The Giants got the win they needed in Week 4, but it came with all the usual Jameis Winston chaos baked in. New York beat the Cardinals 36-24, and the finishing touch was a pick-six from cornerback Deonte Banks in the closing seconds. Winston’s line looked busy enough - 18-of-29 for 250 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions - but the game felt even louder than the numbers.
A big reason it didn’t spin out of control was Malik Nabers.
After a start to the season that had plenty of questions around his availability and his impact, Nabers finally delivered the kind of performance Giants fans have been waiting on. He caught six of seven targets for 112 yards and a touchdown, giving Winston a true go-to target when the offense needed one.
His first big strike came early, when he hauled in a 39-yard pass on New York’s opening drive. Nabers briefly left the game after appearing to be hurt, but he came back and kept making plays.
The biggest moment came on a 25-yard touchdown catch that pushed the Giants ahead 19-14. It was Nabers’ first touchdown of the season, and it came two plays after rookie linebacker Arvell Reese intercepted a Jacoby Brissett pass that had been deflected by defensive tackle Shelby Harris.
That kind of output is exactly what the Giants have been hoping for from Nabers since before the season started. There had been uncertainty about whether he would be cleared for the opener against the Dallas Cowboys.
The next week, he exited with a shoulder injury. In Week 2, the Giants were overmatched by the Los Angeles Rams, and in Week 3, the offense didn’t do much in the rain at MetLife Stadium.
Week 4 looked different. Nabers showed the explosive ability that made him such a big-name receiver coming into the league, and he did it in a game the Giants had to have against an Arizona team that wasn’t going to make life easy.
Winston still gave the crowd the full “Jameis Winston Experience.” There were the highlights, like the deep ball to Nabers on the opening drive and the touchdown connection in the second quarter.
But there were also the mistakes, and both interceptions were rough. The first came right after New York had gone up 19-14, when a pass meant for rookie wide receiver Malachi Fields ended up in the hands of Cardinals cornerback Denzel Burke.
The second came on the first drive of the second half, when safety Budda Baker picked off a throw intended for tight end Isaiah Likely after a misread on where Likely was supposed to be.
The Giants survived those errors this time. They may not be able to keep doing that forever.
That’s where J.J. McCarthy enters the picture.
The Giants brought him in as a contingency plan, and while he is still seen as a developmental quarterback, he has traits similar to Dart and fits the RPO-heavy offense that Harbaugh and offensive coordinator Matt Nagy want to run. If Winston keeps giving away chances with costly mistakes, the door could open for McCarthy - once he has full command of the offense and playbook.
For now, the formula is pretty clear: if Nabers keeps producing like this, Winston has a much better chance to keep the Giants winning and keep himself in the starting role.
In Other News...
Giants Rookie Is Giving The Dexter Lawrence Trade New Life
Francis Mauigoas early stretch has given the Giants something tangible to point to after making the bold move to trade Dexter Lawrence and grab the 10th overall pick. The rookie, who has shifted from tackle to right guard, has already settled into a significant role up front, logging 191 offensive snaps through three games while helping stabilize the right side of the line.
The encouraging part for New York is how Mauigoa has held up in pass protection. He has allowed three pressures, with no sacks and just two quarterback hits, a sign that the protection work is translating even if his overall grade remains only middling. For a team that chose a rookie blocker over a proven defensive lineman, that kind of early reliability goes a long way toward making the deal look more credible. [Read more 🡒]
Giants Just Got A Tougher NFC East Problem To Prepare For
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Dan Quinn said Daniels is expected to get a full week of practice, while the Commanders also plan to assess Marcus Mariotas status. Washington has already had to pivot from Daniels to Mariota and then to third-stringer Athan Kaliakmanis because of the injury, so the quarterback picture is still unsettled, but the Giants have to prepare for the possibility that the rookie is back in the lineup when these teams meet again. [Read more 🡒]
Giants May Have An In-House Answer To Braxton Berrios Loss
Braxton Berrios' foot and ankle injury left the Giants with a sudden special teams question, and the first clue to how they want to answer it came even before the news around his status fully settled. The team promoted Charlie Jones to the active roster shortly before Berrios went down, and Jones handled punt and kickoff return work in the next game, giving the Giants an immediate in-house option while they sort through the wider impact of the injury.
John Harbaugh has already said the team would look internally first to replace Berrios' role, which makes Jones a name worth watching in the days ahead. With ESPN and Harbaugh offering conflicting reports on whether Berrios is headed to injured reserve, the Giants are still waiting on the final shape of the roster move, but Jones quick shift into return duties suggests the next answer might already be on the roster. [Read more 🡒]