Down 34-10 in the fourth quarter, John Harbaugh made the move to replace Jameis Winston with J.J. McCarthy at quarterback. The move was expected to get McCarthy some playing time and to see how he would handle running the Giants’ offense.
But what came next was masterclass football — well, not at first. On McCarthy’s fourth pass of the game, he was intercepted. Which brings you back to why the Vikings traded away their former first-round NFL Draft pick.
But McCarthy unvailed ‘niner’ and nearly brought New York back on top. McCarthy led three scoring drives in the fourth quarter. He was 14 yards shy of potentially tying the game and sending it to overtime.
In 11 minutes of action, he would throw for 243 yards, which set NFL history with the most passing yards in an 11-minute span.
🚨HISTORY: JJ McCarthy came into the game with 11 minutes left and the Giants down 34-10. He cut the lead to 34-27 and nearly tied the game. He threw for 243 yards. The MOST in an 11 minute span in NFL HISTORY. WOW https://t.co/EJ9tv5ZuIV
— Polymarket Sports (@PolymarketSport) October 18, 2026
Clear choice for New York heading into Week 7
After the loss to New Orleans on Sunday, New York fell to 3-2-1. Winston isn’t getting the job done, and while it was a small sample size, McCarthy is the clear option for the Giants next weekend. Harbaugh’s team is set to head to Houston to play the Texans for a 1 p.m. ET kickoff next weekend.
Giving McCarthy all the reps with the ones makes sense. He quickly formed a bond with wide receiver Malik Nabers, who had 12 catches for 165 yards in the game, along with tight end Isaiah Likely, who had six catches for 99 yards and a score.
The Giants traded for McCarthy for a reason and the kid is full of potential. The Vikings weren’t able to fully unlock McCarthy, and now Harbaugh will get a chance to. At least he provided a spark for the Giants and that’s what this offense needed.
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