The sea of purple-clad Vikings fans already had started haunting the Giants with a celebratory “Skol” chant when Daniel Jones was intercepted in garbage time.

They had taken over the premier seats at MetLife Stadium, the way their team had taken over the game and exposed the Giants as the rebuilding outfit they truly are.

The Giants have no right to ask Daniel Jones to turn into Patrick Mahomes overnight at this stage in his development, especially on a day when their defense is turning Kirk Cousins back into the $84 Million Quarterback and reacquainting him with Adam Thielen and Dalvin Cook is running wild and he has no ground game behind an offensive line that seemed to catch Flowersitis (a hat tip for exiled offensive lineman Ereck Flowers, who now is in Washington).

Because these are the days when Danny Dimes, a 28-10 loser Sunday, has no chance, is too young to carry this team, and is left trudging out with his first defeat, feeling more like Danny Dooms.

The kid fights like hell, has no fear, will attack deep, will stand tall in the pocket, gives you the sense that the Giants are never out of a game.

But when he is forced to step up in class against this kind of defense, without Saquon Barkley and then without Wayne Gallman (concussion) after one series, against Purple People Eaters, if he doesn’t pitch a perfect game, he is Danny Doomed.

“I got to be better,” Jones said.

No argument there, even if he is the least of Pat Shurmur’s problems.

There was that first-quarter overthrow for Sterling Shepard, all alone 10 yards past Trae Waynes at the Vikings 20, that should have been a 57-yard touchdown.

Trailing 18-7, there was that high throw on his first possession of the third quarter in the back of the end zone for Shepard, who caught it sailing out of bounds.

“Two big missed opportunities,” Jones said. “When you play a good defense like Minnesota, you need to convert those. I got to be better in those situations, and we got to take advantage of those.”

There was that fourth-and-2-at-the-3 sack by Danielle Hunter late in the third quarter.

“There’s always a way to get the ball out of your hands quicker. Yeah, I got to do a better job,” Jones said.

He might have been able to do a better job if left tackle Nate Solder had done a better job, but Jones is as likely to throw a teammate under the bus as Eli Manning used to be.

Then there was Shurmur calling a run from the Giants’ 1 for third-string rookie running back Jon Hilliman that turned into a second-quarter safety.

“There are situations where I wish I could’ve given him better plays,” Shurmur said, and you couldn’t help wonder whether Manning might have found a better play.

“I probably can make sure that we’re making the right decisions in the run game,” Jones said. “If I have a chance to get us in a better play, I’m doing that.”

Jones attempted to overcome a pair of holding penalties and a sack in the fourth quarter, but his fourth-and-12 pass for Shepard, falling backwards with a chance to make an elite catch, was barely broken up in the end zone by Mike Hughes. Shepard thought he should have made the catch.

“That was a great defense that we just faced,” Shepard said, “But we look at ourselves as a great offense.”

It is not a great offense, certainly not a great offense without Barkley. Certainly not a great offense when Jones is throwing 38 times against 20 rushes for 64 yards.

“I want to give a shout-out to the rook,” Vikings defensive end Everson Griffen said. “He’s shown courage. He’s a good player, so I see good things happening for him in the future.”

Just not the immediate future. Because now the rook goes from the frying pan into the Foxborough fire Thursday night against Bill Belichick and Tom Brady. … The GOAT Manning beat twice in the Super Bowl.

“I enjoyed watching everyone growing up, but he’s been one of the best guys for a long time,” Jones said.

Jones is 2-1 as a Giant. He was 17-19 at Duke. So he’s lost before. And he will lose again. Because he can’t lift this team alone.

“It’s never a good feeling when you lose, certainly,” Jones said, “but I’ve been on teams where we’ve lost. … Certainly lost games before.

“It’s never a good feeling to lose.”

Danny Dooms.