J.J. McCarthy got his first extended action with the New York Giants on Sunday. He replaced Jameis Winston in the fourth quarter, facing a 34-10 deficit.
After being intercepted on his fourth pass, McCarthy settled in, finishing 11/21 for 243 yards and a touchdown. He added two runs for 26 yards, cutting the deficit to 34-27 with 12 seconds left. A last-second heave to Isaiah Likely fell incomplete, but the fourth-quarter explosion was difficult to ignore, especially given Winston's own struggles.
Could the Giants start McCarthy next week against the Houston Texans? After Sunday's game, McCarthy acknowledged he still has to clean up some mistakes, but he hoped the performance gave the team confidence that they could turn to him if needed.
"I hope I just showed them that I can do my job at a high enough level that they can trust me out there," McCarthy said, per The Athletic'sCharlotte Carroll. "At the end of the day, we didn't win the game, so we've got to do things better, and I've got to be better, and figure out ways that we can close this thing out."
Perhaps New York will hold off on giving McCarthy his first start next week. Although Houston is 2-4, they could be a tough first opponent because of their ferocious pass rush.
The Giants also have a bye week following their game against the Texans. But New York could be intrigued enough by what McCarthy did on Sunday to throw him into the fire.
This article originally appeared on Vikings Wire: J.J. McCarthy could be set up to start for the Giants in Week 7