The season opened on a Sunday night at home against Dallas, and Jaxson Dart played the way the Giants hoped he would in his second year. He completed 23 of 29 passes for 230 yards and three touchdowns in a 28-20 win.

Eight days later, on Monday night in Los Angeles, he hurt his left knee early in a 28-6 loss to the Rams. He had surgery that week and is out for at least the rest of the regular season.

Jameis Winston took over. The first win was ugly: 12-7 over Tennessee without a touchdown and with 238 yards of offense. The next was not. He threw three touchdowns in a 36-24 win over Arizona.

On Sept. 28, between those two games, the Giants traded a 2027 fifth-round pick to Minnesota for J.J. McCarthy, the 10th pick in the 2024 draft, who had fallen to third on the Vikings’ depth chart.

1. Sept. 27Beat Tennessee 12-7. Winston: 14 of 22, 118 yards.
2. Sept. 28McCarthy arrives from Minnesota for a 2027 fifth-round pick.
3. Oct. 4Beat Arizona 36-24. Winston: 250 yards, three touchdowns, two interceptions.
4. Oct. 11Tie at Washington, 27-27. Winston: 33 of 54, 326 yards, three touchdowns.
5. Oct. 18Lost 34-27 to New Orleans. Winston threw two interceptions, and McCarthy replaced him early in the fourth quarter.

The Giants trailed 27-13 at Washington after Jayden Daniels ran 26 yards for a touchdown and threw the two-point conversion to Terry McLaurin with 11:05 to play. Daniels ran for 103 yards and two touchdowns that day.

New York scored the last 14 points of regulation, and then nobody scored in overtime.

1. 11:05, Q4Daniels 26-yard touchdown run and two-point pass: Washington 27, Giants 13.
2. 7:20, Q4Winston to Isaiah Likely, 17 yards: 27-20.
3. 1:43, Q4Winston to Malik Nabers, 17 yards, finishing a 10-play, 72-yard drive: 27-27.
4. 7:57, OTDominic Zvada misses a 46-yard field goal wide left.
5. 1:55, OTCam Skattebo fumbles at the Washington 24. Shy Tuttle recovers.
6. 0:00, OTWashington reaches the Giants’ 24, but Daniels is sacked by Tremaine Edmunds as time runs out.

McCarthy’s first real playing time came in that loss to New Orleans. The Giants trailed 27-10 after three quarters. He came in after Winston’s second interception. His first drive also ended in an interception, but the next three produced 17 points before the Giants lost by seven.

He has started both games since, and the Giants have won both. In Houston he completed 20 of 28 passes for 252 yards without a turnover, and Devin Singletary won it with a 30-yard touchdown run in overtime. In Philadelphia on Sunday he hurt his hip, missed part of the third quarter, and came back to finish a 19-11 win.

Yards per pass attempt, 2026

The Giants have not won by overpowering anyone. Their point differential is plus-10, the same as 4-5 Dallas, and they have turned the ball over 12 times while forcing 10.

What they have done is win close games. They are 4-1-1 in games decided by eight points or fewer, and the defense has carried the last two. Houston and Philadelphia scored 21 and 11. The Giants sacked Philadelphia seven times on Sunday, three by rookie Arvell Reese, who was named the NFC’s defensive player of the week.

Giants sacks by game

The Commanders arrive at 2-5-1, third in the NFC East and ahead of only 2-7 Philadelphia. Daniels dislocated his left elbow in Week 2 and missed the next two games. Marcus Mariota won one start and hurt his knee in the other, and rookie Athan Kaliakmanis finished that loss to Indianapolis.

Daniels has been back since Week 5, the tie. Washington is 1-4-1 in his starts, and it lost 20-13 to the Rams on Sunday.

The Giants lead the NFC East, ahead of 4-5 Dallas, and are 2-0-1 in the division. If the season ended today, they would be the NFC’s No. 3 seed.

Thursday is McCarthy’s first home start. The Giants are calling it a White Out and will wear their vintage white uniforms. McCarthy and Skattebo both practiced fully on Tuesday.

1. Thursday, Nov. 12Commanders at Giants, MetLife Stadium, 8:15 p.m. ET (3:15 a.m. Friday in Cairo).
2. Sunday, Nov. 22Jaguars at Giants, moved to 4:25 p.m. ET (11:25 p.m. in Cairo).