Giants fall short of Christmas Eve playoff berth in heartbreaking 27-24 road loss to Vikings at buzzer

The Giants got everything they needed to clinch a playoff berth on Christmas Eve except the most important thing:

A win in Minnesota.

Vikings kicker Greg Joseph sank a team record 61-yard field goal as time expired to break the Giants’ hearts in a devastating 27-24 road loss at U.S. Bank Stadium.

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Daniel Jones had directed an impressive 7-play, 75-yard touchdown drive to tie the game at 24 apiece with 2:01 to play. It was capped by a 27-yard Saquon Barkley TD run on 4th and 2 and a two-point conversion pass to rookie tight end Daniel Bellinger.

Brian Daboll’s Giants had already gotten losses from the Detroit Lions and Seattle Seahawks in Saturday’s early window, so all they needed was a win to reach the postseason for the first time since 2016.

But with Minnesota at 3rd and 11 at its own 41 yard line with 19 seconds remaining, Wink Martindale’s blitz defense allowed an inexcusable 17-yard bubble screen to dynamic receiver Justin Jefferson down to the Giants’ 42-yard line.

Cousins then had time to spike the ball, and after Daboll called timeout to ice Minnesota’s kicker, Joseph cooly sailed the game-winner over Julian Love’s head in the end zone to end it.

“We did a lot of things well, moved the ball well and made some plays,” said Jones, who completed 30-of-42 passes for 334 yards, a touchdown, an interception and 34 rushing yards. “But we stalled out in a couple key situations that we can’t have going forward.”

The Giants lost the turnover battle 2-0, coughing up an interception and a fumble, and also had a fourth-quarter punt blocked. They still had a chance late and couldn’t get it done.

“We didn’t play a clean game,” captain Julian Love told reporters in the locker room. “That’s what games down the stretch come down to. Two turnovers, blocked punt, penalties, not capitalizing on an interception (that was dropped). That ‘s what these games come down to.”

The Giants (8-6-1), who have won only one of their last six games (1-4-1), now fly home with two regular season games remaining: their home finale against the Indianapolis Colts next Sunday, and a Week 18 trip to a Philadelphia Eagles team that may be resting starters.

The odds are still in the Giants’ favor to clinch after this devastating loss to the Vikings (12-3).

One win in their last two games would get them in. It’s also possible they could make the playoffs without winning again if the Lions, Seahawks and Washington Commanders keep losing.

“Any time you can control your own destiny it’s a good thing,” Love said. “Two years ago it wasn’t in our hands. We have to have a great week, get our bodies right and focus on the next team we’ve got: the Colts.

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Still, there are no guarantees, and that likely didn’t make Saturday’s flight home any easier.

“We’re disappointed we lost,” Jones said. “In terms of playoffs and how that positions us, our focus was on today and winning the game today. So the fact we didn’t do that is disappointing. We’ll regroup, see what we can do better and prepare for next week.”

Two Graham Gano field goals had climbed the Giants back from a 10-7 halftime deficit to a 13-7 lead with 4:31 left in the third quarter. But they’d left points on the field due to an offensive line that struggled to protect Jones in big spots most of the day.

Rookie Cor’Dale Flott appeared to intercept Kirk Cousins with 3:03 left in the third quarter at the Giants’ 42-yard line on an ill-advised forced throw to Adam Thielen into coverage.

A review found that Flott had dropped the ball due to a Thielen strip, however. The pick was overturned. And Cousins finished the drive with a 15-yard TD pass to Hockenson for a 17-13 Vikings lead with 14:12 to play in the fourth quarter.

Jones then threw his first interception in five games to Vikings corner Patrick Peterson, who returned it to the Minnesota 29-yard line with 11:42 to play. Peterson undercut Giants receiver Isaiah Hodgins for some payback for Hodgins’ career day (eight catches, 89 yards, TD).

“Threw it behind him,” Jones said. “Gotta give him a better ball there.”

The Vikings offense then appeared on its way to icing the game with a dominant drive, until rookie head coach Kevin O’Connell continued a confusing trend of calling deep pass plays on third and fourth and short.

And Giants corner Darnay Holmes broke up a 4th and 2 deep shot for Justin Jefferson with 9:01 to play out of an empty set. That handed Jones a short field at the Giants’ 45 yard line and set up Gano’s third field goal of the game from 55 yards to draw within 17-16 with 3:24 to play.

After both offenses stalled, Minnesota’s Josh Metellus blocked a Jamie Gillan punt to give Cousins the ball at the Giants’ 29-yard line with 4:02 to play. And it only took Cousins five plays to find Justin Jefferson for an 18-yard TD pass to put the Vikes up 24-16 with 3 minutes left.

And that set the stage for Jones’ impressive game-tying drive. Richie James led the Giants eight eight catches for 90 yards but also had a couple bad late drops.

The Giants had trailed 10-7 at halftime due to a fumble by rookie tight end Daniel Bellinger that the Vikings converted into a 40-yard Greg Joseph field goal with 9:40 left in the second quarter.

That kick gave Minnesota a 10-0 lead. The hosts had opened scoring on a 12-yard Kirk Cousins TD pass to tight end T.J. Hockenson with 3:17 to play in the first quarter and linebacker Micah McFadden trailing in coverage.

The Giants’ offensive line, in particular rookie right tackle Evan Neal, had a tough time protecting Jones against the Vikings’ formidable defensive front featuring edges Danielle Hunter and Za’Darius Smith.

Neal had to jump on a Jones fumble after losing one early battle with Hunter, who had stripped the ball out.

But Jones was excellent in the first half, completing 14 of 19 passes for 146 yards and a 7-yard TD pass to his favorite target, Hodgins, with 4:23 left in the second quarter.

Hodgins, a second-year pro, set a new career high with 63 receiving yards in the first half alone. He did most of his damage against Peterson.

A split sack by Khyiris Tonga and Hunter killed the Giants’ final drive of the first half when a blitzing Peterson got past left tackle Andrew Thomas to flush Jones up in the pocket.

And edge Azeez Ojulari, whose third down sack held the Vikings to a field goal after Bellinger’s fumble, left the game with an ankle injury in the second quarter not to return.

But the Giants still had played a strong enough road first half — with solid pass rushes from Dexter Lawrence and an impressive pass breakup by linebacker Landon Collins, who was active all day — to give themselves a chance with a playoff berth on the line.

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They didn’t win, but it’s possible they could see Minnesota again in the playoffs. And they’re aware.

“I would love a rematch,” Barkley said.