Dan Salomone

Mike Kafka met with the media before Wednesday's practice as the Giants gear up for a Week 16 visit from the Vikings. The interim head coach provided the latest injury updates and previewed Sunday's matchup.

Here is everything you need to know:

📰 Wide receiver Beaux Collins, linebacker Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles, defensive lineman Rakeem Nuez-Roches Sr., and outside linebacker Kayvon Thibodeaux will not practice to begin the week.

📰 Thibodeaux has not played since Week 10 due to a shoulder injury. "We're just day by day right now. There's no hard deadline on it. We're just kind of working through it. If he feels good and the doctors clear him, then he'll be out there."

📰 Jamie Gillan (left knee) will get some work today after the left-footed punter missed the Week 15 loss to the Commanders and was replaced by Cameron Johnston. The Giants have allowed a punt return touchdown in back-to-back games.

📰 Wide receiver/return specialist Gunner Olszewski, who suffered a concussion on Monday Night Football before the bye week, cleared concussion protocol.

📰 Offensive lineman Evan Neal was designated for return from injured reserve and will get some work in on the practice field. Kafka doesn't anticipate playing him in a game. "That's not really in the thought process. We've got five guys that are playing their butt off right now for us and we're not looking to make any changes."

📰 The Giants waived kicker Younghoe Koo after he missed two 50-yard attempts on Sunday. Ben Sauls is in line to kick on Sunday as of "right now." The undrafted rookie from the University of Pittsburgh spent time with the Steelers and Falcons this season before joining the Giants' practice squad on Nov. 11. Sauls played in 53 games over five seasons at Pittsburgh, finishing fifth in program history in points. He made 52 of 64 field goal attempts in his college career. However, he has yet to attempt a field goal in the NFL regular season.

Kafka was asked if the Giants are exploring the possibility of bringing in another kicker. "Well, I mean, that's the discussion that we've got to have, but right now, we're confident in what Ben has."

📰 Since Brian Flores took over as defensive coordinator in 2013, the Vikings are tied for second in the NFL in forced fumbles and tied for ninth in interceptions. Sunday will be Jaxson Dart's first test against the accomplished defensive coordinator.

"He's going to present you with a bunch of different looks, coverages, max blitzes, max coverage, so drop eight, cover zero," Kafka said of Flores. "I think one of the most important things that we've got to look at, and study is the get back on track calls. What I've done, what he's done, how he wants to handle that, whether it's by personnel groups, whether it's by concepts and scheme, where can I be aggressive, where is he going to be aggressive? I think that'll be a touch point for us as we go through the week."

📰 Kafka "really enjoyed" his time getting to know Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarty in the pre-draft process before he was taken No. 10 overall last year. "(He's a) really sharp kid, great kid with a cool personality. Obviously, he's having some production right now. He's doing a nice job of managing that game and owning how they're operating on offense and getting the ball to those playmakers. He's operating fast and aggressive."

ON MOBILE

ON DESKTOP