J.J. McCarthy Could Solve One Massive Problem for Giants

J.J. McCarthy will be under center when the New York Giants face the Houston Texans this Sunday, as he has officially stolen the starting job from Jameis Winston.

McCarthy was very impressive in relief of Winston last week, throwing for 243 yards and a touchdown in the fourth quarter and nearly leading the Giants back from a 24-point deficit against the New Orleans Saints.

There were certainly some hiccups, as McCarthy completed just 11 of his 21 passes and tossed an interception, but there was enough good for John Harbaugh to make the switch from Winston to McCarthy heading into Week 7.

While McCarthy is still more than questionable as a passer, one thing no one can doubt about the former first-round pick is his athleticism.

That was on full display versus the Saints, as McCarthy carried the ball twice for 26 yards in limited action. In fact, he actually led New York in rushing yards that game.

Sure, that probably says more about the Giants' pitiful rushing attack than it does about McCarthy, but that's just it: McCarthy could ultimately be the solution New York needs — or at least a significant part of it — to fix its ground game.

Remember: with Jaxson Dart playing quarterback in the season opener, the Giants punctured the Dallas Cowboys for 165 rushing yards. Then, Dart went down with a season-ending injury the following week, and everything unraveled.

Cam Skattebo fumbled four times over his first five games and was benched last week. Tyrone Tracy has long been in Harbaugh's doghouse. Devin Singletary is a non-factor. Najee Harris was just released.

The Giants are averaging a meager 3.8 yards per carry, which ranks toward the bottom of the NFL.

Will McCarthy repair all of those issues on his own? No, but he will certainly help, and his presence at signal-caller should open up the rest of the running game for everyone else.

It's no coincidence that New York's rushing attack thrived with Dart taking snaps in Week 1. Winston, on the other hand, is not much of a runner. Especially not at this stage of his career.

But while McCarthy is not quite as athletic as Dart, he should at least be able to spell him, which will certainly keep defenses more off balance.

The Texans are certainly a massive challenge, particularly on the road. Don't let their 2-4 record fool you: that's a good football team with a nasty defense, and Houston has also won two games in a row.

It won't be easy by any means, but McCarthy should, at the very least, bring some life to a huge part of the Giants offense that has been dormant for weeks.