The New York Giants are 1-0 with Jameis Winston as their starting quarterback. At least they are under John Harbaugh in 2026.
But somehow it doesn’t feel as though the Giants won on Sunday against the Tennessee Titans.
The opening odd for the Giants in Week 4 were as 1.5-point favorites at home against the Arizona Cardinals. Since then, the line has flipped and now the Cardinals are favorites on the road against the Winston-led Giants.
The media, it seems, is disappointed in the Giants with Winston
at quarterback. Yeah, they won… But where were the fireworks on a soggy Sunday?
“I feel like – that a lot of people are surprised that we can win a game in the manner that we did,” Winston said. “Because everyone’s so used to me throwing for 500 yards and throwing interceptions. Right? If we were having a conversation about me throwing interceptions and throwing for 300 yards, y’all wouldn’t be asking me a question.”
Winston has long been known as a gunslinger in the NFL. His reputation is as the guy who always wants to throw the ball and doesn’t much care whether it’s to the team wearing the same helmet as him. So it was jarring, in a way, when Winston attempted just 22 passes and completed 14 for 118 yards.
“When God allows me to manage a football game, now it’s, does he still have it? But, I mean, I done seen a lot of quarterbacks go 62% for less than 150 yards and win a football game, but it’s not a question.”
That’s been the question since the Giants beat the Titans. Why didn’t Winston throw more? He did enough to win, sure, and a number of veterans have said since that the Giants would have lost that game a year ago. But still… Why didn’t Jameis throw for more? Does he still have it?
“I get it, the identity, right? Like, what y’all used to,” He said. “And that’s why assumptions maker, right?”
Winston affirmed, he hasn’t transformed into a milquetoast game manager who’s happy to just be on an NFL field. He wants to throw and he wants to score. But more importantly, he adds, he wants to win.
“So, again, my desire is to score some touchdowns this game,” Winston said. “You know? And that’s what my focus (is) on, man. I’ll tell you, playing this position, man, I want to score touchdowns. Like, it’s required. It really – I’m so encouraged because we were inside the 5-yard line twice. Right? And that’s what I talk about, building on the positives and eliminating the negatives. We’re not going to win a lot of games moving backwards. Right? So, we want to make sure that we finish drives with six.”
The veterans of the 2025 season are almost unanimous in their assessment of the Giants win over the Titans. To paraphrase, they don’t win that game last year.
The Giants managed to claw their way through the adversity of a short week, a nor’easter, and a change in quarterback. They managed to get the win, now’s the time to get better. And that’s what Winston is focused on.
“I feel challenged to get better every single day,” he said. “I just think that’s the makeup of who I am as a person, always looking for ways to build on the positives and eliminate the negatives. You hear me say this a lot, no matter the circumstances, conditions, or facts, my mind is on what my heart desires, and that’s to be a Super Bowl winning quarterback.”
“I don’t remember who won Super Bowl V,” Winston said. But I want to be remembered for winning Super Bowl 61. Or at least one of them throughout my career.”
Super Bowl 61, of course, is the one that will be played on February 14th, 2027. In other words, Winston wants to with the Super Bowl with the Giants.
“I know what I’m capable of, but also I know what’s required of me.” he said. “I can make all the throws. I can do anything I put my mind to. I’m blessed to that point. But at the same time, my job is to give the team the best chance to win.”
Of course, the Giants brought in another quarterback this week, trading for former 10th overall pick JJ McCarthy.
“I think he’s a good kid, and I’m happy to have anyone that’s my teammate,” Winston said of the young man who some think may take his job. “Obviously, we share [that] we won the national championship. We share (that) he got coached by a Harbaugh. I’m getting coached by a Harbaugh right now. We share that – those similarities. But he’s curious. He wants to be great. I think anybody that gets the opportunity to come to a new organization with a fresh start wants to make an impact.”
Nobody knows what the future holds. Perhaps McCarthy will get the chance to make an impact as the Giants’ starting quarterback. But for now, Winston is the starter. And he says that he understands the assignment: Put the team in position to win.
“I have to play well regardless. It doesn’t matter who’s in the building,” Winston said. “When you’re the quarterback for the New York Football Giants, you have to give your team a chance to win, and that’s just the business that we’re in.”
