Giants snap 13-game road losing streak against Eagles despite J.J. McCarthy scare
Giants tight end Isaiah Likely, second from right, celebrates with teammates with teammates Malachi Fields, left, and Jameis Winston, right, after scoring a touchdown during the second half of an NFL game in Philadelphia on Sunday. Credit: AP Photo/Matt Slocum/Matt Slocum
PHILADELPHIA — For the second time this season, the Giants held their breath after seeing their starting quarterback get hurt. It worked out better this time.
After leaving the game with a hip injury and appearing to be in severe pain on the sideline, J.J. McCarthy jogged out of the locker room Sunday after missing only one series and was able to lead two scoring drives in the fourth quarter in a 19-11 win over the Eagles.
After Jameis Winston replaced McCarthy and led a 76-yard drive capped by his 5-yard touchdown pass to Isaiah Likely — which gave the NFC East-leading Giants (5-2-1) the lead for good — McCarthy was able to finish up. He had an 11-yard run on third down before pulling up lame out of bounds and appeared to be limping as he left the field before Dominic Zvada converted a 49-yard field goal with 4:24 left that made it 19-8.
“I’m able to walk, I’m able to throw. I want to get back out there as soon as possible,” McCarthy said. “I can’t thank the team enough — the athletic [training staff] for just really doing everything that was beneficial [to] me.”
McCarthy’s toughness further endeared him to his teammates.
“That just shows how much he means to this team,” receiver Malik Nabers said. “How much he wants to be out there with his guys. It shows the grit, shows how much he’s a dawg.”
“At the end of the day, no matter what, it’s about my brothers,” McCarthy said, “and I’ll do whatever I can to help them the best I can to be successful.”
“I think it just demonstrates the heart we’re talking about,” John Harbaugh said. “Every single player has the opportunity to lead and demonstrate that at some point in time. The quarterback is doing it, and that’s big. That’s big to fight through that kind of thing, fight through an injury, go back in, take care of it, get back out there.”
Jake Elliott’s 45-yard field goal made it a one-possession game at 19-11 with 1:56 remaining, and the Giants couldn’t fully relax until Darius Alexander tackled Joe Milton for their seventh sack as time expired. That snapped their losing streak at Lincoln Financial Field at 13 games.
McCarthy got help from rookie kicker Zvada, who was 4-for-4 on field-goal attempts — three from at least 49 yards — after missing five attempts in his previous three games. Rookie Arvell Reese had his best day as a pro, tying his career high with 12 tackles (10 solos) to go with three sacks and a forced fumble.
McCarthy exited in the third quarter after a hit by linebacker Zack Baun on a designed run. He stayed on the ground for a while before jogging to the sideline. When he tried tossing the ball to stay loose, TV cameras caught him wincing in agony and nearly falling after one throw.
In came Winston. On his second drive, he went 6-for-7 and found the diving Likely in the end zone to put the Giants up 13-8.
Unlike Week 2, when Jaxson Dart was lost for the season with a knee injury and Winston floundered against the Rams, the backup quarterback was nearly flawless. He threw a 27-yard pass to Darnell Mooney, added an 11-yard run in which he escaped a near-sack and converted a fourth-and-1 on a quarterback sneak.
McCarthy returned for the next series. He wasn’t at his best, with only 127 yards on 12-for-19 passing and five sacks, and the Giants totaled only 243 yards. The offense didn’t turn the ball over, though, and the Giants got the number that mattered: One victory.
That maintained their two-game lead over the second-place Cowboys.
The Eagles (2-7) finished with 220 yards in their seventh straight loss. Milton, in his first NFL start, threw for 169 yards and ran for 64 yards on nine carries. Saquon Barkley scored on a 3-yard run that gave the Eagles an 8-6 lead, but the former Giants had only 22 yards on 13 carries.
The Giants rushed for only 80 yards on 31 carries after a season-high 188 yards in their previous game. Cam Skattebo was ruled inactive before kickoff because of a hamstring injury and Devin Singletary, who started the game, had only 31 yards on 21 attempts.
Without a running attack, the passing game struggled. Nabers’ streak of 100-yard games ended at four with 43 yards on five catches. After Zvada kicked field goals on the Giants’ first two drives, they had four straight three-and-outs.
Yet when they needed points, Winston and McCarthy delivered — and the Giants left Philadelphia happy for the first time since October 2013.
Evan Barnes covers the Giants for Newsday. He previously covered the Brooklyn Nets, Memphis football and the Memphis Grizzlies and also covered prep sports in Los Angeles.
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