Giants-Texans: What to watch in Sunday's Week 7 matchup
Clockwise from left: Giants QB J.J. McCarthy, TE Isaiah Likely and WR Malik Nabers. Credit: Ed Murray
Receiving some help
J.J. McCarthy’s first start as Giants quarterback won’t be easy against a stout Texans defense, but it will be less stressful because of how well Malik Nabers and Isaiah Likely are performing.
Nabers and Likely are the only teammates ranked in the NFL’s top 10 in receptions. Nabers is fifth with 41 and Likely is right behind him at 39. Likely leads all tight ends with 383 receiving yards. Nabers enters Sunday with at least 100 receiving yards in three straight games, a career-best streak.
One thing that helps him and Likely thrive is how they communicate not just with strategy but encouragement.
“On the sideline, we're always speaking positivity to each other,” Likely said. “Letting them know that 'Leek, hey, I'm going to need you on this one.’ Or it's third down, I'm screaming to Leek on the other side of the field. Like ‘hey, Uno, go get yours.’ ”
The chemistry between the two is almost as crucial as their relationship with McCarthy, the third Giants quarterback to start a game this season. Nabers and Likely know it’s their job to help McCarthy find them, and they expect to maintain their hot start while encouraging McCarthy as their new leader.
“Some plays it might look like the play’s not to be made, and we're going to make those plays,” Nabers said. "So just trust us and we're going to get open for you. Just expect that me and Zay, Malachi [Fields], Moon [wide receiver Darnell Mooney], we're going to get open and we're going to give a good target for the QB.”
Message received
The Giants’ running back corps got smaller when Najee Harris was cut this week. For a rushing attack that has struggled, it sent a message loud and clear to Cam Skattebo.
“Nobody is safe. It’s as simple as that,” Skattebo said. “And I think when we go on the field and we perform, if we’re not performing, we understand there’s a possibility of not being here.''
John Harbaugh said Harris wasn’t released for what he did or didn’t do but because the Giants wanted to go forward with three backs. That means Skattebo should see close to his usual role after being given zero carries or receptions last week as he was disciplined for his fourth fumble.
Tyrone Tracy Jr. also should see more touches after his two-touchdown performance last week.
“He's practicing well. He's been right on with his assignments,” Harbaugh said. "And I think it's the physical nature, the way he's been running the ball, acceleration, speed, things like that have been really good.”
Weeding out the 'traitors'
If the Giants have better tackling in Houston, credit some tough words from defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson.
Wilson called Sunday’s loss against the Saints one of the Giants' worst tackling performances, especially after the Saints ran for 175 yards. He confronted players about it in team meetings and was even more blunt during his weekly news conference.
“I look at guys that don't run to the ball and I call them traitors because they're traitors to the defense,” Wilson said. “At the end of the day, when you have a traitor to the defense, you either have to make adjustments to get them off the field, you have to get somebody else on the field or they have to correct their behaviors.”
The Giants will be facing a Texans offense that is 10th in total yards per game and averaging 30.0 points the last three weeks. It’s all the more reason they can’t afford more missed tackles or assignments.
“Last week was one of those things where we did not, on every play, run to the ball, and it was unacceptable,” Wilson said. “The guys know it, and this week when you see them out there, they will be flying around 100 miles per hour with their hair on fire."
Who will wear the dot?
The Giants’ inside linebacking crew has greatly improved from last year’s defense, but that success will be tested.
Tremaine Edmunds will miss the rest of the season because of a shoulder injury, according to multiple reports. Micah McFadden is in line for his first start since Week 1 last season, when he suffered a season-ending foot injury.
McFadden and rookie Arvell Reese will man the middle of the field. Earlier this season, Harbaugh said he had three starting inside linebackers with Edmunds, Reese and McFadden. Now he’ll find out how true that is.
The question now is who will wear the green dot as the defensive play-caller, something Edmunds did all season. McFadden has done it before. If Reese does it, it’ll be another first for the rookie, but Wilson said that in training camp, multiple players got experience doing it just to be ready.
“We've done this in preseason. We've done it throughout training camp,” Wilson said. “All the guys have had the opportunity to call a defense, and we'll see how it shakes out come Sunday.”
NUMBER, PLEASE
4: Four of J.J. McCarthy’s six wins as a starter were on the road. He was 4-1 with the Vikings last season.
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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