Jason Owens Staff writer Updated Mon, October 26, 2026 at 12:01 AM UTC About Our Ads Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In this story With the Cowboys and Eagles both struggling, there appeared to be no takers to compete for the NFC East.
Maybe it's the New York Giants after all.
With J.J. McCarthy making his first start for the team and Cam Skattebo back from bench relegation, the Giants stunned the heavily favored Texans in Houston on Sunday with a 27-21 overtime win .
The Texans scored late in regulation to force the extra session. But a stop by New York's defense and a big run by Skattebo in overtime sparked the Giants to victory.
With the win, the Giants improved to 4-2-1 to seize control of the NFC East, firmly ahead of the 2-4 Cowboys and Eagles and 1-4-1 Commanders. The Texans, meanwhile, fell to 2-5 in a significant setback to their playoff prospects after a two-game win streak renewed hope in Houston of a run to the postseason.
For New York, the Giants found a formula that they hope is repeatable. McCarthy, making his first start since arriving via trade from the Minnesota Vikings, was accurate and efficient against a strong Texans defense.
The Vikings bailed on McCarthy just 10 starts into his NFL career after selecting him in the first round of the 2024 draft. He won the Giants job after thriving in relief of Jameis Winston last week in which he threw for 243 yards in the fourth quarter. He was efficient again on Sunday while completing 20-of-28 passes for 252 yards (9 yards per attempt) without turning the ball over.
He didn't throw a touchdown, but he set the Giants up for a tone-setting score on their first possession with a 42-yard deep ball to Malik Nabers .
One play later, Tyrone Tracy Jr. powered the ball in for a 2-yard touchdown for a 7-3 lead, and the Texans were on notice. From there, McCarthy played largely mistake-free football while keeping New York's offense moving.
Skattebo, meanwhile, returned after being benched in Week 6 due to fumbling problems. He did so with purpose and his trademark bowling-ball running style. Skattebo carried the ball 17 times for 124 yards (7.3 yards per carry) and set up New York for the game-winning score in overtime.
He secured a 21-14 Giants lead with a 16-yard touchdown run with 8:55 remaining in regulation.
The Texans responded with a game-tying touchdown with 52 seconds remaining to send the game to overtime.
From there, a Giants defense that bottled up C.J. Stroud throughout the game set New York up for the win. The Giants forced a three-and-out from Houston on the first possession of overtime to regain the ball with a chance for a walkoff victory.
Skattebo seized on the opportunity. On New York's second play of overtime, he broke free for a 42-yard run into Houston territory.
Former Texans running back Devin Singletary followed up with a 30-yard touchdown run on the next play to secure the walk-off win and send the Giants sideline into a frenzy.
Nabers, meanwhile, shone throughout. After setting up New York's first score, he finished the game with seven catches for 111 yards.
New York's defense did the rest while limiting the Texans to 237 yards of offense and holding Stroud to his lowest output of the season with 153 passing yards. Stroud threw two touchdowns and didn't turn the ball over, but he averaged just 5.5 yards per attempt while completing 17 of his 28 attempts.
The Giants and Texans will each go into a bye in Week 8 on different trajectories. The Texans will return in Week 9 to face the Los Angeles Chargers with their postseason hopes hanging by a thread.
The Giants, meanwhile, will return to face the Eagles after the bye with a chance to strengthen their grip on the NFC East.
On the very next play after Skattebo's big run, Devin Singletary bobbed and weaved his way through the defense, his former team.
Singletary took it to the house for a 30-yard score.
Giants running back Cam Skattebo broke through the offensive line and took off down the field.
Skattebo scampered for 42 yards down to the Houston 30-yard line. He slid as he went down and it looked like he may have been shaken up.
Houston didn't gain a yard with its first possession in overtime.
The Texans had a 0-yard run, and then CJ Stroud had two incompletions before Houston punted.
The Texans have gotten the ball first in OT. Reminder: both teams get a chance at possession, so even an opening-drive TD doesn't end the game unless it happens to take 10 minutes.
New York only had a minute left in regulation, but JJ McCarthy was unable to get the offense down the field.
The Giants and Texans will be heading to overtime with the score tied at 21.
CJ Stroud scrambled just long enough to find a passing lane to get a ball to Xavier Hutchinson. The wide receiver held on for the 3-yard touchdown.
Houston opted to kick the PAT and this game is tied with 52 seconds left.
New York is leading 21-14, but the Giants' most recent drive lasted just three plays and they lost 10 yards. Probably more importantly, New York only took 1:39 off the clock.
Houston tried to get creative. Xavier Hutchinson caught a pass and tried to lateral it to Woody Marks. The running back couldn't come down with it cleanly, and fumbled.
He was able to recover it, but the Texans decided to punt.
New York leads 21-14 with 6:45 left in the game.
Giants running back Cam Skattebo was practically benched last week. This week he got a carry and took it 16 yards and bullied his way into the end zone for the go-ahead touchdown against the Texans.
New York is getting creative. Jameis Winston took over under center for what was assumed to be a tush push. The ball ended up in the hands of Cam Skattebo who took the carry around the edge and picked up 19 yards.
Houston's latest drive ended in a punt. Facing fourth and 1 earlier in the drive on their own 42-yard line, DeMeco Ryans went for it, and CJ Stroud got it.
A rush for a loss of three yards and two incompletions later, though, the Texans ended up punting it anyway.
The game remains tied 14 all with 21 seconds left in the third quarter.
New York opened the second half with a punt, and Houston is giving it right back to them. The Texans ran three plays, gained nine yards, and opted to punt since Houston was on its own 23-yard line.
New York wasn't able to muster anything to begin the second half. The Giants ran eight plays and picked up 33 yards, but the drive ended in a punt.
Giants rookie kicker Dominic Zvada is having a game to forget. He missed another kick, this one from 44 yards out.
The Texans and Giants are tied at 14 heading into halftime. New York will have the ball after the break.
Marvin Harrison Jr. has his first TD with the Texans. The former college teammates connected for Houston's first TD of the game against the Giants with a 6-yard score right before halftime.
Houston opted to go for two. Cade Stover took the shovel pass into the end zone for the successful conversion, tying the game at 14.
Tank Dell is playing in his first football game in 673 days. The Texans wide receiver was able to catch a pass from CJ Stroud in space and took it for 43 yards.
JJ McCarthy got the Giants all the way to the goal line. After New York was stuffed at the line, Jameis Winston came in and was able to push the ball into the end zone thanks to a tush push.
Houston now trails New York by just one point.
After a seven-play drive that went 39 yards, the Texans ran out of steam. Kicker Ka'imi Fairbairn came on and nailed a 57-yard field goal.
New York leads 7-6 with 9:03 left in the first half.
Danielle Hunter sacked JJ McCarthy on first down for a loss of five. It was Hunter's fourth sack of the season so far.
Skattebo was stuffed for no yards, and then McCarthy found Devin Singletary for a gain of nine. With the lost yards from the sack, New York opted to punt.
The Texans faced third-and-16 on their own 40-yard line. New York sacked CJ Stroud despite offensive holding.
Rather than accepting the penalty, Giants head coach John Harbaugh opted to decline the penalty to bring up fourth and 16, forcing Houston to punt as the second quarter begins.
Source: Sports
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