The Giants plan to start J.J. McCarthy at quarterback this week against the Texans, a source told ESPN's Jeremy Fowler on Wednesday. It will be McCarthy's first start for New York and, per CBS Sports, the first of his career. He replaces Jameis Winston, whom he relieved in last Sunday's loss.
That relief appearance is the basis for the move. NFL Trade Rumors noted that McCarthy "made the most of his time" after entering for Winston in the 34-27 loss to the Saints. It said he nearly sparked a comeback, and that coach John Harbaugh was asked after the game whether he would consider replacing Winston with McCarthy. The feed summary cuts off before Harbaugh's answer, so we don't have it. Yahoo described the outing as a late push, and ESPN also ran a segment in which Jordan Rodgers argued McCarthy gives the Giants the best chance to win.
The box score shows how different the two quarterbacks' games were. McCarthy was 11 of 21 for 243 yards, a touchdown and an interception, an average of 11.6 yards per attempt. He also ran twice for 26 yards, including a 28-yard carry. He was sacked once. Winston was 14 of 26 for 152 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions, and he was sacked four times. The Giants scored 17 points in the fourth quarter after trailing 27-10 going into it. They finished with 461 yards to the Saints' 319 but lost the turnover battle 4-1.
Those 243 yards are McCarthy's entire passing line this season, so the sample is one game's worth, mostly in comeback conditions. Winston's season is much larger: 957 yards, seven touchdowns and five interceptions on 57.0 percent passing, with 15 sacks taken in five games. He had thrown for 326 yards and three scores in the 27-27 draw at Washington on Oct. 11, and for three touchdowns in a 36-24 win over Arizona the week before.
| GP | CMP | ATT | CMP% | YDS | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 11 | 21 | 52.4 | 243 | 11.6 |
New York still leads the NFC East, but it has lost its most recent game. The Texans are 2-4 and have won two straight, the latest a 34-31 win at Jacksonville after a 26-3 win at Tennessee. Yahoo's Chris Cwik called Houston a "tough" defense, and McCarthy will face it on the road.
The game is Sunday, Oct. 25 in Houston. Whether Winston stays on as the backup, or how long the Giants plan to stay with McCarthy, was not in the reporting we have.
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