New York Giants head coach John Harbaugh said Sunday that the team has not settled its Giants QB decision for the Week 7 matchup against the Houston Texans, even after J.J. McCarthy threw a late touchdown and nearly rallied the Giants past the New Orleans Saints. “I can’t answer that now. It’s not even up for discussion or conversation right now,” Harbaugh said, addressing whether McCarthy or Jameis Winston will start.
The question arose after McCarthy replaced Winston in the fourth quarter of Sunday’s 34-27 loss, which dropped the Giants to 3-2-1. Winston had thrown two interceptions and was 14 of 26 for 152 yards and a touchdown before Harbaugh made the switch with New York trailing 34-10.
The Main Development
McCarthy took over with the Giants in deep trouble and immediately changed the complexion of the game. He completed 11 of 21 passes for 243 yards, ran for 26 yards and threw a 24-yard touchdown to tight end Isaiah Likely. He also threw one interception.
McCarthy directed three straight scoring drives in the fourth quarter, cutting New Orleans’ lead to seven points in the final minute before the Giants ran out of time, according to Fox Sports.
Harbaugh praised the rookie-situation quarterback’s performance without committing to any change at the position. “I thought he came in there and did a heck of a job given the circumstances: kind of desperation time,” Harbaugh said. “It’s different than normal football. But he made some plays and gave us a chance at the end to win the game.”
The coach also made clear he is not writing off Winston despite the two picks. “I have no problem with Jameis whatsoever. I love the way he competes, I love the way he fights, all those kind of things,” Harbaugh said. “His play was up and down today, for sure, but those things will all be decided not 10 minutes after a game.”
What It Means For The Giants QB Decision
McCarthy himself acknowledged the choice sits with his coach. “That’s the decision Coach John Harbaugh will have to make,” McCarthy said, according to CBS Sports. “What I would love is to put myself in a better position to execute, and it starts with me: things I can control, going out there every single play, and doing my very best.”
He pointed to his preparation as a factor in his readiness to perform once given the opportunity. “Just making sure that each and every week, even when I got here when we were playing Arizona, I went into the game with the mindset that I could play the whole game,” McCarthy said. “Just being able to really put myself in that position, Monday through Saturday, is something that helped me out today.”
McCarthy added he hopes his showing built trust with the coaching staff. “I hope I just showed them that I do my job at a high enough level that they can trust me out there,” he said.
Context On Both Quarterbacks
The Giants traded for McCarthy on Sept. 28, acquiring the 10th overall pick from the 2024 draft from Minnesota. Winston had been the starter since Jaxson Dart was lost for the season to a knee injury, and he carries a 2-1-1 record over his four starts in that role.
McCarthy’s 243 passing yards against the Saints matched a mark set by Eli Manning on Sept. 16, 2012, against Tampa Bay for the most by a Giants quarterback over at least the past 35 years. Last season with the Vikings, McCarthy went 6-4 as a starter, completing 57.6% of his passes for 1,632 yards with 11 touchdowns and 12 interceptions and a 35.6 QBR.
What’s Next
The Giants play the Texans in Week 7 following the loss to the Saints. Harbaugh has not indicated when the starting quarterback decision will be finalized, saying only that it would not be made in the immediate aftermath of Sunday’s game.
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