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The six things we learned from Giants’ Week 6 loss: The running back plan didn’t make a lot of sense

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Cite

Schwartz, P. (2026, October 19). The six things we learned from Giants’ Week 6 loss: The running back plan didn’t make a lot of sense. New York Post. https://nypost.com/2026/10/19/sports/the-six-things-we-learned-from-giants-week-6-loss-failed-running-plan/

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New York Post · collected 2026-10-19 · by Paul Schwartz

Quick Summary

In their Week 6 loss to the Saints, the New York Giants saw an unexpected 34-point deficit after halftime, turning a promising start into a 34-27 defeat at MetLife Stadium. Backup quarterback J.J. McCarthy led a spirited fourth-quarter comeback that showcased his talent and potential leadership qualities, despite the team’s overall loss and inability to reach 4-0 at home for the first time since 2008. The article highlights how players’ loyalty may shift towards McCarthy if head coach John Harbaugh decides to start him in Week 7 against Houston, without expecting significant resistance from the team.
Written by AI on 2026-10-19, from this article's own text only (the story summary below draws on all the coverage).

AI analysis

Story summary

J.J. McCarthy entered the game for Jameis Winston after Winston threw two interceptions and was ineffective, leading a fourth-quarter rally but ultimately unable to secure victory as the Giants lost 34-27 to the Saints. The loss marked the first time since 2008 that the Giants could not achieve a 4-0 home record at MetLife Stadium. Coach John Harbaugh also benched running back Cam Skattebo, who had fumbled four times and lost one this season, further complicating the team's offensive strategy moving forward. The Saints' victory ended their three-game skid and provided them with momentum heading into an overseas game in Paris against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Backup cornerbacks Kool-Aid McKinstry and Quincy Riley struggled significantly against Giants receivers Malik Nabers and Isaiah Likely during the game, allowing for substantial yardage and a touchdown. Despite the loss, McCarthy's performance sparked discussions about potential quarterback changes within the team. The Saints' defense managed to secure a crucial fourth-down stop in the end zone, preventing a comeback attempt by the Giants. This victory was particularly significant as it provided relief from recent struggles and dissatisfaction among ownership. The Saints now aim to build on this win with their upcoming game against the Steelers in Paris.

Written for “Giants' Loss to Saints” on 2026-10-31, grounded in this article and the 12 other(s) covering the same event.

Story

📰 Giants' Loss to Saints
Sports · 13 article(s) covering the same event. See how they differ ↓

Compared with similar articles

This article reads unscored and hedges 15% of its claims. Each row says how that neighbour differs.
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Hedges 1 of 20 claims Outlet record 66/100
Toronto Star
Hedges 1 of 38 claims Outlet record 64/100
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Hedges 3 of 25 claims Outlet record 66/100
“Article A discusses injury updates for Giants players, while Article B covers the results and analysis of a Week 6 game against the Saints.”
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Hedges 0 of 24 claims Outlet record 66/100
“The articles describe different stages of the Giants' season; Article A discusses expectations before their game against the Saints, while Article B covers the actual loss in Week 6.”
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Hedges 4 of 59 claims Outlet record 66/100
“The articles describe different games from distinct weeks (Week 6 vs. Week 4 and Week 5 predictions)”
New York Post
Hedges 0 of 17 claims Outlet record 66/100
“The first article provides pre-game information for the Saints vs. Giants game, while the second article discusses post-game analysis and outcomes of what appears to be a different or later game.”
New York Post
Hedges 0 of 5 claims Outlet record 66/100
New York Post
Hedges 0 of 7 claims Outlet record 66/100
“The articles discuss different aspects of the Giants' Week 6 game and do not focus on the same specific incident.”
How this article was measured signals, leaning charts, publisher record, byline, topics and claims

Signals How these are calculated →

Claims extracted
13
sentences that state something as happening or true
Uncertain
15%
2 of 13 hedged ("reportedly", "may", "according to")
Leaning
not political
takes no side on a contested political question
Publisher signals
66/100
New York Post's corrections and hedging, across everything collected from it. Not a measure of accuracy.
Outlets on this story
13
Sports
Same framing elsewhere
1
articles that frame the event the way this one does
Analyzed 2026-10-19 · how these are computed

How this is being covered How these are calculated →

Article leaning vs. publisher reliability
Source leaning vs. consistency

Publisher

New York Post · 15592 article(s) · 35 correction(s) detected
Running correction rate · 35 correction(s)

