J.J. McCarthy, Cam Skattebo deliver as Giants stun Texans, seize control of NFC East

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 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.McCarthy, Skattebo, Nabers shine in NY victoryFor 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.jj mccarthy threw a dime to malike nabers pic.twitter.com/0mIWlr4Ws3— wok (@wokdior) October 25, 2026 One play later, Tyrone Tracy Jr. powered the ball in for a two-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 delivers late, in OTSkattebo, 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.HE WILL NOT BE DENIED 😤📺: FOX pic.twitter.com/ReAKg8Thp0— New York Giants (@Giants) October 25, 2026 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.SKATT HIT THE GAS ⛽️📺: FOX pic.twitter.com/KqbqNvcMKb— New York Giants (@Giants) October 25, 2026 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. SINGLETARY SEALS IT 🔥📺: FOX pic.twitter.com/NEB091GEyG— New York Giants (@Giants) October 25, 2026 Nabers, meanwhile, shone throughout. After setting up New York’s first score, he finished the game with 7 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.