Three takeaways from the Giants’ 13-10 preseason opening loss to the Vikings on Saturday night at MetLife Stadium.
1. Of all the football sins the Giants committed in 2025, the inability to stop the run was the most egregious. This first outing was uninspiring. In the first half, Vikings running back Aaron Jones averaged nine yards per attempt and Jordan Mason averaged 5.7 yards.
It should be noted that starting defensive linemen D.J. Reader and Shelby Harris did not play, and inside linebacker Tremaine Edmunds and outside linebacker Brian Burns also sat this one out. Rookie Arvell Reese on one play did stone Mason at the line of scrimmage, though.
2. Cornerback Deonte Banks worked his way into strong roster consideration with his training camp showings, but he needs to take it from the practice field to the preseason games. He did not do that his first time out this summer.
Banks, early in the second quarter, had a holding penalty declined and then lobbied for an offensive pass interference call on Jeshaun Jones, but was instead flagged for illegal contact.
3. Braxton Berrios could have called for a fair catch in the first quarter but instead he hauled in Johnny Hekker’s 44-yard punt and expertly made the first Vikings pursuer miss. Berrios, a former All-Pro returner with the Jets, completed a tidy 15-yard return, putting on display the special teams value he brings to a team. Berrios later tiptoed the left sideline for another 15-yard punt return.
