J.J. McCarthy made his case to be Giants’ No. 1 QB. Here’s what John Harbaugh thinks

Will quarterback J.J. McCarthy’s fourth game with the Giants wind up being his first start? Following Sunday’s 34-27 loss to the Saints — in which McCarthy led a 17-point fourth-quarter rally, after the Giants trailed 34-10 — coach John Harbaugh left the door open for benching Jameis Winston. When asked about his starting quarterback for next week, Harbaugh said, “I can’t answer that right now. It’s not up for conversation right now. Those things will be decided not 10 minutes after the game.” Harbaugh added that he likes Winston as his starting quarterback, while also praising McCarthy. So Harbaugh understandably wants to take some time with this decision, though it’s noteworthy that he didn’t fully commit to Winston as his starter for next week’s trip to Houston. The Giants, of course, are trying to stay afloat in wake of Jaxson Dart’s season-ending knee injury. They still sit alone atop the NFC East, as they prepare for next week’s pre-bye week game at the Texans. The 2-4 Texans, by the way, have a skilled defense — 11th in Pro Football Focus’ ratings — so that would be a challenge for McCarthy. The Saints’ defense is 24th. The Giants emerged from Sunday at 3-2-1. The Eagles lost to the Panthers, so they’re 2-4. The Cowboys are 2-3 heading into Sunday night’s game at the Packers. The 1-3-1 Commanders visit the 49ers on Monday night. Washington figures to lose that one. Still, Sunday’s loss was a missed opportunity for the Giants. And McCarthy played quite well, after Winston struggled. Winston on Sunday was 14-of-26 passing for 152 yards, one touchdown, two interceptions and a 52.1 passer rating. McCarthy, who entered with 11:25 left and the Giants down 34-10, was 11-of-21 passing for 243 yards, one touchdown, one pick and a 90.0 rating. He also ran twice for 26 yards, with a long of 28. McCarthy had a chance to tie the game on fourth-and-1 from the Saints’ 14 with 12 seconds left. But he couldn’t find Isaiah Likely in the end zone. All that sets up a fascinating decision this week for Harbaugh. He saw Winston deliver uneven results across his first three starts — wins over the Titans and Cardinals, then a dramatic tie in Washington, where Winston led an epic comeback to force overtime. But the typical Winston pendulum swung the other way Sunday, when McCarthy got by far his most extensive action since the Giants traded for him after that sloppy Week 3 win over the Titans. Even if Harbaugh doesn’t bench Winston heading into the Houston game, it’s entirely possible he could bench him coming out of it, since the Giants have their bye in Week 8, before the Philadelphia trip in Week 9. Before Sunday, McCarthy had played in just one game with the Giants. He didn’t play against Arizona in Week 4. Then he got a small package of plays for the Washington game. He played five snaps in that one. Then came Sunday’s fourth-quarter surge against the Saints, as McCarthy showed some tenacity. Which could lead to a start in Houston. MORE GIANTS COVERAGEGiants star reacts to being benched for most of loss to Saints: ‘I got punished’Giants’ rally falls short vs. Saints: Jameis Winston, Cam Skattebo benched. What’s next?From bad to worse: Giants lose defensive starter to injury vs. SaintsGiants bench Cam Skattebo for Najee Harris vs. Saints, but did the bold move work? (UPDATED)Read the original article on NJ.com. Add NJ.com as a Preferred Source by clicking here.