The last time the Giants played the Commanders this year, they were lucky. This time, however, with J.J. McCarthy running the show, that was not the case. The Giants lost 24-21 to the Commanders after a solid fight. Former Eagles linebacker Emmanuel Acho was particularly critical of the QB.
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“This is the problem when you are relying on a young bull like J.J. McCarthy to take you to the promised land,” Acho said on Speakeasy. “It’s one thing to make a mistake once. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on J.J. McCarthy.
“The Commanders ran the exact same play on back-to-back plays. J.J. You got away with the first duck when [Jeremy] Reeves hit you in the arm and they dropped the pick. They run zero again, and you have no plan. Football is all about have a plan, execute the plan. … How are you surprised when you see the same play the second time? They just showed it to you.”
For what it’s worth, McCarthy did his best to win it for the Giants. Up until that fated interception, New York still had a chance to edge past Washington. Facing a 3rd-and-10 in the final minute of regulation, McCarthy directed a pass intended at Malik Nabers. Unfortunately, it was picked by Commanders cornerback Rasul Douglas.
“It’s easy to second-guess the final two passes,” McCarthy said after the loss. “The pressure was coming. It’s one-on-one outside. I wanted to give my playmaker a chance. Could’ve bought more time with a little more depth, but at the end of the day the thought process was give it to one of my guys and have him go make a play.”
But apart from the last-minute interception, McCarthy had showcased his talent, completing 23 of 36 passes for 293 yards and a touchdown, with the last-minute failed attempt being his only interception all game. But while McCarthy showed heart, Acho wasn’t letting him off the hook for the mistake.
“Hey, you showed a lot of guts,” Acho continued. “You showed a lot of toughness. But at the end of the day, are you cerebral enough to take your team to the promised land? I love your toughness, but toughness alone is not going to win you games and championships.”
McCarthy has single-handedly reversed the narrative about himself since being traded to the New York Giants by the Minnesota Vikings. In the latter team, he was often dubbed a bust, having been a first-round draft pick. He was relegated to backup duties with the arrival of Kyler Murray, and would probably never be the team’s franchise QB.
At New York, who were without Jaxson Dart and just managing with Jameis Winston, McCarthy emerged as a solid competitor right off the bat. In his first game for the Big Blue, against the New Orleans Saints, McCarthy put up 243 yards in just the final quarter. The Giants lost, but not without having found the perfect answer at QB.
McCarthy has since started three games, and lost only the one to the Commanders.
But he can’t afford to make more mistakes or loosen up in the fourth quarter anymore, costing the team games. The Giants gave life to the Commanders after going for two three-and-outs in the final five and a half minutes of the game.
“I thought [J.J.] played very well,” head coach John Harbaugh said after the game. “I mean, there were some plays made, he made some throws, scrambled. I thought J.J. played very well. I thought everybody played well. We just didn’t play quite well enough.”
The Giants still top the NFC East for now, with a record of 5-3-1 in the league. They will next clash with the Jacksonville Jaguars, who have dominated for the most part, with a 6-2 record in the league.