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Harbaugh says Giants would be 'negligent' not to use J.J. McCarthy behind Winston

After J.J. McCarthy played five snaps in the Giants' 27-27 tie with Washington, coach John Harbaugh said the team will keep looking for ways to use him, while starter Jameis Winston remains the quarterback.

2 outlets · 0L · 1C · 1R First reported Account updated
Image: Newsweek
Image: Fox News

1 / 2

The story, neutrally told

Mixed · 2New York Giants head coach John Harbaugh said the team will keep working quarterback J.J. McCarthy, 23, into games behind starter Jameis Winston. Mixed · 2McCarthy played five snaps in his Giants debut, a 27-27 tie with the Washington Commanders. Mixed · 2Newsweek reports his two runs netted 2 yards and flags erased two other plays; Fox News says one of those was a screen pass to Malik Nabers called back for a penalty, and that three plays used the threat of his running to spark the struggling run game.

Mixed · 2Asked about the benefits, Harbaugh said at a Wednesday press conference that it is "a change of pace" and that "What you saw is probably not all we have for him right now," adding that whether McCarthy plays will depend on circumstances. Mixed · 2Harbaugh also said the team is always searching for ways to use its players and help win games, and "I think we’d be negligent if we didn’t try to do that." Centre · 1Both outlets say the Giants acquired McCarthy as quarterback depth after Jaxson Dart's injury; Newsweek says Dart's season ended with a Week 2 knee injury and that New York got McCarthy from the Minnesota Vikings on Sept. 28 for a 2027 fifth-round pick.

Right · 1Fox News says Winston is 2-0-1 as starter since Dart's injury, having completed 57.6% of his passes for 805 yards, six touchdowns and three interceptions in four games (three starts), and that the run game has faltered since Dart went down after a strong Week 1 win over Dallas. Centre · 1Newsweek says Nothing Harbaugh said points to McCarthy replacing Winston soon, and describes Winston as a competent No. 2 whose volatility makes him hard to lean on; it notes the 3-1-1 Giants lead the NFC East but beat the Titans and Cardinals, arguably the league's two worst teams. Mixed · 2The next game is against the New Orleans Saints, Winston's former team; Fox News expects McCarthy to spell Winston for some snaps in the Sunday 1 p.m. ET game.

Every sentence links to the reporting it rests on. The pill in front of each says where its sources sit: Left, Centre or Right when one side supplies at least half of them, Mixed when they are evenly split. The number is how many outlets it cites.

Left0 outlets

No left outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.

Centre1 outlet

Framing
Newsweek leads with Harbaugh's 'negligent' quote and evaluates the move sceptically, noting McCarthy's modest debut and the Giants' soft wins.
Emphasis
McCarthy's limited production, his past struggles, trade cost, and that Winston's job is not threatened.
Leaves out or plays down
Does not give Winston's season statistics or the Nabers screen-pass detail.
Charged language
“barely registered”“volatility”
For example
“McCarthy’s debut barely registered in a 27-27 draw against the Washington Commanders.” — Newsweek
“Winston is a competent No. 2, though his volatility makes him hard to lean on.” — Newsweek

Right1 outlet

Framing
Fox News (OutKick) frames it as a hint of an expanded McCarthy role to boost the running game.
Emphasis
Running-game spark, Winston's stats and growing comfort, and the Saints matchup.
Leaves out or plays down
Does not mention the trade details, McCarthy's Vikings history, or the Giants' strength of schedule.
Charged language
“could have bigger role”“spark the struggling running game”
For example
“Three of his plays involved using the threat of his running ability to spark the struggling running game.” — Fox News
“Winston has looked increasingly comfortable in the Giants’ offense each week.” — Fox News

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