the New York Giants have found their savior, and his name is J.J. McCarthy.
In his first start for Big Blue, the young passer was dialed in. The Giants got their fourth win of the season over a talented Houston Texans team, squeezing by in overtime with a dramatic 27-21 victory. Even a loss would have felt like a positive with how well McCarthy played.
Before we get into the more detailed breakdowns, here are a few from-the-hip reactions to the stress-inducing win.
5 immediate takeaways from Giants' win over Texans
J.J. McCarthy proved Giants right in his first start
I found myself saying, "Jameis wouldn't have made that throw" more than a few times in this game.
McCarthy's arm talent was on full display in Houston. Every pass came off his hand like a rocket — sometimes to the dismay of his receivers. He accessed throws that Winston couldn't at this point in his career, like a first-quarter outbreaker to Malachi Fields that ended in a big gain.
Against a star-studded Texans defense, the young quarterback played as well as he possibly could have in his first start. This Giants offense is still imperfect, but McCarthy gave it life.
John Harbaugh ended Cam Skattebo's punishment just in time
Cam Skattebo's Week 6 benching was little more than a timeout. He regained the starting running back job this weekend, and McCarthy handed him the ball on New York's first two offensive plays. Skattebo finished the game with 17 carries, 124 yards, and a touchdown.
Of course, his breakaway run in overtime was one of the most important plays of the game.
It ended up being a split backfield between Skatt and Tyrone Tracy Jr., who is ironically the other Giants running back with fumbling issues, for the first half. Skattebo took the majority of the work late in the game.
Deonte Banks is Giants' CB1, and it's not close
Near the end of the first quarter, announcer Adam Amin called Deonte Banks "one of the best in the league."
That might be a stretch, but Banks has been the best cornerback on the Giants' roster without a doubt this season. He had another strong game against the Texans, breaking up multiple passes and keeping tight coverage on Nico Collins, Dalton Schultz, and others.
It may have taken three years of development for Banks to hit his stride, but he's finally looking like the first-round cornerback the G-Men drafted.
Dominic Zvada is the newest Giants player in John Harbaugh's doghouse
Dominic Zvada's Week 5 stinker against the Washington Commanders seemed like a blip in the moment. Unfortunately, it may have been the start of a sharp downturn for the rookie kicker.
Zvada missed two field goals in the first half, the first from 56 yards and the second from 44. If he had made either of them, the game wouldn"t have gone to overtime.
In the third quarter, the G-Men drove the ball to the Texans' 37-yard line with a chance to take the lead. Almost any NFL head coach would trust their kicker in that situation. Harbaugh did not. He brought on Jordan Stout to punt instead of letting Zvada attempt what would have been a 54-yard field goal.
It wouldn't be the least bit surprising to see Big Blue bring in another kicker this week.
Micah McFadden stepped up for the Giants with Tremaine Edmunds out
In all honesty, I expected the Giants' defense to collapse without Tremaine Edmunds. The veteran linebacker hadn't been perfect this season, but he was a major upgrade in run defense over what New York had last season.
Micah McFadden filled in for Edmunds without missing a beat. He led the team with 10 tackles and helped hold the Texans' running game to minimal output. His role is extremely important in Dennard Wilson's scheme, but he met the challenge.
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