J.J. McCarthy
McCarthy is the Giants' No. 2 quarterback and the favorite to take over from Jameis Winston, but as of Oct. 19–20 coach John Harbaugh has not named a Week 7 starter.
Role
He was promoted to backup, ahead of Jake Haener, and ran a change-of-pace package. Coverage says the package was growing before Sunday. Fox Sports reported he had five snaps and two carries against Washington in Week 5. Against the Saints (Week 6) he took over after Winston's second interception, with New York trailing 34-10. He played about 11 minutes, threw 21 passes and led the team in rushing with 26 yards (CBS). Winston remains the other contender for the job. I found no snap-share or target-share numbers, so I give none. Isaiah Likely was his main target, with a touchdown and 20-yard and 24-yard catches, per CBS.
He turned a 34-10 game into a one-score game. After an interception on his third pass, he led three straight scoring drives and threw for 243 yards in just over 11 minutes, which CBS says is the most passing yards ever in an 11-minute span. He also adds rushing, including a 28-yard scramble on the last drive. CBS argued the performance was good enough to unseat Winston permanently. Newsweek notes Rex Ryan endorsed him.
The sample is small and came in garbage time against a Saints defense that was playing with a big lead. He completed 11 of 21 and threw an interception on his first drive. His last-play fourth-and-1 throw to Likely was incomplete. Fans in the PFR comments said many of his completions were inaccurate and that he stared down receivers. ESPN's player page notes he struggled in 2025 (about 58% completions, 11 touchdowns, 12 interceptions in 10 games) and missed his entire rookie season with an injury. Fox Sports reported before the game that Winston was entrenched and McCarthy was a marginal part of the game plan.
Where analysts split
Whether one strong fourth quarter from McCarthy outweighs Winston's role as the incumbent starter. Harbaugh said the decision is not up for discussion yet, praised Winston's competitiveness and said the choice would not be made right after a game. Some outlets, such as CBS, read the game as a permanent change. Others stress the garbage-time context and the lack of any announced move. The Giants play at Houston next.
Research confidence: reported. Outlooks are grounded in web search over current reporting and refreshed through the season.
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