For a month and a half, the Giants’ place atop the NFC East came with an asterisk. They were winning, sure, but the bigger question was whether they could really hold up without Jaxson Dart.
That doubt looks a lot smaller now. J.J. McCarthy’s first start gave New York the kind of jolt the offense had been missing, and with the rest of the division stumbling around, the Giants suddenly look like the team best positioned to run away with it.
The early stretch of the season under Jameis Winston never felt stable. Big plays were there, but so were the back-breaking mistakes, and the offense kept paying for them.
McCarthy changed the feel immediately. In his first start, the Giants got the upside without the usual mess attached to it.
Against an elite Houston Texans defense, McCarthy finished 20 of 28 for 252 yards. He wasn’t shy about attacking downfield, either, connecting on seven of his 12 throws that traveled more than 10 yards. It was the kind of performance that gave New York something it had lacked for weeks: a passing game with real juice.
McCarthy may not stay that clean every week, but the spark he provided matters. If the run game keeps carrying the momentum it showed late in the Week 7 win, Matt Nagy’s offense has a path to finishing in the top third of the league. That would be more than enough in a division this shaky.
And shaky is putting it mildly.
Washington got a little breathing room from its bye, but the outlook there still looks rough. The Commanders are on the verge of a midseason head coach firing, and without a true WR1 after Terry McLaurin’s injury, Jayden Daniels may not have enough help to drag them back into the playoff race.
Dallas and Philadelphia haven’t made much of a case, either. The Cowboys’ defense has been one of the league’s worst, while the Eagles’ offense has gone stale after losing Jalen Hurts for the season. Their Monday Night Football meeting didn’t do either team many favors.
After Dallas beat Philadelphia, the Giants sit a game and a half up on the Cowboys in the division. That’s not a giant cushion, but it may be enough given the way the NFC East has played out.
New York doesn’t need to be flawless to win this race. It just needs to be better than the mess around it.
In Other News...
Giants Win Could Spark Bigger Fight Over Cam Skattebo Call
The Giants win over the Texans came with a play that is likely to linger well after the final whistle. Running back Cam Skattebo was penalized on a collision that drew an officiating flag, and the call quickly became part of the postgame conversation as New York left with the victory but not much satisfaction over how the moment was handled.
Head coach John Harbaugh did not hide his frustration with the leagues officiating or the way helmet-contact rules are being interpreted. With the Giants already navigating the aftermath of the penalty, the larger issue now is whether the team will push for more clarity from the NFL on what technique it actually wants coached, a question that could carry beyond one disputed snap. [Read more 🡒]
J.J. McCarthy Just Changed The Giants Offensive Conversation
J.J. McCarthys first start gave the Giants something they have been chasing for a while: a steadier, more expansive conversation about what the offense can become. In Houston, the rookie handled the moment with poise, worked through pressure and showed the arm talent that can change how a defense has to play him. The result was a 27-21 win over the Texans, but the bigger takeaway was how quickly he made the unit look more dangerous and more complete.
McCarthy was sacked three times, yet the rush never seemed to rattle his overall command of the game. Several of his key throws were the kind that make a coaching staff start rethinking what is on the table moving forward, especially after a performance that helped the Giants move the ball at a much higher level than usual. The question now is less about whether he belongs in the discussion and more about how far this version of the offense can go if he keeps building on it. [Read more 🡒]
Giants Have A Familiar Deadline Option To Fix A Thin Rotation
With the Giants sitting at 4-2-1, the next few weeks are going to test how aggressively they want to chase a playoff spot while still protecting future draft capital. The trade deadline on Nov. 10 gives them a narrow window to address a thin defensive tackle rotation, and one familiar name has surfaced as a possible fit: Dalvin Tomlinson, who could give the front four some needed stability without forcing the team into a splashy move.
Tomlinson is the type of target that makes sense for a team trying to thread the needle. A low-cost deal would let the Giants bolster a position group that could use more depth, and his recent play suggests he still has something to offer inside. The question now is whether New York decides to lean into that kind of pragmatic help, or whether it prefers to hold its cards and see how far the current group can carry the defense. [Read more 🡒]