Giants’ Matt Nagy ensures JJ McCarthy’s Jaxson Dart-esque skillset will unlock playbook appeared first on ClutchPoints. Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The New York Giants are hoping to take charge of the NFC East this season. The Giants have moved into first place in the division with a 3-2-1 record as their opponents within the division are all struggling at this point.
Matt Nagy said that J.J. McCarthy's "skill set is very similar to Jaxson (Dart)." It brings back a decent percentage of the playbook. #Giantspic.twitter.com/R7k25pGuYv
— Jordan Raanan (@JordanRaanan) October 22, 2026
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The Giants are coming off a difficult 34-27 loss to the New Orleans Saints. After trailing 34-10 early in the fourth quarter, the Giants inserted recently acquired QB J.J. McCarthy into the lineup in place of Jameis Winston. McCarthy threw for 243 yards in the fourth quarter and had the team on the New Orleans 14 in the final seconds with a chance to tie before the rally fell short.
The Giants have named McCarthy the starting quarterback as the team takes on the Houston Texans this week. Giants offensive coordinator Matt Nagy said the move to McCarthy means the offense can open up the playbook again because McCarthy has many of the same skills as injured QB Jaxson Dart.
McCarthy was acquired earlier in the year from the Minnesota Vikings for a fifth-round draft choice. He was the No. 10 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft and he was expected to be their franchise quarterback for years. He suffered a torn meniscus in his first year and suffered from inconsistency while battling nagging injuries in his second season. As a result, the Vikings decided to move on from him after signing free agent QB Kyler Murray.
After just a few weeks in the John Harbaugh-Nagy system, he has already been elevated to the QB1 position. McCarthy certainly had an excellent performance in the fourth quarter against the Saints, as he completed 11 of 21 passes for 243 yards while throwing 1 TD pass and leading another TD drive.
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