So far, so good in J.J. McCarthy’s debut as the starting quarterback for the New York Giants.
After throwing for 243 yards in relief of Jamies Winston in last week’s 34-27 loss to the Saints, McCarthy was promoted to starter for Sunday’s game against the Texans. He picked where he left off from the Saints game in which he averaged 11.6 yards per completion.
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On New York’s first possession, McCarthy threw a deep ball down the right side to Malik Nabers on first-and-10 from near midfield. The ball was slightly underthrown, but Nabers had a bead on it and adjusted for a leaping catch to beat man coverage for a 42-yard gain to the Houston 2-yard line.
One play later, Tyrone Tracy Jr. punched it in for a two-yard touchdown run and an early 7-3 Giants lead against a good Texans defense.
McCarthy flamed out in Minnesota after joining the Vikings as a first-round pick. He got just 10 starts with the Vikings before they opted to trade him to the Giants in his second healthy NFL season.
Now he has a second chance with the Giants to to prove his value as a starting NFL quarterback. Looking Nabers’ way early and often is a good strategy.
