Giants plan to start J.J. McCarthy over Jameis Winston against Texans
ESPN reports that McCarthy is set to start New York’s Week 7 game in Houston, two days after coach John Harbaugh said the Giants were still weighing their quarterback options.
The New York Giants plan to start J.J. McCarthy at quarterback against the Houston Texans on Sunday in Week 7, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. The reported choice would put McCarthy in charge from the opening snap after he replaced Jameis Winston during New York’s loss to the New Orleans Saints. The Giants have not announced a longer-term quarterback decision.
The report advances a decision that coach John Harbaugh said on Monday, October 19, was still being weighed. In an account published by the Giants, Harbaugh said the team was considering Winston’s contributions alongside McCarthy’s limited time with New York and his need to learn its offense. Winston had taken over after Jaxson Dart suffered a season-ending injury; McCarthy arrived in a trade from the Minnesota Vikings.
That uncertainty followed McCarthy’s late appearance against New Orleans on October 18. He entered with 11 minutes and 25 seconds remaining and the Giants trailing 34-10, according to the team’s Week 7 account. New York scored on three consecutive drives with McCarthy in the game but lost 34-27.
How McCarthy changed the Saints game
McCarthy completed 11 of 21 passes for 243 yards, a touchdown and an interception, and added 26 rushing yards, The Big Lead reported. The Giants said his 243 passing yards tied the most by one of their quarterbacks in a single quarter since at least 1991. His entrance came after Winston threw his second interception early in the fourth quarter.
Before Wednesday’s report, the question was whether that late rally had done enough to change Harbaugh’s choice for Houston. The earlier NewsJaws report described Harbaugh’s unresolved quarterback decision. Fowler’s report now points to McCarthy for this game, with CBS Sports reporting that Winston would back him up.
Giants face Houston after two Texans wins
New York was 3-2-1 as it prepared for the road game, while Houston was 2-4, according to the Giants’ Week 7 tracker. The Texans had won two straight after opening with four losses. CBS Sports identified pass rusher Will Anderson Jr., whom it credited with a league-leading 7.5 sacks, as a challenge for McCarthy in his first start for New York.
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Sources and context
- Giants make official J.J. McCarthy-Jameis Winston decisionThe Big Lead (syndicated via Yahoo Sports)
- Giants plan to start QB J.J. McCarthy over Jameis Winston vs. Texans, per reportCBS Sports
- Week 7 Tracker: Latest news, notes & roster movesNew York Giants
AI-assisted article checked against the listed sources. NewsJaws did not conduct interviews or attend the reported events.