The Giants changed quarterbacks on Sunday, and JJ McCarthy delivered. The Giants defied expectations and baffled the Houston Texans with a 27-21 overtime win. With their first road win, the Giants ensured, for the first time since 2022, that their season wouldn’t end before Halloween.
Not long ago, Jaxson Dart was healthy, and the Giants opened their season with a primetime win over Dallas. One week later, Dart’s season ended, and the season felt all but over. Jameis Winston was tasked with keeping the ship afloat, and the Giants traded for McCarthy.
Before the fourth quarter of last week’s game against New Orleans, McCarthy was still Minnesota’s failed first-round pick. It felt like the Giants only added him because they were desperate for quarterback depth. But in the NFL, things can change in a heartbeat.
McCarthy followed his historic quarter against New Orleans with a near-perfect game in Houston. He didn’t turn the ball over and completed 20 of 28 attempts for 252 yards and a 99.11 passer rating. He consistently got the ball downfield, showing poise and confidence as the Giants defeated the surging Texans.
If McCarthy keeps performing at this level, he could force Dart out of a job. That’s how good he has been. Also, as Dallas and Philadelphia continue to struggle, the Giants still lead the NFC East. When Dart went down, who would have thought McCarthy would lead the Giants to a division title and a playoff berth?
In Jack Harbaugh’s words, “Nobody!” Nobody in the NFC East has it better than the New York Football Giants.
Before Sunday’s game, the Giants averaged the 19th-most rushing yards per game in the NFL. But John Harbaugh put Cam Skattebo back at the helm, and the Giants outrushed the Texans by nine attempts and 104 yards. The Giants rushed for 184 yards and four touchdowns.
“The O-line answered the call, and we challenged them this week to fire off the ball, stay low with their pad level, and kick some ass,” Skattebo said. “They did that. I was successful because they were successful, and the other [running backs] did a great job today as well. We worked off each other really well, and complementary football worked its way today.”
Skattebo led all running backs with 124 yards on seven carries. His best play came in overtime when he burst up the middle for a season-high 42-yard gain. On the next play, Devin Singletary sprinted through the pocket, dodged two tackles, and found the end zone for a walk-off touchdown.
“The offensive line cleared out the right side, and it was like the seas had parted,” Singletary said. “I got my one-on-one with the safety, and in this league, you have to win your one-on-ones.”
Singletary’s teammates mobbed him as they celebrated his moment. Harbaugh ran over to hug him, and they both toppled to the turf. It was a massive win for the Giants. A statement win. The kind of win that makes you feel like anything is possible. With the Giants leading the division, that couldn’t be truer.
“We’re going to be in this thing until the end now,” Harbaugh said. “This was a pivotal game. This was a really high-pressure game for our team. We didn’t talk about that, but they all knew how important this game was, and they responded accordingly.”
McCarthy isn’t the only player who stepped up massively. The Giants are depleted in many areas. Without Brian Burns or Jermaine Edmunds for the rest of the season, other defenders had to step up. Micah McFadden, whose season ended in Week 1 last year, led the Giants with 10 tackles, including two for loss. He recorded one tackle in overtime and pressured CJ Stroud on his final play.
Behind him, Arvell Reese and Ar’Darius Washington each had five tackles, Deonte Banks defended two passes and ranks second among NFL corners with 10 pass breakups, and Kayvon Thibodeau was less than an inch away from an interception in overtime. Also, DJ Reader, who replaced Dexter Lawrence II at nose tackle this season, leads all interior linemen with a 90.4 defensive grade (PFF).
Although he only had two tackles, Abdul Carter, the Giants’ third-overall draft pick in 2025, energized his teammates at halftime. The edge rusher is blossoming into a leader, and Harbaugh referenced his quote in his postgame comments: “No matter what, empty the tank. No matter what, come back in here with nothing left.”
After last week’s loss to the Saints, defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson called out his players. He said that any player who didn’t give his full effort would be a “traitor.” He doesn’t want to see any. Credit to Wilson for holding his players accountable. It worked on Sunday.
“You heard about the callouts, and we needed to look inward,” Reader said. “Obviously, the beginning response is going to be a little machismo, but you really try to take in the things that the coach is saying. That’s a good way to respond as a team.”
The Giants’ only struggles on Sunday came on special teams. Rookie kicker Dominic Zvada, who was perfect in his first four games, struggled again. Despite playing indoors, he missed both field goal attempts, and he couldn’t keep his overtime kickoff out of the end zone.
“He has to go ahead and pound that thing through straight,” said Harbaugh. Special teams are Harbaugh’s forte, and he isn’t working out any new kickers this week. “He’s doing what a lot of rookies do: just trying to get it through the uprights. I’m not really worried about Zvada. He just has to do it, but I’m totally confident he will.”
Of course, Zvada’s teammates bailed him out. Singletary was the hero in overtime, getting his chance after the Giants released Najee Harris and Tyrone Tracy Jr. exited early with an injury. Singletary, an eight-year veteran, ran for 41 yards on six carries. He made the most of his well-deserved opportunity.
“I’ll tell you what, I can’t say enough about Motor (Singletary), and that’s on me [for benching him for most of this season],” Harbaugh said. “We were looking for the formula, and Devin wasn’t—he was the odd man out for a number of weeks. Not because of anything he did or didn’t do. He was just the odd man out, and that’s exactly what I told him.
“He asked me, ‘What can I do?’ I said, ‘There’s nothing you can do. You’re doing everything you can do, and your time will come.’ It was going to come. Look where it came, right there, and he came through.”
Next, Malik Nabers became the third player in Giants history, and the first since Odell Beckham Jr. in 2015, to record over 100 receiving yards in four straight games. On Sunday, he caught seven of nine passes for 111 yards, including a 27-yard second-quarter grab that could contend for the catch of the year.
Behind Nabers, Malachi Fields caught four passes for 83 yards, including the game’s longest pass. He and Nabers totaled 71 yards after the catch. They only made McCarthy look good in his first start with the Giants, who are off this week but well-positioned for a Week 9 win in Philadelphia.
The 4-2-1 Giants have their bye week this week. Their next game will be on Sunday, November 8, at 1 PM (12 PM CDT) on the road against the Philadelphia Eagles (2-5) (FOX, FOX ONE).
Cover Image Courtesy: New York Football Giants
