EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ — It was only a matter of time before questions about J.J. McCarthy supplanting Jameis Winston as the New York Giants’ starting quarterback began in earnest.
That time has come after the Giants dropped a disappointing 34-27 loss to the New Orleans Saints. They seemed to get new life when McCarthy, who up until that point had only been inserted into the game for a single RPO in the first half, took over for starter Jameis Winston in the fourth quarter.
He led the team on drives that resulted in 17 unanswered points, but the comeback fell short by a touchdown with less than a minute to go in regulation.
McCarthy finished 11-of-21 for 243 yards, averaging 11.6 yards per attempt. He took one sack and threw one touchdown and one interception. More importantly, he showed his mobility, finishing as the Giants’ leading rusher with 26 yards on two carries as he tried to rally Big Blue from behind.
To be fair to Winston, the sluggish offensive showing was not all his fault. The Giants had absolutely no running game against a Saints run defense that entered this week ranked 30th in the league.
Cam Skattebo, the team’s RB1, has had ball-security issues the last three weeks and got no rushing attempts or pass targets.
The Giants’ other three running backs (Tyrone Tracy Jr., Najee Harris and Devin Singletary) failed to step up and take the bull by the horns.
They combined to rush for 34 yards on 14 carries, a 2.43-yard-per-carry average, not much of an improvement after compiling a dismal nine yards on eight carries in the first half.
The Giants also weren’t helped by their special teams units, particularly on coverage. The Saints averaged 13.6 yards per punt return and 28.3 yards per kickoff return, while the Giants averaged 8.3 yards and 22.4 yards on punt and kickoff returns.
The unit also had a backbreaking fumble on a kickoff return that the Saints not only recovered but also converted into a 5-play scoring drive, resulting in a 2-yard touchdown pass from Saints quarterback Tyler Shough to receiver Bryce Lance to make it a 10-10 game.
And the defense was no better, missing 11 tackles according to PFF, while the run defense had another poor showing, allowing the Saints to average 4.6 yards per carry (38 carries, 175 yards and one touchdown).
“I thought he came in there and did a heck of a job given the circumstances, you know, and kind of desperation time,” head coach John Harbaugh said of McCarthy.
“It’s different from normal football, but we made some plays and got us back, gave us a chance to win the game, and we’re throwing the ball in the endzone at the end, so that was good. You’ve got to compliment him on that.”
All that said, where the Giants go from here likely boils down to what they do at quarterback. And it’s hard to deny that Winston left a lot of plays on the field while McCarthy, who tied a Giants single-game record with his 243 passing yards in the fourth quarter (the mark last set by Eli Manning back in 2012), took advantage of whatever snaps he received during garbage time.
Harbaugh wasn’t ready to make any snap decisions on which quarterback will get the start next week against Houston.
“It’s not even up for discussion or conversation right now,” he said, somewhat annoyed by the question. “We’ve got to go back and go to work.
“I have no problem with Jameis whatsoever. I love the way he competes, I love the way he fights, all those kinds of things. He was up and down today for sure, but those things will all be decided not ten minutes after a game.”
Still, it’s going to be hard to ignore what McCarthy brought to the table, even if it came in garbage time, because he made the game far more competitive.
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