The Washington Commanders have a must-win game against the New York Giants in Week 5. And they might have a new quarterback to stop.
New York recently struck a trade for J.J. McCarthy, sending a 2027 fifth-round selection to the Minnesota Vikings to secure his services. Things went sour quickly for the NFC North club, which expected the No. 10 pick in 2024 to become its franchise presence under center.
That didn't pan out, but the Giants saw something in McCarthy they could salvage. And despite the G-Men being 3-1 after beating the Arizona Cardinals, head coach John Harbaugh hasn't ruled out a quarterback switch for their trip to Washington.
J.J. McCarthy starting in Week 5 would be music to Commanders' ears
When discussing the plan at football's most important position, Harbaugh said installing McCarthy in the starting lineup is a possibility, though they'll have to see how he fares in practice this week.
"I think that's a possibility. We'll see how it goes during the week, but that's definitely on the table."
This might be mind games to keep the Commanders guessing. Moving off Jameis Winston when the Giants have momentum is a big call. At the same time, they didn't trade for McCarthy to have him sit on the sidelines without Jaxson Dart to depend on.
But if the Giants pull the trigger, that will play right into defensive coordinator Daronte Jones' hands.
If anyone would know how to make McCarthy uncomfortable, it's Jones. He was Brian Flores' right-hand man in Minnesota and has worked with and against McCarthy. There may be a few unknowns in the Giants' scheme, but the first-year NFL play-caller should know exactly how to exploit his clear weaknesses.
Daronte Jones would know exactly how to expose J.J. McCarthy's weaknesses
Whether that will impact the Giants' thought process is debatable. But if Harbaugh does go with McCarthy over Winston, one could forgive Jones for cracking a wry smile at this development.
The Commanders will prepare for both quarterbacks. Thanks to Jones' precious knowledge, preparing for McCarthy will probably be easier than preparing for Winston, given that he could be anything from week to week and is extremely erratic.
The Giants will not have the element of surprise with their new acquisition, not against Jones.
He saw up close how things unraveled for McCarthy. While much of that time was spent on the shelf, he also likely joined behind-the-scenes discussions with the coaching staff that can be recalled in readiness for his potential presence under center in a different environment.
In a game that could be decided by fine margins, that could make a massive difference.
Realistically, the Giants will probably roll with Winston for another week.
He's only completing 55.1 percent of his passes and is a turnover waiting to happen. But he's experienced, knows the system, and has the locker room's full belief.
The leash might be shorter with McCarthy around. Even so, against a divisional opponent with the chance to go 4-1, it's the safest play.
McCarthy is the wild card, of course. But if Harbaugh is satisfied with his progress in practice, he might just roll the dice.
And that would be music to Jones' ears.
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