As of Wednesday morning, the first-year New York Giants seemed possible Head coach John Harbaugh may wait until the club’s Week 8 to name JJ McCarthy Big Blue’s new starting quarterback against veteran Jameis Winston.
Harbaugh clearly felt there was no point in delaying the inevitable.
The JJ McCarthy era is beginning for the Giants
On Wednesday, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler (h/t Jordan Raanan) announced that McCarthy will start over Winston when the 3-2-1 Giants play the 2-4 Houston Texans this coming Sunday afternoon. Many expected Harbaugh to make that move after he traded Winston for McCarthy when the Giants were trailing the New Orleans Saints 34-10 early in the fourth quarter of New York’s home game on October 18.
McCarthy’s first drive against the Saints ended in an interception, but he eventually settled down and nearly completed a nice comeback. In all, he went 11-of-21 passing for 243 yards with a touchdown, and led three scoring drives in a 34-27 loss.
Why the Giants are willing to go from Jameis Winston to JJ McCarthy
Winston took over as New York’s interim starter after Week 1 QB1 Jaxson Dart went down with a season-ending knee injury in Week 2. Without Dart, Harbaugh was left searching for answers about the team’s rushing attack. One of those answers may involve the Giants trading for a proven RB1, but Harbaugh seems to believe McCarthy can help improve that aspect of the team’s offense as well.
“The Giants’ running game (or lack thereof) was a factor in the decision as was the belief that McCarthy’s presence in the lineup would help,” Raanan wrote. “New York has struggled to run the ball in recent weeks despite Harbaugh’s desire to make the Giants a running team. Their running backs had 14 carries for 34 yards Sunday. McCarthy led the Giants in rushing Sunday with 26 yards. McCarthy allows the Giants to use more of the offense they designed for his … boost.”
The Giants acquired McCarthy from the Minnesota Vikings in late September, and it’s unclear how familiar he is with New York’s entire offensive playbook. Meanwhile, DraftKings Sportsbook made the Giants 10-point road underdogs against the Texans shortly after the news of McCarthy’s start.