JJ McCarthy Faces Texans in Crucial New York Giants Test

Segment Spotlight: Quick Hits From NFL Pro Football Today

McCarthy’s Breakout Performance Faces a Major Test Against Houston

JJ McCarthy’s performance for the New York Giants was a major eye-opener. He made difficult throws throughout the game and nearly completed another one at the end. He looked like the player many expected to see coming out of Michigan, but the betting line suggests that performance may have been a mirage. Houston enters the matchup as a 10- to 10.5-point favorite.

The Texans look like one of the hottest teams in the NFL. They are playing fantastic football and recently beat Jacksonville. That makes the large point spread difficult to ignore, even after McCarthy’s impressive showing. This week should provide a much better indication of whether he can sustain that level of play.

McCarthy led a tremendous comeback after the Saints appeared to have the game under control. New York continued putting up points, forcing the Saints to put several starters back into the game. Even if McCarthy loses to Houston, another strong performance would give the Giants plenty of reason for encouragement in a division dealing with injuries and other issues.

The Giants also have decisions to make in the backfield. Cam Scatabo appears to be back in the mix after being benched to send a message about focusing on football. With Naji Harris gone and Tyrone Tracy having fumbling issues, New York may need to return to Scatabo and determine what it has in him.

Both teams have struggled against tight ends, creating potential touchdown opportunities. Foster Moreau has continued to catch touchdowns and is listed at 500 to score, while Isaiah Likely is listed at plus 250. Both were identified as having strong touchdown equity in this matchup.

Houston remains the preferred side, with CJ Stroud playing terrific football and Tank Dell returning. Jalen Knowles has also played well. Nico Collins over 68.5 receiving yards stands out as a potential mismatch against a Giants secondary that has not been very good.

The Giants could still cover such a large spread, but Houston appears to be in position to control the game and win without much doubt. The Texans also need to improve defensively after falling from the best in the NFL to 26th so quickly. Ultimately, this matchup should reveal much more about McCarthy and whether the Giants have found something sustainable.