No matter how badly the New York Giants might want him to be, J.J. McCarthy isn't Jaxson Dart, and vice versa. Nothing offensive coordinator Matt Nagy or anyone says will change that.
Naturally, the Giants had to adjust their game plan for 2026 after Dart suffered a season-ending knee injury and backup Jameis Winston took over. They transitioned from an ascending young dual-threat quarterback to a more traditional, statuesque pocket passer. McCarthy starting for the club's upcoming clash with the Houston Texans reopens the door for Nagy's run-pass option concepts, at least to an extent.
However, can we please rein it in? Nagy said that McCarthy's "skill set is very similar to [Dart's]" when addressing the media ahead of the contest against the Texans. New York's play-caller also added that the players' overlapping traits bring back "a decent percentage of the playbook."
No disrespect to McCarthy, but there's a stark difference between him and Dart.
Matt Nagy's J.J. McCarthy-Jaxson Dart is fair, but it's not that simple
On the surface, Nagy's comments aren't too far-fetched. The G-Men had to completely shift their scheme on the fly to fit Winston after spending the entire offseason catering to Dart's strengths. They can now consider reverting to their original plans with McCarthy under center — within certain limits.
Like Dart, McCarthy is a good athlete whose mobility can be useful. That was presumably part of the thought process when Big Blue acquired him from the Minnesota Vikings in September. However, the bottom line is that both signal-callers threaten defenses with their legs to varying degrees.
Dart has already proven to be the more dangerous runner, and frankly, it's not particularly close. Not only was his rushing production much better than McCarthy's in 2025, their inaugural campaigns as starters, but the usage was also more intentional.
Jaxson Dart 2025 Rushing Stats | J.J. McCarthy 2025 Rushing Stats |
|---|---|
5.66 yards per carry | 4.89 yards per carry |
11.4 percent designed carry share | 4.8 percent designed carry share |
66.3 rushing success rate | 45.9 percent rushing success rate |
6.1 rush attempts per game | 3.7 rush attempts per game |
34.8 rushing yards per game | 18.1 rushing yards per game |
Moreover, Dart is a far more prolific scrambler and goal-line weapon. He accounted for a third (33.3 percent) of the Giants' inside-the-five carries last year. His 290 scramble yards nearly double McCarthy's 156, though on more than twice as many tries (38 to 17).
Not to mention, the best way to try to beat the Texans is through the air, not on the ground. They're especially stingy against running QBs.
Texans' pass-funnel defense nullifies J.J. McCarthy's so-called likeness to Jaxson Dart
Houston has surrendered the third-fewest rushing yards per game to quarterbacks (7.8) through Week 6. Their ability to set the edge, thanks largely to star pass rushers Will Anderson and Danielle Hunter, forces opponents to stay in the pocket. Stalwart linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair's presence in the middle of their defense also helps.
Meanwhile, the Texans are giving up the sixth-most passing yards per game (246) and rank 22nd in passer rating allowed (96.6). Their secondary has been surprisingly vulnerable, namely cornerback Kamari Lassiter, who earned his first Pro Bowl nod in 2025. In other words, feeding stud wide receiver Malik Nabers and tight end Isaiah Likely should be Nagy's No. 1 priority, regardless of McCarthy's promotion.
Even if the Giants want McCarthy to operate closer to how they envisioned with Dart, there is a vastly superior matchup to exploit. Now isn't the time to get cute as the team tries to get back on track and bolster their place atop the NFC East.
Note: Advanced metrics courtesy of Fantasy Points' data suite 2.0 ($).
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