Giants Opted Against 'J.J. McCarthy Package' Despite Roster Maneuvering

The New York Giants prepared a "J.J. McCarthy Package" but ultimately did not deploy it in their recent game against the Arizona Cardinals. The team manipulated its roster to have three quarterbacks active on the 46-man game-day roster: starter Jameis Winston, backup Jake Haener, and newly acquired McCarthy.

By activating McCarthy instead of designating him as an emergency third quarterback, the Giants could have inserted him into the game at any point. Head coach John Harbaugh explained the strategic decision, stating, "We had enough guys playing special teams, and it just gave us an option in case we wanted to put J.J. out there to run certain plays that we had prepared for him." He clarified that McCarthy was not considered the full-game backup, which is why Haener was also active.

"But to think that he was going to be the backup for the whole game was unrealistic. So we had Jake up, too, and that was our thinking. We just felt like we needed three guys for kind of the two roles," Harbaugh added. Despite the potential for McCarthy's mobility on two-point conversion plays, the coach indicated there was never a serious consideration of him entering the game during its progression.

In other roster moves, Bryan Hudson started at center, replacing John Michael Schmitz, who missed practice time due to the birth of his child. Harbaugh noted that Hudson had been performing well and that the decision was based on Schmitz's lack of rest. "Huddy had been doing so well. We kind of felt like, ‘He’s got the reps. He’s made the calls, and we were kind of thinking about starting to work him in a little bit here and there — even some extra line stuff — if possible... JMS didn’t have a lot of rest. It just made sense, and I think it paid off. It’s not a long-term thing. We just have two centers we really like."

Injuries also impacted the roster, with wide receiver Braxton Berrios (foot), safety Jason Pinnock (concussion), and defensive lineman Chauncey Golston (neck) being ruled out in the third quarter. Tyler Nubin, who had been benched earlier in the game, returned to play after Pinnock sustained an injury.

Kicker Dominic Zvada continued his strong performance, starting his career with a perfect 9-for-9 on field goals. He is also the first Giants rookie to kick three or more field goals of 50-plus yards in a single season through Week 4. "That kid’s doing a great job," Harbaugh commented, "but he’s going to be thinking about the next kick."

The Giants' pass rush showed improvement, recording seven hits on opposing quarterback Jacoby Brissett. Abdul Carter contributed three of those hits. Tremaine Edmunds and C.J. Okoye combined to triple the team's season sack total from one to three. "Any time you are playing a veteran who wants to stay in the pocket, get the ball out fast, everything is on time," Carter said. "When you disrupt his timing and get him on the ground a few times, it helps a lot."