News Article
Published
Oct 22, 2026 at 11:40 AM EDT
A quarterback switch in New York has a lot to do with the running game.
New York Giants head coach John Harbaugh announced after the team’s first practice of the week that quarterback J.J. McCarthy will start against the Houston Texans in Week 7 at NRG Stadium, taking over for Jameis Winston.
The mobility McCarthy offers factored into the call. Harbaugh said the running game was part of his thinking.
“The elements that we’re talking about with some of the read plays and some of the different things you do moving the quarterback around, those are definitely things that are part of the equation,” Harbaugh said.
Dart, the original starter, lasted seven snaps against the Los Angeles Rams in Week 2 before a knee injury ended his season. To suit Winston, New York cut back on zone reads and moved its quarterback far less.
Giants running backs produced 34 yards on 14 carries in the 34-27 defeat against the New Orleans Saints, and the team is averaging 3.8 yards per carry.
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McCarthy, who entered in the final period, led the club with 26 rushing yards. He explained the payoff for the backfield.
“I feel like it just adds multiplicity to where you can attack the defense. It’s always doing my job of holding the backside player and making sure that you give that split second to the running back to split that crease and make it a 15-yard gain instead of a six-yard gain,” McCarthy said.
His arm made the case, too. Down 24 points, McCarthy passed for 243 yards in the final quarter, equaling a Giants record.
McCarthy’s three drives produced 17 points. The rally stalled on fourth down, with New York 14 yards from finishing it.
Before the season, the Giants gave Winston, 32, a two-year, $13 million extension to serve as the backup. Against the Saints, he had 152 passing yards, one touchdown and two interceptions before getting pulled.
Houston’s defense piled up 18 sacks in its first five games, third-most in the NFL. After that test, New York, 3-2-1 and atop the NFC East, gets a bye.