Who wrote this

Paul Schwartz
49 article(s) here · 1 carrying a prediction
🔮 This was a top-level outing for the offensive line and especially the two ailing tackles, Andrew Thomas and Jermaine Eluemunor, who did yeoman work against gifted edge rushers Danielle Hunter and Will Anderson.
🔮 This week, the coaching staff told Deonte Banks that he would be following Nico Collins, the Texans’ top wide receiver, all over the field.
🔮 It is definitely possible that the addition of J.J. McCarthy in the starting lineup will help the Giants get back to the business of running the ball at an acceptable rate, perhaps as soon as Sunday against the Texans.
🔮 There was an expectation Holland would be able to clear the protocol and make it back for this game, as he was able to get on the field and practice on a limited basis Thursday and Friday.
🔮 The Giants had been 3-0 at MetLife Stadium but could not get to 4-0 at home for the first time since 2008.
🔮 The Saints could not run the ball, nor could they stop the run.
🔮 Just because they wanted to do it and were determined to establish that this would be their identity did not make it so.
🔮 Even though the Giants hired John Harbaugh, there were not many great expectations for how they would fare this season from outside the building.
🔮 The thinking is the trailing team will need 15 points to win the game, so go for two after the first touchdown and if you do not get it, go for two after the second touchdown.
🔮 There is also no doubt the Giants were incredibly fortunate that the Commanders in the final minute of overtime offered a What Not To Do tutorial to anyone watching who could not believe their eyes.
Also by Paul Schwartz
Nothing else under this byline is closely related to this article, so these are simply their most recent.
All 49 articles by Paul Schwartz →

Topics

Giants Houston Saints

Subjects

Giants ORG · 6× McCarthy PERSON · 3× J.J. PERSON · 2× Saints ORG · 2× Houston GPE · 1× J.J. McCarthy PERSON · 1× Jameis Winston PERSON · 1× John Harbaugh PERSON · 1× Paul Schwartz PERSON · 1× Tyrone Tracy Jr. PERSON · 1×

Narrative

By the time the Giants shook off those repeated body blows, they were down 34-10 and their frantic fourth-quarter comeback behind backup quarterback J.J. McCarthy fell short in a troubling 34-27 loss.
framing: assertive · carried by 1 article(s) · first seen 2026-10-19
🔮 The Giants had been 3-0 at MetLife Stadium but could not get to 4-0 at home for the first time since 2008.

Claims (13 extracted, 2 hedged)

At 10-0 late in the second quarter, the Giants were not exactly dominating but they were in control of their game Sunday against the Saints. asserted
they → dominate → Saints
Allowing a 58-yard field goal should have meant the Giants went in at halftime ahead 10-3. asserted
Giants → allow → halftime
That did not happen. asserted
That → happen → ?
As it turned out — and this was totally, completely unexpected — that long-distance field goal opened the floodgates for 34 consecutive points for the Saints. asserted
goal → turn → Saints
By the time the Giants shook off those repeated body blows, they were down 34-10 and their frantic fourth-quarter comeback behind backup quarterback J.J. McCarthy fell short in a troubling 34-27 loss. asserted
comeback → shake → loss
The Giants had been 3-0 at MetLife Stadium but could not get to 4-0 at home for the first time since 2008. uncertain
Giants → get → 2008
SIGN UP NOWHere are some musings about what went down and what might come next: — Players are loyal to teammates but mostly want to win more than anything else. uncertain
Players → sign → anything
The guys getting the ball on offense in the fourth quarter saw how McCarthy ran around, fired fastballs all over the field and made things happen. asserted
things → get → field
This mode of operation is not sustainable, of course, but the wild fourth quarter did put some of McCarthy’s talent on display. asserted
quarter → put → display
“J.J.’s a natural leader, what he’s like in the huddle, that’s how he acts every single day,’’ running back Tyrone Tracy Jr. said. asserted
Jr. → ’ → huddle
“He’s a natural-born leader. asserted
He → ’ → ?
I think J.J. came in and played a heck of a game, shoot, came in there and brought us back in the game.’’ asserted
J.J. → think → game
Jameis Winston is quite popular in the locker room but if John Harbaugh decides to go with McCarthy in Week 7 in Houston, there will not be a player revolt. asserted
Harbaugh → decide → Houston
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