Giants Bench QB Jameis Winston; J.J. McCarthy Enters Game Against Saints

Facing a 34-10 fourth-quarter deficit, the New York Giants benched quarterback Jameis Winston. Head coach John Harbaugh turned to former Vikings first-round pick J.J. McCarthy. The Giants acquired McCarthy for a 2027 fifth-round draft pick following Jaxson Dart’s season-ending knee injury in Week 2. Winston endured a rough outing on Sunday, completing just 14 of 26 passes for 152 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions. The offense continued its downfield struggles, putting up a meager 10 offensive points against a Saints defense allowing 30.2 points per game. On Sunday, McCarthy went 11-for-21 for 243 yards with one touchdown and one interception. He also carried the ball twice for 26 yards. The Giants rallied with 17 points in the final period but lost 34-27 to fall to 3-2-1. Last season, McCarthy went 6-4 as a starter for Minnesota, but his underlying numbers painted a concerning picture despite the Vikings’ elite offensive weapons. He completed 57.6% of his passes for 1,632 yards with 11 touchdowns and 12 interceptions, finishing with a 35.6 QBR. Winston has played well since taking over for Dart, but Sunday afternoon was an off day for the veteran quarterback. In a lopsided game, Harbaugh likely put McCarthy in to see what he has moving forward, as the quarterback position remains a question mark for the offense. This story is still developing.