brosmer was ready to go when the Vikings called his number against the Giants. Though he didn’t dominate the game by any means, Brosmer never put the ball in harm’s way when he dropped back to pass. His best throw came when he hooked up with Jefferson for a 21-yard gain to move the chains. It was a perfectly layered ball near the sideline, and Jefferson did the rest. That was a key play on the game-winning drive, which was capped by a 30-yard field goal by kicker Will Reichard. Justin Jefferson finally broke out After displaying incredible leadership amid a lack of production, Jefferson finally had a breakout game against the Giants. He parlayed a few easy completions and a few acrobatic catches into 85 total yards, his highest output since he went off against the Cleveland Browns in Dublin a couple of months ago. He is now only 83 yards away from continuing his streak of reaching 1,000 yards. Ryan Kelly suffered another concussion It’s suddenly unclear if veteran center Ryan Kelly will ever play in the NFL again. He was evaluated for a concussion midway through the game and did not return. This could be the third time Kelly has suffered a concussion this season, and the sixth documented concussion of his NFL career. After spending time on injured reserve this season due to a concussion, Kelly will now have to contemplate whether it’s still worth playing the game he loves. Brian Flores continued to bolster his resume When the hiring cycle begins in a few weeks, defensive coordinator Brian Flores should be in consideration for open head coaching jobs. He added to his résumé on Sunday, making life miserable for rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart, completed 7 of 13 passes for 33 yards (!) and an interception while also being sacked a handful of times. That dominance has been par for the course for the Vikings as of late. The defense hasn’t allowed a passing touchdown in a month and a half. That’s how good Flores has been scheming it up on that side of the ball. Related Articles Shipley: Sunday did little to inspire confidence in J.J. McCarthy Max Brosmer replaces injured J.J. McCarthy as Vikings beat Giants Vikings center Ryan Kelly leaves game for concussion evaluation Vikings at Giants: What to know ahead of Week 16 matchup The Loop Fantasy Football Update Week 16: Last-minute moves ...read more read less