The New York Giants are starting J.J. McCarthy at quarterback on Sunday against the Houston Texans, benching Jameis Winston less than a month after trading for the 23-year-old, according to ESPN.
New York acquired McCarthy from the Minnesota Vikings and is now turning to him to try to lead the team through the rest of a weakened NFC East race.
McCarthy’s path to the starting job accelerated after his performance in the Giants’ 34-27 loss to the New Orleans Saints. He had already seen action in packages during the Giants’ 27-27 tie with the Washington Commanders in Week 5, but it was against the Saints that he made his case.
Entering the game with the Giants trailing 34-10 in the fourth quarter, McCarthy threw an interception on his first possession before leading a comeback attempt that fell just short. He completed 11 of 21 passes for 243 yards and one touchdown.
McCarthy directed three scoring drives. The first ended with a Tyrone Tracy Jr. rushing touchdown and a successful two-point conversion, cutting the deficit to 34-18. He then threw a 24-yard touchdown pass to Isaiah Likely, though the two-point try failed, leaving it at 34-24. A field goal drive followed, narrowing the gap to 34-27.
The No. 10 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft got the Giants within range to tie or win, but his fourth-down pass from the Saints’ 14-yard line, on a play where coach John Harbaugh opted to go for two, sailed high.
Despite the loss, McCarthy’s outing stood out statistically. His 243 passing yards are the most in the fourth quarter by any player this season, and the second most by a non-starting quarterback over the past 25 seasons, according to NFL Network.
Winston had led the Giants to a 2-1-1 record as starter but struggled badly against his former team, the Saints, throwing two costly interceptions during New York’s rally attempt.
The Giants are hoping McCarthy’s mobility can jump-start a running game that has lagged with Winston under center. McCarthy was in fact the team’s leading rusher against the Saints with 26 yards.
Some expected the Giants to wait until after their upcoming bye week, which follows the Texans game, to hand McCarthy the starting job. Instead, the team moved him into the lineup immediately.
At 3-2-1, the Giants currently sit atop the NFC East, with the Philadelphia Eagles, Dallas Cowboys and Commanders all dealing with injuries and inconsistent play, giving New York a real opening to win the division.
