The New York Giants have somehow replaced the "Jameis Winston Experience" with something even more chaotic. They named J.J. McCarthy as their starting quarterback on Wednesday, per ESPN reporter Jeremy Fowler.
This isn't an attempt to see what the G-Men have in the former first-round pick or to drive his trade value up. The Giants currently lead a wide-open NFC East, and they believe that McCarthy gives them the best chance to stay on top.
Even if the young QB is an improvement over Winston, he may not be able to get the job done for Big Blue. The Giants' upcoming schedule features division rivals and Super Bowl hopefuls, so McCarthy will need to be at his best every week to sustain the playoff push.
Here's how the next five games could go with McCarthy under center.
J.J. McCarthy will lead Giants through a packed mid-season schedule
Week 7: Giants @ Texans
The Houston Texans aren't exactly the easiest opponent to make your first start against. Their defense may be the most talented in the league, with Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter bringing constant pressure.
As dialed-in as C.J. Stroud has been in recent weeks, the Giants are underdogs on both sides of the ball in this matchup. Yes, Houston is 2-4, but it seems to have recovered after a rocky start to the year. If McCarthy can keep this game from getting out of hand, it should be seen as a success.
Score prediction: Giants lose to Texans 28-18
Week 9: Giants @ Eagles
As chaotic as the last week has been for the Giants, it's been worse for the Philadelphia Eagles. Jalen Hurts is out for the season with blood clots, leaving Tanner McKee to lead Philly through the rest of the season. Even when Saquon Barkley and DeVonta Smith return from injury, this offense is severely limited.
Coming out of the bye week, this game could be riddled with turnovers on both sides, but the Giants will come out on top to remain undefeated in the NFC East.
Score prediction: Giants beat Eagles 21-17
Week 10: Giants vs. Commanders
It's back-to-back games in the division for New York, and once again they'll be the less disastrous team. The Washington Commanders may have already fired head coach Dan Quinn by this point, giving the Giants the edge from a stability standpoint.
If the chaos of the Week 5 tie between these two teams is any indication, this will be another close game, but we have Big Blue coming out on top again.
Score prediction: Giants beat Commanders 28-21
Week 11: Giants vs. Jaguars
McCarthy's gunslinger style is going to cause him to put the ball in harm's way from time to time, and the Jacksonville Jaguars are one of the NFL's most opportunistic teams when it comes to forcing turnovers. They've already logged the second-most interceptions in the league this year, and McCarthy could toss them a couple more.
Assuming Trevor Lawrence keeps up his MVP pace, this game could get ugly for the Giants.
Score prediction: Giants lose to Jaguars 31-17
Week 12: Giants @ Colts
This matchup is over a month away, and both teams could look significantly different by the time it arrives. After firing general manager Chris Ballard, the Colts could become sellers at the trade deadline. If they move on from a key veteran or two, the G-Men could hold the talent advantage in this one.
Based on our predictions for Weeks 7-11, a win against the Colts would bring Big Blue to 6-4-1. That should be enough to maintain the top spot in the NFC East heading into the season's final stretch.
Score prediction: Giants beat Colts 23-21
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