Grading QB J.J. McCarthy's performance for Giants vs Texans in Week 7
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HOUSTON - The last time J.J. McCarthy left the field inside Reliant Stadium, he did so with a championship trophy and covered in confetti after leading Michigan to the college football national title.
A storybook ending to a 27-1 career in Ann Arbor, the closing of a chapter in spectacular fashion.
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Two years and 10 months later, McCarthy was back in the building Sunday afternoon, only this time for what he hopes is only the start of something just as special. His first start as the quarterback of the New York Giants was a beyond-the-box-score game, even though his performance by the numbers was certainly not underwhelming by any stretch.
But by the time Devin Singletary's 30-yard touchdown in overtime punctuated the Giants' 27-21 victory over the Houston Texans, McCarthy and the Giants had their best triumph of the John Harbaugh era. They followed the lead of their new QB1, who completed 20-of-28 passes for 252 yards and no interceptions.
"The message [in the locker room] was, this is just the beginning," McCarthy said. "At the end of the day, we're a football team that wants to win games and a lot of games. We have aspirations for ourselves and we got tohold ourselves accountable. This feels great, but we got to go back to the film room, look at the tape and find ways to get better. Really reach the utmost potential of this group. I wouldn't want to do it with any other team.”
In a quest to rediscover his game with the Giants, McCarthy has also found his voice.
Offensive coordinator Matt Nagy spearheaded the challenge of creating a player-driven offense centered around the diversified skill set of Jaxson Dart, and what the Giants developed in terms of identity and influence lasted one game and seven snaps.
Calling plays that fit Jameis Winston just because Dart and the coaching staff liked them wasn't going to happen.
And now that McCarthy took over as the starting quarterback of Harbaugh's Giants, it did nobody here any good to ignore what pages of the playbook the new QB1 for Big Blue might like best.
It's one of the biggest lessons learned the past two years by the 23-year-old McCarthy, and heading into Sunday's game, despite the ups and downs that led to his unceremonious exit in Minnesota, he is putting the knowledge gained to the test and doing what he rarely did with the Vikings.
This time, McCarthy is unafraid to speak up. That's part of taking ownership and accepting the responsibility that comes with holding the job.
“Obviously there were moments in the past where I was like, ‘Why me?’” McCarthy said. “A beautiful thing that was said in chapel one time was, ‘Don’t ask why; ask what’s next.’ Really just focus on the next step in front of you and how you could attack that to the best of your ability. It’s one of those things where you think you’re starting over, but no, you’re starting from experience. To be able to be plugged into this group and this culture, I’m just extremely honored.”
The timing of Harbaugh's decision to go to McCarthy provided a big boost of confidence for a quarterback who seemingly doubted whether the head coach in Kevin O'Connell and team brass truly believed he was the man for the job. Sam Darnold. Daniel Jones. Flirting with Aaron Rodgers. Kyler Murray. Carson Wentz.
Having to constantly look over his shoulder, despite his 6-4 record in 10 starts, McCarthy lost faith and confidence.
Confidence, swagger and poise to perform
When McCarthy became a Giant, traded here for a 2027 fifth-round pick, he arrived not with a chip on his shoulder to prove the Vikings wrong - they're undefeated, so they're not necessary paying for letting him go just yet - he set out to prove Harbaugh and Co. right for believing in him. He was viewed as an immature prospect during the run-up to the 2024 NFL Draft, and the Giants did not think he'd fit with that team, that coaching staff at that time.
In Minnesota, McCarthy often held the ball too long waiting for receivers to uncover before relying on his throwing velocity to fit passes in tight windows. Where he needs to improve with the Giants is throwing with anticipation, layering his throws to the intermediate and deeper levels of the field against various coverages. We saw that Sunday.
The throw to Nabers just before the half for 27 yards, he dropped it right in the bucket. Was his best of the game, by far, but not the only one. He climbed the pocket and fired for another 17 yards to Nabers on one of the Giants' two first half touchdown drives.
On a throwback pass to tight end Thomas Fidone for the first catch of his career, McCarthy held the defense at bay with his arm, freezing the coverage before placing a perfect ball for a 29-yard gain that brought possession to the goal line.
Aggressive from the outset: setting the tone
A Houston defense led by standout rusher Will Anderson Jr. finished second in points allowed last season was out to set the tone against the Giants. The Texans had beaten the AFC South-leading Jaguars in London last week and entered with 18 sacks, tied for third in the league, including Anderson's NFL-best 7.5.
But McCarthy was comfortable and ran the Giants’ offense extremely well, showing off the arm talent that scouts loved when he was coming out of Michigan. The Giants dug deep in the walk-up to the 2024 NFL Draft. Instead, the Giants selected Nabers, who made seven catches for 111 yards on Sunday - eclipsing 100 yards for the fourth straight game.
McCarthy spent Friday night in the quarterbacks' meeting room watching video with passing game coordinator/QB coach Brian Callahan and third-stringer Jake Haener. They watched every throw quarterbacks have made in the direction of Texans standout corners Derek Stingley Jr. and Kamari Lassiter. Then McCarthy went over different concepts on the whiteboard, reaffirming the kind of throws the Giants thought they could complete Sunday.
Final grade for J.J. McCarthy's first Giants start: A+
The pre-snap penalties that had dragged the Giants' offense in recent weeks were not prevalent Sunday. Credit the entire operation, offensive coordinator Matt Nagy, Callahan and of course McCarthy himself.
McCarthy was in complete command and he did not have one turnover-worthy throw on the day. He wished he had one attempt back, though, and that was to tight end Isaiah Likely in the right flat that would have gone a long way if they connected.
The Giants are 4-2-1 and remain in first place in the NFC East, two games up on the Cowboys and the Eagles, who meet in Philadelphia on Monday night. They'll head out on their bye week feeling like they have flipped the script with McCarthy at the helm of an offense that seemingly found itself again.
Thanks to a quarterback who returned to the scene of his greatest triumph and somehow managed to turn the page and make the start of this next chapter about the promise of what's to come, not any missteps from the past between his crowning achievement that night in January 2024 and now.
"Guys have scars. He has scars," Harbaugh said of McCarthy. "He's been wounded. He's been broken. He's been battered. But you heal stronger, and you become better because of it. So, he should be grateful. OK, I won a National Championship, was a high pick for the Minnesota Vikings, was the guy after they let the veteran quarterback go to Seattle [Sam Darnold], fought my way through but it ended up not working out for me, got benched, got ridiculed, got traded. Got traded? Good! Good on every single one of those counts because it's made me stronger. It's made me who I am if I'm of the character to understand that. That's how life works. That's why I love football as a metaphor for life, for kids watching. That's a lesson for everybody. Failure is not final."
For J.J. McCarthy and the Giants, his success on Sunday was a resounding A+.
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Grading QB J.J. McCarthy's performance for Giants vs Texans in Week 7