Former NFL MVP: J.J. McCarthy not ready to start for New York Giants

The New York Giants made a few changes this week ahead of their Week 7 matchup against the Houston Texans. One of the changes was that they released Najee Harris, putting the ground game back in the hands of Cam Skattebo and Tyron Tracey.

Another change was the announcement that J.J. McCarthy would start at quarterback, moving Jameis Winton into a backup role.

The timing of John Harbaugh's decision to switch quarterbacks is somewhat surprising, but it's also not surprising if you've been watching the games. McCarthy is still very green and has many things to work on, but he helped mount a comeback against the New Orleans Saints last week. He was unsuccessful in getting the win, but after a shaky first drive, he mounted back-to-back touchdown drives followed by a field goal to make the game respectable.

McCarthy's development was hindered during his rookie season after he tore his ACL before the season started, and his struggles were evident on the field in Minnesota last season. Some of those struggles remain, though, and former NFL MVP and quarterback Rich Gannon is concerned.

“I want to see it work for J.J., but I would say this, based on what I saw last year, he's still got a lot of work to do. His accuracy, decision-making, and his lack of anticipation are all areas of concern for me," Gannon told Alex Withers.

“The game was going way too fast for him, and he had the league's worst completion percentage. He threw more interceptions than touchdowns. So he must step up and improve that side of his game. I think he's figuring out that the NFL is not the Big Ten.”

He's right, the NFL is not the Big Ten. The competition at the top of the NCAA contains some elite college teams, but only a fraction of the players on those teams have the elite ability to succeed in the NFL. In the NFL, every player on every team was an elite collegiate athlete. But not every player on an NFL team is an elite NFL player at their position.

“In order for him to progress and excel at the Giants, I think the game has to slow down for J.J. McCarthy," Gannon continued. “I think when you go back and evaluate every opportunity he had last year, you could tell that he was late. He was late with his eyes, he was late with his arm, and his overall anticipation wasn't there. I think he was rushed because he wasn't in rhythm, and I don't think he has a mastery of protections yet. He always seemed surprised where free blitzers were coming from."

We've seen that look on McCarthy's face this season, too, but sometimes, the only way to fix it is to throw someone to the wolves. Live reps and in-game action are the best way to get acclimated to the speed of the game. It's not as simple as that, either, though.

“So, he has to learn how to get the game to slow down," Gannon says. "The way you get the game to slow down is by having a complete understanding of your system of football, and understanding defensive football. You understand situations in the game, whether it's first down, whether it's third down. He's got to be better in the red zone."

Gannon also said that McCarthy has to be better situationally, and that he has to trust his feet and eyes to take him to the completion.

McCarthy certainly has things he needs to work on, but John Harbaugh obviously thinks he's playing well enough to take over the starting role. We'll see if he's right or not when the Giants face the Texans on Sunday.