The New York Giants went into a Week 7 matchup against a Houston Texans team that was finally catching fire. J.J. McCarthy made his first start for Big Blue and secured a much-needed win before the bye week.
With the Giants heading toward their break, it’s time to look back at the last seven weeks. This team has become a resilient bully that refuses to stay down. It’s time they’re taken seriously.
Another Quarterback Carousel
The Giants defeated the Dallas Cowboys in Week 1 with second-year QB Jaxson Dart under center. He completed 23 of 29 passes for 230 yards and three touchdowns. The 28-20 win over a division rival seemed to signal a new era.
In a Week 2 matchup with the Los Angeles Rams, Dart suffered a knee injury early in the first quarter. His season was over, and Jameis Winston was the next man up. The Giants lost 28-6 and fell to 1-1 without their starting QB.
Winston went on to have a 2-1-1 record as New York’s starter. In five total appearances, he went 90/158 for 957 yards, seven touchdowns, and five interceptions. The wild card in the equation was McCarthy, who was acquired in a trade with the Minnesota Vikings.
After Winston struggled in Week 6 against the New Orleans Saints, McCarthy finished the game. In his limited time, he went 11/21 for 243 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. 17 unanswered points later, he was named QB1 for Week 7.
Against the Texans’ defense, McCarthy went 20/28 for 252 yards. His play style, similar to Dart’s, opened up New York’s playbook. The offense totaled 188 rushing yards and four touchdowns, with each score coming from a different player.
What seemed to be a nightmare scenario quickly dissipated. The Giants are now 4-2-1, and still atop the NFC East.
Building A Bully
The Giants hired former Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh in the offseason. The Super Bowl XLVII champion told full back Pat Ricard he was “building a bully” in New York. He’s done exactly that.
The Giants have become the definition of “bend don’t break”. They’ve outscored opponents 163-161. Three of their four wins are by less than 10 points, and two of them were sealed by interceptions.
New York sealed its overtime win over Houston with two huge runs. The first was a 42-yard rush by Cam Skattebo followed by a 30-yard touchdown run by Devin Singletary.
What goes beyond the box score is how the offense looks with Dart and McCarthy. Both mobile QBs bring unpredictability to the game plan. In Dart’s only full game against Dallas, the offense managed 165 total rushing yards. In McCarthy’s first start, they logged 188.
When there is a QB that opens up the playbook, the run game thrives. Ricard, Skattebo, Tyrone Tracy, and Singletary look like a well-oiled machine. The offense looks like a bully.
Overcoming The Injury Bug
The injury bug has cast a dark cloud over the Giants in 2026. Dart, edge rusher Brian Burns and linebacker Tremaine Edmunds are all on injured reserve for the season. Losing three of your biggest playmakers would sink most teams; not the Giants.
Through seven weeks, New York has seen multiple players miss time, specifically in the secondary. Safeties Jevón Holland and Tyler Nubin, along with cornerbacks Greg Newsome, Paulson Adebo, and Colton Hood, have all missed at least one game each due to injury.
New York’s two offensive tackles, Andrew Thomas and Jermaine Eluemunor, have been dealing with nagging injuries this season as well. The former has a groin injury, and the latter has a calf injury.
The Giants have struggled to keep players on the field, but they find a way to stay in games.
The Return Of Malik Nabers
New York’s defense has been resilient through seven weeks, but the offense has been electric. A huge reason for that is star receiver Malik Nabers.
After suffering a torn ACL in Week 4 of the 2025 season, there were questions about Nabers’ return. He made it back for Week 1 and logged six catches for 69 yards. He followed that up with one catch for one yard and five catches for 26 yards in Weeks 2 and 3.
Nabers has recorded over 100 receiving yards in each of his last three games. He found the end zone twice and has caught 29 of his 42 targets in that span. He averages 12 yards per reception and 82.3 yards per game.
If there was any doubt about Nabers in 2026, it’s gone. He’s now caught passes from three different QBs this season, and found success with all of them. Going back to his rookie year, he’s played with eight QBs. He’s quickly become a premier receiver in the NFL.
Coaching Is Everything
The key to New York’s success, saved for last. Harbaugh’s arrival has shifted the culture in East Rutherford for the better. He’s established toughness and the mentality of “earn your spot”. Holding players accountable for mistakes has produced a team that doesn’t quit.
Defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson is just as responsible for New York’s success as Harbaugh is. Under his leadership, the defense has generated pressure, forced turnovers, and locked down some of the NFL’s best receivers.
Wilson publicly stated that players who don’t rush to the ball are “traitors to the defense”. Cornerback Deonte Banks has found new life, rookie linebacker Arvell Reese is a tackling machine, and edge rusher Abdul Carter is becoming a QB’s worst nightmare.
Wilson is unlocking something the Giants’ defense has been missing. One-score games have historically not gone New York’s way. They’ve now won four, largely thanks to the defense.
End Of My Giants Rant
The Giants needed to beat the Texans to prove their legitimacy. Houston was coming off a two-game winning streak with a dominant run defense. Big Blue now holds a winning record in its bye week for the first time since 2016. This team is quickly becoming the bully Harbaugh wanted.
