J.J. McCarthy made his latest appearance in last Sunday’s tie with the Commanders, and the Giants came away with a clear sign that his role is still in the early stages. He played five snaps, had two carries for two yards, and saw two plays wiped out by penalties.
That is why the JJ McCarthy Giants debut is drawing attention now: the number of snaps was small, but the team’s plan is not. After the game, John Harbaugh said the Giants will keep searching for ways to use McCarthy and give him chances to help win games, calling the benefits of the package “a change of pace” and adding that it would be negligent not to try to use all the players available.
McCarthy’s brief run mattered less for what he did in the box score than for what it hinted at. He has been with the Giants for only a couple of weeks, and the team is still sorting out how to fold him into the offense. A short look is not much to build on, but it is enough to show the Giants are interested in finding a role that goes beyond a token touch here and there.
At the same time, the Commanders did not appear thrown by anything McCarthy showed while he was on the field. That is the friction inside the plan: the Giants want to keep using him, but the first sample was modest and did not force the defense to change its approach. Two carries for two yards is a start, not a breakthrough.
Still, the direction is clear. Harbaugh said what fans saw is probably not all the Giants have for McCarthy right now, and that his chances of making a difference should grow as the menu of plays for him expands. For now, his latest outing reads like the first step in a larger effort, not the finished product.
The next question is not whether the Giants will keep trying to use McCarthy. They will. It is how quickly they turn those few snaps into a real offensive package that forces opponents to account for him every time he is on the field.
