EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- The New York Giants were unwilling to name a starting quarterback one day after J.J. McCarthy almost completed a miraculous comeback in relief of Jameis Winston against the New Orleans Saints.
Coach John Harbaugh is choosing between McCarthy and Winston for Sunday on the road against the Houston Texans.
"We're working through that now," Harbaugh said Monday. "Honing in on a decision."
McCarthy, who came to the Giants in a trade with the Minnesota Vikings late last month, threw for 243 yards after entering the game with just under 12 minutes remaining. It was the second-most passing yards in a fourth quarter by a quarterback who didn't start over the past 25 years. McCarthy led three scoring drives and had the Giants in the red zone before falling short in the final seconds of a 34-27 loss to the Saints.
Winston was unbeaten coming into Sunday in three starts for the Giants this season. He threw for 152 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions against the Saints.
Harbaugh is trying to figure out who gives the Giants the best chance to beat a Texans team with a fierce pass rush. Houston is third in the NFL with 18 sacks.
The Giants (3-2-1) have a bye week following the matchup.
"Like every personnel decision we make, what gives us the best chance to win the football game at this given time? Or what combination of players and schemes and things like that give us the best chance to, in this case, move the ball, score points, protect the football, etc.?" Harbaugh said. "So all the things that help us win."
Harbaugh said after the game Sunday that how they played would be the most important factor. It was hard to argue with McCarthy's performance.
The former top-10 pick for the Vikings did his part. Now it's on Harbaugh.
"The only thing I'm focused on is getting better each and every day," McCarthy said after the game. "At the end of the day, Coach Harbaugh has to make a lot of decisions. Those are his decisions. I trust him wholeheartedly with any decision he makes."
The Giants are taking it all into consideration though, including the opponent being Houston on Sunday and what is best for the team in the future.
The bye week is a consideration as well. It could serve as a natural landing spot for McCarthy with the extra time allowing him to get comfortable with an offense he's still learning.
"I think it's all part of it, sure," Harbaugh said.
The Giants coach added that part of the reason for not disclosing his starter at this point of the week is to gain a competitive advantage. He believes every little thing matters.
But perhaps the biggest factor in the quarterback decision is how much McCarthy's presence in the lineup can help the Giants' run game. New York has struggled badly to run the ball in recent weeks despite Harbaugh's desire for the Giants to be a running team. Their running backs had 14 carries for 34 yards Sunday.
McCarthy would allow the Giants to utilize more of the offense they designed for starter Jaxson Dart leading into the season. But Dart hurt a knee in Week 2 and forced them to turn to Winston. They catered their offense to Winston's strengths as a result. That meant few zone reads and less of the quarterback on the move.
It seems to have negatively affected the Giants' overall run game. McCarthy with his increased mobility and ability to run could provide a boost.
"The elements that we're talking about with some of the read plays and some of the different things you do moving the quarterback around, those are definitely things that are part of the equation," Harbaugh said.
The Giants have their first team meeting of the week Tuesday and practice Wednesday. The expectation is that a decision will be made before they take the field.