J.J. McCarthy’s first real run with the New York Giants turned into one of those games that forces a conversation back into the spotlight.
With the Giants buried by 24 points and under 12 minutes left in the fourth quarter against the New Orleans Saints on Sunday, New York pulled Jameis Winston and turned to the former Minnesota Vikings quarterback. McCarthy’s first swing at the job was rocky - his fourth pass of the game was picked off by Saints cornerback Martin Emerson - but he settled in fast after that.
On the next possession, McCarthy helped steer a six-play, 45-yard march that ended with a five-yard rushing touchdown from Giants running back Tyron Tracy. New York then went for two, and McCarthy found Isaiah Likely on the right side of the end zone to convert. After the Giants’ defense got a 3-and-out, McCarthy returned to the field and threw his first touchdown pass of the 2026 season.
That surge gave New York a chance to steal the game late. The Giants got all the way to the Saints’ 14-yard line, but with 12 seconds remaining, McCarthy took a 4th-and-1 snap and threw incomplete into the back of the end zone, ending the comeback bid and sealing the win for New Orleans.
Even in defeat, McCarthy’s line will get attention: he completed 52.4 percent of his passes for 243 yards, one touchdown and one interception, while also rushing for 26 yards. He was on the field for only about 75 percent of the fourth quarter, yet still put together the kind of outing that was impossible for Vikings fans to ignore, especially with Minnesota on a bye.
That reaction showed up quickly online. One fan wrote, “I just wanted to see another game or two before calling him a bust, and a bunch of people deemed that to be an idiotic stance 🤷🏼♂️”
Another posted, “If this is how he plays for the rest of the year, this team legit needs to win the SB or Teasley and KOC can both go. https://t.co/hoM3oznF0v”
A third added, “J.J. McCarthy just engineered two TD drives in under two minutes, with the second one a 24-yard TD pass. Why can't the Vikings find a QB like McCarthy?”
It’s still too early to say the Vikings made the wrong call in trading McCarthy to New York earlier this season. But Sunday’s performance will only strengthen the argument from Minnesota fans and media voices who already think the move was a mistake.
And if the Giants decide McCarthy should start over Winston in Week 7 against the Houston Texans, plenty of Vikings fans are likely to be watching closely to see whether he can follow this up.
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