The NFL trade deadline has passed, and the New York Giants stuck with their one in-season trade: acquiring JJ McCarthy from the Minnesota Vikings for a 2027 fifth-round draft pick. That move has proven right for Big Blue, given how the 23-year-old has played.
With McCarthy starting at quarterback, the Giants have won their last two games against the Houston Texans and Philadelphia Eagles. They enter their Week 10 Thursday Night Football matchup with the Commanders at 5-2-1, leading the NFC East.
McCarthy played well and, most recently, led the Giants past the Eagles for the first time since 2013. He injured his hip in that game, and while he’s on track to play against Washington tonight, the Giants need to keep him healthy for the rest of the season.
Big Blue should eliminate designed QB runs to keep JJ McCarthy healthy
Brent Sobleski of Bleacher Report recently published his Week 9 takeaways for all 32 NFL teams and said the Giants should eliminate designed quarterback runs because of the play that injured McCarthy's hip, in which Eagles linebacker Zack Baun delivered a huge hit on McCarthy.
The young QB looked visibly pained on the sideline while trying to throw, forcing him to head to the locker room for further evaluation before eventually returning to the game. Still, the Giants have to protect him better and can’t afford to lose him right now, especially after already losing Jaxson Dart for the season.
In his young NFL career, McCarthy has missed an entire season due to injuries and battled injuries throughout his first season as the Vikings’ starting quarterback, making it especially important to keep him healthy for the Giants' playoff run they are crafting. Plus, we’ve seen Jameis Winston as the team’s starter, and it’s clear the Giants have more confidence in J.J.
Thursday Night’s game against the Commanders is a must-win for the Giants, as their schedule gets more challenging over the next four weeks. They will face the Jaguars next Sunday, moved to a 4:25 pm start time, and then, two weeks later, face the 49ers and Seahawks in back-to-back games.
The Giants may need only eight or nine total wins to get into the playoffs, given how bad the rest of the division has looked, which puts even more pressure on Big Blue to get it done and return to the postseason for the first time since 2022.
McCarthy gives the Giants their best chance to win the NFC East and make a playoff push, even as the schedule gets more challenging. That means keeping him healthy is a must, and if that requires the G-Men to change the playbook and play more conservatively, so be it.
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