J.J. McCarthy nearly saves Giants in wild Saints loss
Web StoryWatch this story in 15 seconds →Key takeaways
- J.J. McCarthy threw for 243 yards in 11 minutes. The Giants still lost 34-27 to the Saints.
- Coach John Harbaugh benched Jameis Winston in the fourth quarter. He has not named a Week 7 starter.
- The Giants play the Texans next. The quarterback choice is now the big question.
McCarthy almost pulled off a miracle on Sunday. He threw for 243 yards in just 11 minutes. The Giants still lost 34-27 to the Saints.
McCarthy came off the bench late in the game. The Giants trailed by 24 points at the time. He led three scoring drives in a row.
His last pass fell incomplete in the end zone. The comeback fell just short.
Now the Giants have a real question to answer. Who starts at quarterback next week? Coach John Harbaugh would not say after the game.
That choice will shape the rest of the season.
What happened
The game took place on Sunday, October 18, 2026. The Giants hosted the Saints at MetLife Stadium. The stadium sits in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
The Saints won 34-27.
The Giants started well. They led 10-0 in the first half. Then the Saints fought back.
The score was tied 10-10 at halftime. The Saints kept rolling in the third quarter. They scored three more touchdowns after the break.
Soon they led 34-10.
Jameis Winston started at quarterback for the Giants. He threw for 152 yards. He threw one touchdown and two interceptions.
His second interception set up a Saints score. That score made it 34-10.
Harbaugh had seen enough. He benched Winston early in the fourth quarter. He sent in McCarthy with just under 12 minutes left.
Harbaugh later called it desperation time. He said it was different than normal football.
McCarthy threw an interception on his first drive. Then he caught fire. He led the Giants to 17 points on their next three drives.
He threw a touchdown pass to tight end Isaiah Likely. He also ran for 28 yards on one key play. That run made him the team's top rusher on the day.
The Giants got the ball back with just over one minute left. McCarthy ran for 28 yards into Saints territory. He then hit Likely and Malik Nabers with two more passes.
That moved the ball to the Saints' 14-yard line. On fourth down, his pass to Likely in the end zone fell incomplete. The game ended with under 20 seconds left.
The final numbers tell the story. McCarthy went 11 of 21 for 243 yards. He threw one touchdown and one interception.
He also ran for 26 yards. All 243 passing yards came in the fourth quarter.
That total made history. ESPN Research tracks this stat. It was the second-most fourth-quarter passing yards by a non-starter in 25 seasons.
Only Sage Rosenfels had more. Rosenfels threw for 249 yards in Week 7 of 2007.
The Saints had their own heroes. Tyler Shough threw three touchdown passes. One came with one second left in the first half.
Two more came in the third quarter. The win ended a three-game losing streak for New Orleans. The Giants fell to 3-2-1.
They still sit in first place in the NFC East.
Winston became the starter earlier this season. He took over after Jaxson Dart was lost for the season in Week 2. Dart hurt his left knee.
Winston won his first two starts. Then he tied the Washington Commanders last week. Sunday was his first loss in four starts.
McCarthy joined the Giants in a trade from Minnesota late last month. He was a first-round pick of the Vikings in 2024. He had played only small roles before Sunday.
The coaches had used him in short bursts. This was his first long look in a Giants uniform.
Why it matters
The Giants now face a hard choice. Winston is the veteran. He knows the offense.
He has led the team well at times. But his two interceptions hurt the team on Sunday.
McCarthy is the young player with more upside. He moved the ball fast in the fourth quarter. He made throws that Winston did not make.
He also ran when the play broke down. His legs added a new threat for the defense.
Harbaugh praised both men after the game. He said McCarthy played well. He also said he had no problem with Winston.
He praised the way Winston fights and competes. But he did not commit to either man for Week 7.
That silence matters. A coach who plans to stick with his starter often says so. Harbaugh did not.
He said he could not answer yet. He said the game had ended only 10 minutes earlier. He said the choice would not be made 10 minutes after a game.
McCarthy himself kept it simple. He said he was not pleased when the team loses. He said he must look back at the tape.
He said he must find ways to get better. He said he trusts Harbaugh's choices. He did not campaign for the job.
The run game adds to the problem. The Giants could not run the ball at all. Their backs gained only 34 yards on 14 carries.
Cam Skattebo did not get a single carry. He played only six snaps. He had averaged 42 snaps over the first five games.
Harbaugh said Skattebo was not benched by design. He said no back had taken charge of the job. He said one back must step up.
Skattebo saw it in a different way. He said he was benched for a fumble last week. That fumble came in overtime against the Commanders.
He said he got punished for what he did.
A team that cannot run must throw well. That fact raises the stakes for the quarterback choice. The Giants need a passer who can carry the offense.
McCarthy showed on Sunday that he might be that man.
Some voices urge patience. Sports Illustrated argued that the Giants should not rush McCarthy. The case is simple.
McCarthy built his confidence over the past month. He learned a small part of the game plan at a time. A full start against a strong defense could hurt that growth.
The other case is just as simple. The Giants are in first place. The division is wide open.
McCarthy gave the offense a spark it had lacked for weeks. A team that wants to win now may not wait.
What happens next
The Giants travel to Houston next week. They face the Texans in Week 7. The Texans are surging.
Their defense is strong against the run. Their defense also ranks near the top against the pass. It will be a hard test for either quarterback.
Harbaugh will watch the tape first. He will talk with his coaches. He will then pick a starter.
The choice may come midweek. Until then, both quarterbacks will prepare as if they will start.
Week 6 had more late drama across the league. The Panthers beat the Eagles 25-14 in another close game. The Cardinals stunned the Rams on six field goals.
The Giants' finish was the wildest of them all.
London games are a big part of the NFL calendar. The Jaguars' Wembley run ends in 2028.
The Saints head to Paris next. They will face the Steelers there. A win would send them into their bye week in good shape.
The Saints left New York with relief. They nearly gave away a 24-point lead.
For McCarthy, the next step is clear. He must build on Sunday. He must cut down the mistakes.
His first drive ended in an interception. His last pass fell incomplete. The plays in between were superb.
If he can repeat those plays for a full game, the job may be his.
For Winston, the task is also clear. He must show he can protect the ball. Two interceptions in one game hurt any team.
He must also show he can push the ball down the field. The offense stalled with him on Sunday. It came alive with McCarthy.
The Giants have time to decide. They do not have much time to waste. The NFC East is tight.
Every game counts. The quarterback who starts in Houston will carry a big load. Sunday showed that McCarthy can carry it in short bursts.
The next question is whether he can carry it for four quarters.
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