Giants won't name a Week 7 starter after McCarthy relieves Winston

Giants head coach John Harbaugh declined to name a starting quarterback for Week 7 after Sunday's 34-27 home loss to the Saints on Oct. 18. New York pulled Jameis Winston in the fourth quarter and sent in J.J. McCarthy, and Harbaugh would not commit to either one after the game, per ESPN's Jordan Raanan.

What is confirmed

Winston finished 14 of 26 for 152 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions, and he was sacked four times, per ESPN's box score. McCarthy went 11 of 21 for 243 yards with a touchdown and an interception in less than a quarter of work, and he ran twice for 26 yards. He led the Giants in both passing and rushing yards and nearly brought them all the way back before New Orleans held on.

NFL Network's Mike Garafolo wrote that McCarthy made his case to be the team's new starter. The team has not made that call, and nothing so far points to an injury for Winston.

Harbaugh also said the Giants "didn't bench" Cam Skattebo, who had zero carries, and that it "wasn't by design."

What RSO owners should do now

Winston owners should hold, but treat his job as genuinely open. A coach who won't name his starter after a benching is leaving room for a change. If Winston carries a real cap hit in your league, start lining up a backup now instead of waiting for the depth chart.

McCarthy is the add. In leagues where he sits on waivers, he is worth a claim for any team that starts two quarterbacks or runs thin at the position. Keep the bid and contract cheap until New York decides.

Giants pass catchers should hold. McCarthy pushed the ball downfield in relief, which helps the receivers. Skattebo owners should hold too, since Harbaugh framed the zero-carry day as a game-flow issue, not a demotion.

What to watch next

The first practice reports and any midweek word from Harbaugh on the starter. First-team reps for McCarthy on Wednesday would turn this from a benching into a quarterback change and move both players' values for the rest of the season.