5 things to watch as Giants face Texans in Week 7 of 2026 NFL season
· Yahoo Sports
The Giants were in a great position at 3-1 with four seemingly winnable games coming up.
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However, after a tie with the Commanders and a loss to the Saints, they find themselves on the verge of losing their grip on the NFC East if they lose again in Houston on Sunday.
Here are the main storylines to watch as the Giants face the Texans in Week 7…
A tough test against the resurgent Texans
A couple of weeks ago, Giants fans might have been looking ahead to this game as a potentially easy win. The Texans had just dropped to 0-4, losing to a Cowboys team that the Giants beat earlier in the year.
Things have turned around for the Texans since then, though, and they're now hoping for a third straight win that would put them right back in the mix in the AFC South.
Houston blew out the Titans by 23 to get back on track, then outdueled the Jaguars, 34-31, in an exciting shootout in London to improve to 2-4. This is now looking like one of New York's toughest games of the season so far.
J.J. McCarthy makes his first start
The recent trade acquisition has been named the starter for Sunday following a remarkable performance against the Saints last weekend.
McCarthy replaced the ineffective Jameis Winston in the fourth quarter with the Giants trailing the Saints, 34-10. By the end of the game, he had tied the all-time franchise record for passing yards in a quarter and had the Giants on the brink of an incredible comeback.
While the comeback bid ultimately fell short, it was enough to earn McCarthy his shot at starting in Houston. He was 6-4 as a starter last season, and will be eager to get off to a winning start as New York's new QB1.
Can the Giants run the ball on the Texans?
The Texans' resurgence has been credited in large part to head coach DeMeco Ryans taking on a more hands-on role with the defense, but they already had one of the best run defenses in the NFL.
Heading into the London game, they were No. 1 against the run and hadn't allowed any player to rush for 40 yards against them all year. While they actually gave up a season-high 106 yards on Sunday, they have held all of their other opponents to under 90 yards.
New York Giants running back Cam Skattebo (44) carries the ball as Tennessee Titans cornerback Cor'Dale Flott (18) pursues during the first half at MetLife Stadium. / Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
New York's own running game appears to be in flux as Cam Skattebo was benched for the second half of Sunday's game after reportedly complaining about a lack of touches, implying that he was being punished for a costly fumble in Washington. Veteran Najee Harris was released after complaining about a lack of touches.
Look for McCarthy to try to contribute to the running game on designed runs and scrambles.
Can Jaylin Noel continue his breakout?
Houston's best known weapon in the passing game is Nico Collins, the two-time Pro Bowler with three 1,000-yard seasons to his name. However, a new star could be emerging.
Previously considered to be mostly a return specialist, the athletic Noel had the biggest game of his career in London as he caught four passes for 107 yards and a touchdown.
Noel showcased where he's been developing his skill set with some impressive route running and good hands in Sunday's game, so he will look for more of the same against New York's banged-up secondary.
Is C.J. Stroud making the leap?
The former second overall pick hasn't had a bad start to his career, but has never really been considered to be playing up to his full potential. While he's posted a winning record as a starter in each of his three seasons, with a 4,000-yard passing season and one Pro Bowl under his belt, Stroud has arguably never looked as good as he does right now.
On course for career-best numbers in virtually every passing category, Stroud posted his third 300-yard game of the season against the Jaguars and has a sparkling quarterback rating of 116.6 over the past three weeks.
He is clearly playing with ultimate confidence right now, as evidenced by some of the tight-window throws he completed in London. It will definitely be a challenge for John Harbaugh's staff to slow Stroud down.