Analyzing J.J. McCarthy's initial Giants performance and possible impact against Texans

Giants head coach John Harbaugh made it official at practice on Wednesday: J.J. McCarthy will start in Houston on Sunday .

After his spectacular comeback bid against the New Orleans Saints in Week 5, what did we learn about how McCarthy fits in with the Giants, and what we can expect from him against the Texans?

Let's break down the key plays in McCarthy's performance...

4th quarter, 10:27 to go – 3rd and 10 at the Saints' 44, Giants trailing 34-10

It's easily forgotten in the hype surrounding his overall performance, but McCarthy actually didn't get off to such a great start. While his first pass - a dump-off to Devin Singletary - went for 19 yards into Saints territory, McCarthy's next two were off the mark, leaving him facing a 3rd-and-long.

On a quick pass underneath, McCarthy threw behind an open Malachi Fields and was intercepted by Martin Emerson Jr. On the play, Fields ran an inside-out route and broke back to the outside right as McCarthy was releasing the pass to him underneath.

This was more of a case of two players not being on the same page due to a lack of chemistry than being anyone's fault. It's still relevant, though, because it's not going to be easy to develop that chemistry overnight. So we can perhaps expect further mistakes of this nature due to communication issues.

4th quarter, 8:24 to go – 1st and 10 at the Saints' 40, Giants trailing 34-10

New Orleans fumbled the ball back to the Giants two plays after Emerson's interception, and McCarthy capitalized with a drive that culminated in Tyrone Tracy 's five-yard touchdown run.

McCarthy's second completion of the game was the one that really seemed to get him going, as Malik Naber s ran a deep over route and McCarthy let rip with a throw down the seam that Nabers hauled in with a leaping grab for 27 yards.

The receivers really stepped up for McCarthy in this game, feeding off the energy of the crowd as he started to get in rhythm. There were a handful of leaping or diving catches, and Isaiah Likely made a one-handed snag on the two-point conversion after the Tracy score.

4th quarter, 5:54 to go – 1st and 10 at the Giants' 27, New York trailing 34-18

McCarthy had plenty of time here, as the Saints sent a four-man rush and one of the four ended up on the ground. He once again uncorked a deep throw, but this time it was underthrown.

On this occasion, McCarthy was the beneficiary of some serious good fortune. The ball rattled out of the hands of the New Orleans defensive back and bobbled up into the air, where Charlie Jones came down with it for a 49-yard gain.

He was lucky again on the next play as Emerson jumped the route on the outside for an apparent interception, only for McCarthy to be spared by the replay booth.

Even the most optimistic Giants fan would have to accept that McCarthy is likely to make some mistakes and may need the bounces to go in his favor at times.

4th quarter, 5:11 to go – 2nd and 10 at the Saints' 24, Giants trailing 34-18

On the very next play after his reprieve from the replay booth, McCarthy connected with Likely in the end zone as he ran down the seam and went up high for another leaping catch. Here you can easily see McCarthy's growing confidence in his teammates' ability to make a play for him if he puts the ball in a spot where they can get after it.

Crucially, though, his throw to Nabers on the two-point conversion that would have made it a one-score game was too high.

McCarthy continued to be in rhythm on his next drive, mostly taking advantage of what the defense was giving him underneath. But he also mixed in another deep connection with Nabers to set up a quick field goal to bring them within seven and give them time to get the ball back.

4th quarter, 40 seconds to go – 2nd and 10 at the Saints' 43, Giants trailing 34-27

McCarthy opened this drive with a long scramble, then made his best throw of the day to take the Giants to the edge of the red zone with 30 seconds remaining.

This was an incredibly tight window throw to Likely on a deep over route, ripped just over the head of a leaping linebacker but in front of two defensive backs. That's the type of throw that will have Giants coaches optimistic that McCarthy can live up to his draft position after all.

From there, the Giants ultimately ran out of time, as they had to spike the ball on first and third down when Nabers' second down catch was just short of the marker. This limited them to one fourth down shot at the end zone that was incomplete.

McCarthy got into a nice rhythm in this game, and his team was clearly energized as he gave them a spark. Some of that was attributable to the Saints playing their safeties deep and trying to keep everything in front of them, but he still deserves credit for changing the momentum with his performance.

With that said, he was in a position where he didn't have anything to lose, so he was able to take a lot of chances that the Giants may be reluctant for him to take in Sunday's game -- so he may end up in more of a game manager role.

Nevertheless, McCarthy's run threat, ability to command the huddle, and success with downfield throws are all positive signs that will give him and his coaches confidence heading into Week 7.

The challenge should not be underestimated, though, because - after an 0-4 start - the Texans have won two straight in impressive fashion and DeMeco Ryans has the defense playing really well. McCarthy wasn't impressive in his 10 starts last season, but the Vikings did win six of them. So if he can lead New York to a win on Sunday, the rest of the season could get very interesting.