New York Giants head coach John Harbaugh turned to J.J. McCarthy on Sunday with his team in desperate need of a spark against the New Orleans Saints.
With the Giants trailing 34-10 in the second half, McCarthy replaced Jameis Winston and ultimately gave New York life. The former first-round pick finished 11 of 21 for 243 yards, one touchdown, and one interception while adding 26 rushing yards.
McCarthy helped the Giants score 17 fourth-quarter points and nearly brought them all the way back from a 24-point deficit. However, before that comeback push took shape, his first interception drew an immediate and unforgiving reaction from NFL fans online.
J.J. McCarthy Nearly Leads Giants Comeback After Rough Start
McCarthy’s relief appearance ultimately gave the Giants a chance in a game that looked completely out of reach.
After New Orleans took a 34-10 lead, New York began cutting into the deficit with McCarthy running the offense. He helped the Giants pull within seven points, including a 24-yard touchdown pass to Isaiah Likely with 5:11 remaining.
McCarthy then got one more opportunity after New York forced a punt. He scrambled for 28 yards and completed passes of 20 yards to Likely and nine yards to Malik Nabers, moving the Giants, who ranked 18th on PFN’s Offense Impact Metric, all the way to the Saints’ 14-yard line in the final minute.
The comeback eventually fell short when McCarthy’s final pass was incomplete, but his strong closing stretch made his overall performance far more encouraging than the reaction to his first major mistake suggested.
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Underdog NFL’s account on X shared a clip of McCarthy’s touchdown pass and wrote, “JJ McCarthy to No. 9 for 6”.
Still, McCarthy’s afternoon did not begin smoothly.
Early in his appearance, he dropped back and tried to attack the right side of the field, but instead threw the ball directly to a Saints defender. The interception immediately brought out critics who had already formed strong opinions about the young quarterback.
One NFL observer headed online and wrote, “I mean he’s just so bad”.
Another fan watching McCarthy try to run the Giants offense saw the interception and wrote, “No excuses, no controversy, no bad situation. Just a good old-fashioned bust.”
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One fan even brought up the infamous NFL career of former No. 1 overall pick JaMarcus Russell, and it was not in a flattering comparison.
The fan posted, “JJ McCarthy might be worse than JaMarcus Russell. We might have a new king.”
Another fan took aim at what the Giants surrendered to acquire McCarthy, writing, “Getting a 5th rounder back for him might have actually been a steal…”
At that point in the game, McCarthy had given fans little reason for optimism. Another viewer wrote, “and yall begging them to bench Jameis for this [expletive] garbage now yall can shut up hopefully.”
As the game unfolded at MetLife Stadium, another fan added, “atleast winston has a good personality.”
Another account delivered a snarky reaction, writing, “JJ McCarthy is the gift that keeps on giving.”
But those reactions came before McCarthy settled into the game.
After the interception, he showed much more of the arm talent and mobility that made him a first-round pick. He averaged more than 11 yards per pass attempt, threw for 243 yards in limited action, and helped turn what looked like a blowout into a one-score game.
The Giants ultimately lost 34-27, but McCarthy’s late performance gave Harbaugh something to think about moving forward. Winston had started the game, but McCarthy’s ability to generate explosive plays and nearly rally New York from a 24-point deficit could add another layer to the Giants’ quarterback discussion in the coming days.
This article originally appeared on Pro Football Network.