J.J. McCarthy can't do it alone. He'll need help if the New York Giants are to shock the world and win the NFC East this season, and his journey continues on Sunday.
Through five quarters of football, McCarthy has looked ready. The moment hasn't been too big for him, and the former top-10 pick looks like a guy who can lead this team to some January football. But as I said before, he cannot and will not do it alone.
New York's running back room is in shambles. Blockbuster could open its doors once more for a trade deadline deal that upgrades the roster in time for a playoff push. McCarthy is the latest lab experiment being put under the microscope. It's truly a crazy time to be a Giants fan. So I need to talk about it.
The G-Men are in an interesting spot as they enter a Week 9 matchup against the lowly Philadelphia Eagles. Philly is hobbling its way into the game, riding a six-game losing streak, and has turned to backup quarterback Joe Milton III as its starter to stop the bleeding (and Nick Sirianni's hot-seat buzz).
Let's get into what's going on in Giants land right now:
On the pulse of Big Blue Nation
- One for the history books
- Trade deadline chatter
- Running back... to the drawing board
- J.J. McCarthy could go streaking against Eagles
- This day in Giants history
One for the history books
The Giants' struggles against the Dallas Cowboys have been nauseatingly well documented, but their struggles against the Eagles, especially when they travel to Lincoln Financial Field, deserve a special place in the misery museum.
Big Blue hasn't won a game in Philadelphia since 2013. For those keeping score at home, that's 13 straight losses in the City of Brotherly Love. That's terrible. And somehow, the last time New York won there, Peyton Hillis was its leading rusher, Chip Kelly was coaching the Eagles, and Josh Brown kicked five field goals in a 15-7 victory.
Now the Giants are actually favored to win in Philadelphia for the first time since 2009. What a time to be alive.
Head coach John Harbaugh isn't interested in inheriting that losing streak, telling reporters, "We don't care; we don't care about that." Fair enough, Harbs. But Giants fans definitely do and would sure appreciate finally putting an end to it.
Trade deadline chatter
There might not be a more fun time than the week or two ahead of the trade deadline. You could convince yourself that anyone and everyone could be moved to improve the roster for a playoff run. No one is necessarily off limits, which makes the imagination run wild.
That's how you get names like Vita Vea, Ashton Jeanty, Derrick Henry, Jeffery Simmons, and Jonathan Taylor popping up around New York.
Of course, Simmons is already off the board after the Chicago Bears sent two first-round picks and a fourth to Tennessee for the All-Pro defensive tackle. Harbs reportedly tried his damnedest to bring him to New York, and the G-Men have since been linked to Vea as another potential interior defensive line upgrade.
Taylor might be the more intriguing name, given the state of the RB room, but the Colts reportedly want a Christian McCaffrey-type return. That's a pretty steep price for a team with just five picks in the 2027 Draft.
With the Nov. 10 deadline quickly approaching, Big Blue has some decisions to make.
Running back... to the drawing board
For a team whose identity was supposed to be a physical, run-it-down-your-throat rushing attack, the RB room has a funny way of showing it, especially the one entering Week 9.
Cam Skattebo is dealing with a hamstring injury, and as of Wednesday afternoon, he's considered day-to-day after sitting out practice. It's certainly a bummer for the 24-year-old human-sized fire hydrant, who's coming off the best game of his career against the Houston Texans in Week 7.
The G-Men cut Najee Harris and placed Tyrone Tracy Jr. on IR, leaving Devin Singletary and Greg Desrosiers Jr. as the only healthy backs on the active roster. That's what we call in the biz not ideal, especially when Singletary was a healthy scratch for three straight games before the Texans matchup, and Desrosiers has yet to play a regular-season NFL snap.
And the timing couldn't be worse. New York finally got its ground game going against Houston, rushing for 188 yards after looking lost over the last five games or so. Now, barring a trade before Sunday's kickoff or a quick recovery from Skatt, the RB room leaves a whole lot to be desired.
J.J. McCarthy could go streaking against Eagles
J.J. McCarthy hasn't lost a game as a starting quarterback since November 23 of last year. No, that's not a typo. While they haven't always been the prettiest-looking games, the 23-year-old is currently riding a five-game winning streak into Philly with a chance to extend it to six.
Four of those wins came with Minnesota to close out 2025 (including a 16-13 Week 16 win over the Giants), while the other came during their overtime win over the Texans in Week 7, not two weeks ago. Not bad for a former top-10 pick whom the Vikings gave up on.
Of course, McCarthy has only attempted 49 passes over 70 minutes in a Giants uniform, so we're still working with a small sample size. But he's taken care of the football and avoided the backbreaking mistakes... so far.
Now comes a date with Vic Fangio's defense, which should tell us a little more about how far McCarthy has actually come.
This day in Giants history
November 5, 2006. The Giants battled the Texans on Sunday afternoon at Giants Stadium in a 43-degree, fall-feeling Week 9 matchup.
Big Blue came away with a 14-10 win behind 179 passing yards from Eli Manning and 115 rushing yards from Tiki Barber.
The Giants actually trailed 10-7 entering the fourth quarter before Manning found Jeremy Shockey for a three-yard touchdown to put New York ahead for good. A late Houston fumble helped seal the deal, improving the G-Men to 6-2 on the season. They'd go on to lose the next four games and finish the season 8-8. Fingers crossed for a better finish this year.
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