The Giants arrive in Houston trying to snap a two-game winless stretch, and all eyes are on J.J. McCarthy.
Sunday’s matchup against the Texans at Reliant Stadium is his first start at quarterback for New York, with the Giants sitting at 3-2-1 and Houston at 2-4. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m.
ET on FOX, and FanDuel Sportsbook has New York as a 10.5-point underdog on the road.
McCarthy gets the nod after Jameis Winston went 2-1-1 following Jaxson Dart’s season-ending injury. Dart is out for the year, and McCarthy now steps into the role after what was described as a nearly heroic fourth-quarter effort last Sunday against the New Orleans Saints.
For the Giants, this isn’t just a quarterback change. It’s a chance to get back closer to the offense they wanted to run in the first place.
That was part of the thinking behind acquiring McCarthy. Offensive coordinator Matt Nagy laid out the difference this week, pointing out how McCarthy’s skill set lines up more closely with Dart’s than Winston’s does.
“I know for us going into this thing, knowing what we wanted to do with Jaxson’s ability and his traits, him and Jameis Winston are very different, and that’s okay,” Nagy said. “Now coming into this thing with J.J., you get to a point where his skill set is very similar to Jaxson.
So it’s like, okay, it brings back - we talked about percentages the first time we were here, right? You talked about whether it’s 30 percent of the offense is gone.
Well, maybe now 20 percent of that 30 that was gone is back.” The upside, then, may be bigger with McCarthy than it was with Winston.
But the path to that upside is probably going to be uneven, and the Giants’ season could tilt on how this move plays out.
The defense is another major subplot. Dennard Wilson’s blunt public criticism of the group after the Saints game stirred plenty of conversation, and now the question is how the players respond to it.
That challenge is made tougher by the injuries and absences around the unit. Brian Burns, Tremaine Edmunds, and Chauncey Golston are out for the season, while Greg Newsome and Jevon Holland are also unavailable this week.
Houston’s offense will provide a real test for what’s left of the Giants’ playmakers on that side of the ball.
The backfield is worth watching too, especially with Cam Skattebo expected back in a significant role. Najee Harris is an ex-Giant, and the distribution of touches between Skattebo, Tyrone Tracy, and Devin Singletary should tell a lot about how the Giants want to attack the Texans.
Skattebo made it clear this week that last week’s zero-touch outing and Harris getting cut landed with him. “I think I got taught a lesson,” Skattebo said this week.
“Nobody’s safe. It’s as simple as that.
I think when we go on the field and we perform, if we’re not performing, we understand there’s a possibility of not being here. If I don’t perform, I know there’s a possibility of me not being here.
Another name to watch is Jalin Hyatt. The Giants didn’t elevate the 2023 third-round pick from the practice squad to let him stand around on the sideline.
His speed could give McCarthy a real deep-threat option, especially with New York still searching for more explosive plays. Hyatt had already impressed John Harbaugh and his staff enough before his summer injury to get a look as a punt gunner, and the Giants kept him on the practice squad after that.
Now he’s getting another opportunity after six weeks of work, and the question is whether he can make it count.
Beyond Sunday, the Giants’ approach to the NFL trade deadline is also in play. The deadline is Nov. 10, and the team could look to add without going all-in as a pure buyer.
They are not expected to sell, though end-of-contract players such as John Michael Schmitz or Kayvon Thibodeaux could be moved for the right offer. There’s also the possibility they try to balance both sides of the market if the opportunity is there.
Names like Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor or Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Brian Thomas have been mentioned as examples of a bigger swing, but the more likely outcome may be a smaller move, possibly to bolster defensive line depth.
In Other News...
Giants Are Being Linked To A Major Jonathan Taylor Decision
NFL Networks Ian Rapoport has put Jonathan Taylor back into the center of the leagues trade chatter, noting that multiple teams could take a look if the Indianapolis Colts make him available before the deadline. From the Giants perspective, it is the kind of name that naturally gets attention, especially with running back help remaining a popular talking point around the roster and the offense still searching for more reliable production on the ground.
The list of possible suitors also includes the Seahawks and Vikings, which only adds to the sense that any move for Taylor would come with real competition and a steep price. For now, though, it remains an exercise in fit and speculation rather than a confirmed deal, with the conversation around New York focused on whether a swing that big would even be realistic if the Colts decide to entertain offers. [Read more 🡒]
J.J. McCarthy's First Giants Start May Hinge On One Connection
J.J. McCarthy is set to make his first start for the Giants against the Texans, and the early blueprint around him looks pretty clear. The team wants to play to his strengths as a game manager, building the offense around short and intermediate throws that can keep him on schedule and help him settle into the job without asking too much too soon.
A big part of that approach could come through Isaiah Likely, who has become a central piece of the passing game and gives McCarthy a reliable target in the middle of the field. With Houstons defense looming, the Giants are trying to create answers before the rush and coverage can dictate the script, and how quickly McCarthy and Likely get on the same page may say a lot about how this debut goes. [Read more 🡒]
Giants Secondary Just Took Another Hit At The Worst Time
The Giants secondary keeps getting thinned out just as the schedule asks for more of it, and the latest update only adds to the urgency. Jevon Holland has been downgraded to out for the upcoming game against Houston because he is still in the concussion protocol, leaving New York to keep reshuffling a defensive backfield that already has been stretched by injuries.
Paulson Adebo was activated from injured reserve, which gives the group a needed boost, but there is still plenty of uncertainty around the back end. Greg Newsome II remains out with a concussion, and the Giants also moved Tremaine Edmunds to injured reserve while elevating safety Raheem Layne from the practice squad, another sign that the team is trying to patch together enough reliable bodies for the week ahead. [Read more 🡒]