The Giants are handing J.J. McCarthy his first start of the season on Sunday against the Texans, and the early read from his relief work against the Saints is that the move is overdue. He looked much better than Jameis Winston, and he fits the Jaxson Dart mold more than Famous Jameis does.
Still, the warning signs are sitting right there. In 10 career starts, McCarthy has thrown 12 interceptions, and his shaky decision-making remains a real concern for some. Even so, he was a former top-10 pick for a reason, and New York has every reason to find out what it really has in him.
John Harbaugh understood the risk when the Giants traded for McCarthy. He saw him win a national championship under his little brother’s coaching, and now it’s on the Giants to make life easier on “Nine” as he takes over in Week 7.
That starts with shaping the offense around what he does best against a tough Houston defense. McCarthy is usually more effective when a solid run game can take some of the heat off him, but that isn’t the path here. So the burden shifts to the passing game, and while Malik Nabers is the obvious name to circle, Isaiah Likely is the one who may matter most.
Likely came to New York on a three-year, $40 million deal to follow Harbaugh in free agency, and the Giants brought him in to be a true TE1. So far, he has more than delivered. He leads all tight ends with 383 receiving yards and is tied for the league lead among tight ends with five touchdowns.
His workload has also been built into the plan all season. Likely’s 29.1% target share ranks eighth among all pass-catchers and first at his position, and with McCarthy now under center, that connection should only become more important.
The fit makes sense because McCarthy has always leaned on tight ends. At Michigan, he helped turn Luke Schoonmaker into a future second-round pick, then made Colston Loveland his next go-to option on the way to the national championship.
Even in Minnesota, T.J. Hockenson was there as a reliable outlet.
That has been the theme at every stop: a tight end acting as the safety valve. McCarthy is not the kind of quarterback who is going to win by blowing teams away deep downfield. He’s more of a game manager who can punish defenses on short and intermediate throws.
That is exactly where Likely can do damage. He sits behind Malik Nabers in the passing pecking order, but with Nabers set to face shadow coverage from Derek Stingley Jr., the Giants need another receiver to carry real weight. Malachi Fields does not look ready to be that guy yet.
So Sunday’s plan seems pretty clear. Get Nabers and Likely the ball in space, make the field easier for McCarthy, and on National Tight Ends Day, don’t be surprised if Isaiah Likely gets fed plenty.
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