To better gauge Sunday's game between the New York Giants and the Houston Texans, Texans Wire reached out to Dan Benton, managing editor of Giants Wire, for his thoughts on the matchup at Reliant Stadium.
Texans Wire: How much should fans expect from J.J. McCarthy making his first career start in New York?
Dan Benton: Honestly, probably not much. This will replace the Jameis Winston Experience with the J.J. McCarthy Experience, which is the same thing with a mobile quarterback. On the plus side, it will unlock some of the offensive playbook lost after the Jaxson Dart injury, but the level of play from Dart to McCarthy will drop dramatically. He's only spent a month in the system, with his first first-team reps coming this week, and his on-field
experience is limited to garbage time (at least initially) against the Saints.
Texans Wire: What's the status of the rushing attack following the release of Najee Harris and the lack of carries for Cam Skattebo?
It's very much uncertain. The ground attack has been lacking since Week 2, and John Harbaugh has displayed zero patience with it. They've cycled running backs not just every week, but on a play-by-play basis. Add in that the offensive line has done a poor job run blocking, and the entire operation is a mess. I would expect Cam Skattebo to play a larger role this week (how could he not after zero touches?), but Tyrone Tracy Jr. may get the bulk of the carries this time around. Or will he? Who really knows.
Texans Wire: Malik Nabers and Isaiah Likely are two of the most targeted players in the NFL. Is that because of their consistency or the lack of a run game over the past three outings?
Benton: All of the above. Malik Nabers, when healthy, is an elite receiver and a superstar. When you watch him on film, he's every bit as talented and impactful as a Ja'Marr Chase or Justin Jefferson. Isaiah Likely is also a mismatch nightmare who went somewhat undiscovered after years backing up Mark Andrews. He plays well out of the slot, and the combination of the two eliminates frequent double teams. They are a legitimately dynamic duo.
Texans Wire: Losing Brian Burns hurts the pass rush, but it's a team that has only eight sacks. Should fans expect more from Abdul Carter? What about Arvell Reese?
Benton: Arvell Reese is largely playing in the middle and only rushes the passer occasionally. The Giants were very specific in their belief that he was an inside linebacker and not an edge rusher, and he has rapidly become one of the NFL's best. Abdul Carter, on the other hand, is a heat-seeking missile along the edge. The only reason he doesn't have a larger sack total is that quarterbacks are deliberately getting the ball out quickly against the Giants, and Kayvon Thibodeaux, while solid against the run, has offered little as a pass rusher on the other side. Even without the sacks, you can guarantee Carter will be a disruptive force in the backfield.
Texans Wire: What's the outlook for New York should it win on Saturday with a young QB making his first career start? Should fans be buying into potentially winning the division? Or does this say more about Houston's defense?
Benton: Win or lose, I think fans can start to buy in on winning the division because, admittedly, the division is awful. They will head into their bye week with an NFC East lead regardless of the outcome, and then have the opportunity to pad said lead with back-to-back games against the Jalen Hurts-less Eagles and the limping Commanders. However, a win over the Texans would be a nice rebound after losing to a Saints team they really shouldn't have lost to. It would send them into the break with some nice momentum.
Texans Wire: Final score and predictions
Benton: The Texans are beginning to come into their own and, despite some shortfalls, come up against an injured Giants team that's in the midst of a major change. J.J. McCarthy will take over for Jameis Winston, which opens their playbook, but his experience is still very limited. Their inability to run the football will only hurt McCarthy, while C.J. Stroud should put up big numbers if the Giants can't bring consistent pressure. The Giants will limp into their bye week winless over their last three games.
Final: Texans 31, Giants 17
This article originally appeared on Texans Wire: Behind Enemy Lines: An inside look at Week 7 against Gaints Wire
