ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler: How JJ McCarthy Changes Giants’ Offensive Scheme

ESPN's Jeremy Fowler had the Giants' quarterback news the day before. On The Rich Eisen Show, he walked Rich through how it happened, then kept going: the Eagles' murky future at quarterback, a shaken Cowboys team, a beat-up Rams roster, the trade deadline's likely buyers and sellers, a run of injury updates, and what Denver really thinks of Bo Nix.

How J.J. McCarthy became the Giants' starter

Rich wanted the timeline. Fowler said the Giants were leaning toward the move on Tuesday and eventually told both quarterbacks, J.J. McCarthy and Jameis Winston. Head coach John Harbaugh made no formal announcement to the team, and things were quiet when Fowler found out early that afternoon. It became clear once McCarthy took first-team reps in practice in front of the media.

The game plan sealed it. "McCarthy's kind of Jackson Dart adjacent as far as he can move around, similar build," Fowler said. "You can run the RPO stuff with him like you would with Jackson Dart." He doesn't have to scramble a lot, but the Giants need a threat to run that they didn't have with Winston, especially with a running game that has been struggling.

Rich asked whether that means the week one playbook is back, the one from the win over Dallas and the opening drive against the Rams at SoFi before Dart's knee injury. "To an extent," Fowler said. McCarthy has only been there about a month, while Dart had a year-plus and a full offseason with offensive coordinator Matt Nagy, so the Giants may streamline. Expect shotgun RPO looks where he can tuck it and run.

Fowler said McCarthy has worked hard to get up to speed, enough that the team can run a good amount of the playbook. Harbaugh also saw a 3-2-1 team leading the division that needed an offensive spark after hanging on the last two weeks. "He gave you the full James experience over a month," Fowler said of Winston. "That was probably enough at this point." When a coach says all options are on the table after a backup plays well, Fowler added, "If he doesn't commit to the former guy, he's going to move on to the latter."

Jalen Hurts and the Eagles in flux

"State of the Eagles is in flux," Fowler said. Several teams believe Philadelphia will reset its roster to some extent, maybe with another trade or two before the November 10th deadline. Joe Milton could get a look because he can run, more mobile than Tanner McKee. A splash move for a long-term starter is unlikely, though Fowler would never take anything off the table with general manager Howie Roseman.

Then he dropped the bigger item. "Jalen Hurts, his tenure in Philadelphia, I would probably call tenuous at this point," Fowler said. "I've talked to teams who think that maybe he's played his last down with the Eagles even though he's got 22 million guaranteed next year on his contract."

Rich made him come back to it. Fowler explained that Philadelphia, usually proactive about extending key players, had a chance to extend Hurts last offseason and didn't. He played five uneven games before going out for the year with blood clots, which Fowler took out of the equation as a life situation. Hurts has won a ton of games and would be a viable option to keep. Still, "I have talked to multiple teams who openly wonder whether he's played his last down in Philadelphia," Fowler said. They think Roseman will low-key be looking for a replacement, if he isn't already.

For now, it's McKee for at least one more week. Fowler said McKee, a four-year veteran, could even build trade value with a good game or two. Rich pointed to a defense playing lights out, with Jalen Carter playing like a Defensive Player of the Year, and asked about Milton, the former Cowboys QB2. Fowler figured the Eagles have already tapped into his knowledge of Dallas on the low. Getting Saquon Barkley back is big, he said, because the running game has been pretty non-existent without him, and Philadelphia has to look more organized than it did against Carolina. "They rolled out the ball and didn't look like they were ready to play."

A shaken Cowboys team

Fowler talked to Jerry Jones at the owners' meetings the day before. Jones acknowledged there might be another trade the Cowboys could make, though Fowler was told it isn't a front-burner issue at 2-4.

"I do sense some uneasiness with that team right now as far as like the confidence level," Fowler said. The last couple of weeks have shaken them. But in that division, Dallas might as well be 4-4. "It's the new NFC South, I would call it. There might be a seven and 10 winner out of this division this year."

The Rams are beat up

With Puka Nacua out, Rich asked for the latest on Davante Adams. Fowler spoke with someone close to Adams who said he has never really been injured severely before and hates this feeling. Adams will have a small procedure on his hamstring and hopes to be back after the bye, which Fowler believes is week 11.

The Rams have to decide whether to go get a receiver or rely on late-round picks. Tight end Terrance Ferguson, a young day three pick they really like, was supposed to benefit, but he's hurt too. Sean McVay keeps falling on the sword, and Matthew Stafford has piled up passing yards while being up and down.

Fowler doesn't expect a sell-off. "They went all in on this," he said. Myles Garrett will be back, maybe not this week. One team told Fowler the Rams' speed isn't very good, and that their best receivers, Nacua and Adams, are not burners. Whether a 2-4 team gets motivated to fix that at the deadline is the question.

Buyers and sellers at the deadline

Teams are watching the 0-6 Chargers, but the people Fowler talked to don't see Los Angeles in seller's mode yet. General manager Joe Hortiz is a Baltimore disciple, draft and develop. Still, most teams expect the Chargers to make a player or two available, whether that's Khalil Mack, fellow pass rusher Tuli Tuipulotu or receiver Quentin Johnston. Fowler mentioned the Rams possibly looking at receivers, including maybe Jordan Addison in Minnesota.

The 2-4 Colts will likely wait a week or two, with Minnesota and Jacksonville next. If they can't turn it around, they have appealing pieces on the lines in Quinnen Williams and DeForest Buckner, players teams would give up capital for.

And the 1-5 Bucs? "I suspect that if they lose to Carolina on Sunday that they are going to make some moves," Fowler said. At 1-6, it would probably be reset time.

Lamar, Charbonnet, Jacobs and Mayfield

Rich asked whether Lamar Jackson makes it back for the Bengals game. Fowler is still trying to find out. Jackson is on the practice field to some extent, but it hasn't been a swift process, and it has become something of an every-year will he, won't he. Fowler praised offensive coordinator Declan Doyle as a hot name in the coaching cycle, but said explosive plays are hard to create without Jackson. "I do expect him back at some point. I just don't know yet if it's going to be this week."

Fowler expects both Zach Charbonnet and Josh Jacobs, who is coming off the commissioner's exempt list, to play. Jacobs will be worked into the lineup with his workload managed, and week seven has been the target for Charbonnet. Baker Mayfield's dislocated thumb is the question in Tampa: can he grip the ball? "So far, so good, at least based on Wednesday's practice," Fowler said, with a decision on Friday.

What Denver really thinks of Bo Nix

Finally, the 4-2 Broncos and the conversation around Bo Nix after Ryan Fitzpatrick's comments on Prime Video following the win over Seattle. "You're using the right word, Rich, conversation," Fowler said.

The people he talked to in Denver didn't really have a problem with that Thursday night game. Sean Payton knew the way to beat a really good Seattle team was to control the ball and win the turnover battle. Denver baited Sam Darnold into two turnovers while Nix had none. "It was one of those proverbial ugly wins," Fowler said.

There are concerns, he admitted, about confidence and about Nix's mobility coming off ankle surgery. He used to run out of trouble and either isn't doing it out of hesitancy or can't yet. The running game hasn't produced explosive plays, which has hurt play action. But "they absolutely still have faith in Bo Nix and are sticking with Bo Nix," Fowler said. In fact, he was told the loss to San Francisco was more problematic than the Seattle game.