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In the Texans' inaugural season of 2002, the Texans knocked off two playoff teams. One was the Pittsburgh Steelers, and the other 2002 playoff team the Texans beat was the New York Football Giants, 16-14 at Reliant Stadium, one of four wins the Texans had in 2002.
Unfortunately, it was the last time the Texans beat the Giants. They got Eli Manning-ed for the next four matchups (2006, 2010, 2014 and 2018), and then Daniel Jones, Saquon Barkley and Dexter Lawrence dominated in a Giants win in 2022 at MetLife Stadium. So, it's one win and five losses against the G-Men, and now the Giants come to Reliant Stadium as the leaders of the NFC East on Sunday.
That said, there's some upheaval at the quarterback position, with J.J. McCarthy, acquired in a trade a month ago, starting in place of Jameis Winston, who replaced injured starter Jaxson Dart. McCarthy, the former Michigan star, fell out of favor in Minnesota in less than three years and was traded in September. Then, last week, Winston struggled as the Giants fell behind 34-10 to the New Orleans Saints. McCarthy went on a mad dash over the final 15 minutes of the game, and the Giants came up one play short, 34-27, as the Saints held on for the win.
On top of that, this is a John Harbaugh-coached team, and the Texans haven't beaten a John Harbaugh-coached team often since he's been a head coach. This team is being crafted in his image, and there are signs that it's getting where he wants it to go, but the QB issue has slowed the progress. The Texans need to send them backwards on Sunday, if you will.
With that as the backdrop, let's get to know the Texans' Week 7 foe for our first home game in three weeks: the New York Giants.
New York Giants 2026 Schedule (3-2-1)
- Week 1 – W vs. Dallas Cowboys, 28-20
- Week 2 – L at Los Angeles Rams, 28-6
- Week 3 – W vs. Tennessee Titans, 12-7
- Week 4 – W vs. Arizona Cardinals, 36-24
- Week 5 – T at Washington Commanders, 27-27 (OT)
- Week 6 – L vs. New Orleans Saints, 34-27
- Week 7 – at Houston Texans
- Week 8 – BYE
- Week 9 – at Philadelphia Eagles
- Week 10 – vs. Washington Commanders
- Week 11 – vs. Jacksonville Jaguars
- Week 12 – at Indianapolis Colts
- Week 13 – vs. San Francisco 49ers
- Week 14 – at Seattle Seahawks
- Week 15 – vs. Cleveland Browns
- Week 16 – at Detroit Lions
- Week 17 – at Dallas Cowboys
- Week 18 – vs. Philadelphia Eagles
Giants Offense by the Numbers (2026 Regular Season)
- Rushing yards per game: 109.0 (16th in the NFL)
- Passing yards per game: 199.2 (20th)
- Total offense per game: 308.2 (21st)
- Turnovers lost: 7 (3 INT, 4 fumbles lost)
Projected Giants Starting Offense for Week 7
- QB – J.J. MCCARTHY
- RB – Cam Skattebo or Tyrone Tracy Jr. or Devin Singletary
- FB – PATRICK RICARD
- WR – Malik Nabers
- WR – MALACHI FIELDS
- TE – ISAIAH LIKELY
- LT – Andrew Thomas
- LG – Jon Runyan Jr.
- C – Bryan Hudson
- RG – FRANCIS "SISI" MAUIGOA
- RT – Jermaine Eluemunor
Other key offensive pieces
- QB – Jameis Winston
- WR – CHARLIE JONES
- T – Marcus Mbow
- WR – DARNELL MOONEY
Italics – Rookie ALL CAPS – New to team in 2026
Keys to Beating J.J. McCarthy and the Giants Offense
1. Nine. Giants QB J.J. McCarthy's alter ego "Nine" drove the Giants offense in the fourth quarter last week in the near comeback win against the Saints. He just kept firing and running and firing and running, and before you knew it, the Giants were inside the red zone with one play to tie, or win, the game. OC Matt Nagy seems to like McCarthy because the QB can run more of what Nagy thought he would call with Jaxson Dart under center. But Dart got hurt, and that meant, at the time, Jameis Winston. This week, though, Nagy said that McCarthy allows the Giants OC to run the offense he wants to run. Why? McCarthy can run. He has legit 4.4 speed, and when he gets out of the pocket, he…is…dangerous. He can run power reads, zone reads, etc., that put a defense in a bind. But he's not been incredibly accurate with the ball in the passing game over the course of his career. The Texans defense needs to force the passing game on him and not let him play the backyard football that he played last week in the Meadowlands against New Orleans.
2. The Beast. One major feather in McCarthy's cap is that he has former Baltimore Ravens TE Isaiah Likely on his side. Likely followed Harbaugh over from Baltimore, and it's been one of the best things the Giants did this offseason. OC Nagy has pulled from his experience with Travis Kelce in Kansas City with Likely, and the man gets open all over the field as a result. Looking at his route chart throughout the season, it's pretty amazing how limited it was early in the season; most everything was under 15 yards, with an exception or two. The past two weeks, though, he's become more of a vertical threat in the middle of the field. And, AND where have the Texans struggled throughout this season? In the middle of the field and against tight ends. He's the one player who could aid McCarthy more than any other.
3. Mr. Nabers' Neighborhood. The last time the Texans played at Reliant Stadium, they yielded 17 receptions and a game-winning touchdown to Dallas star WR CeeDee Lamb. Now, they get to face dynamic Malik Nabers, one of the best athletes to enter the NFL in the past five to seven years. He IS the receiver room for the Giants, depending on how anyone classifies Likely, who is more WR than he is TE, if I'm being honest. Nabers, however, is more of a problem for the Texans secondary because he can be an explosive-play creator with the ball in his hands or down the field on deep shots. CeeDee created his success by finding open areas in zones and catching everything thrown to him. The Texans secondary MUST find ways to make life difficult on Nabers, contacting him on every route, being physical with him at the catch point and hitting him every time he gets his hands on the ball. He's a complete receiver, but the Texans can't allow him to go off like Lamb did three weeks ago.
Giants Defense by the Numbers (2026 Regular Season)
- Rushing yards allowed per game: 135.5 (29th in the NFL)
- Passing yards allowed per game: 190.2 (5th)
- Total offense allowed per game: 325.7 (19th)
- Turnovers generated: 9 (6 INT, 3 fumble recoveries; Giants are +2 in turnover margin)
Projected Giants Starting Defense for Week 7
- Edge – Abdul Carter
- DE – Darius Alexander
- NT – D.J. READER
- DT – SHELBY HARRIS
- Edge – Kayvon Thibodeaux
- LB – ARVELL REESE
- LB – TREMAINE EDMUNDS
- CB – Deonte Banks
- S – Tyler Nubin or Jason Pinnock
- S – Jevon Holland
- Nickel – Dru Phillips
- CB – GREG NEWSOME II or Nic Jones
Other key defensive pieces
- LB – Zaire Barnes
- LB – Micah McFadden
- CB – COLTON HOOD
- S – AR'DARIUS WASHINGTON
Italics – Rookie ALL CAPS – New to team in 2026
Keys to Beating Arvell Reese, Abdul Carter and the Giants Defense
1. The Rookie. In 2025, the Texas Longhorns and QB Arch Manning traveled to Columbus, Ohio, to take on the Ohio State Buckeyes. Manning was due to face one of the best defenses in college football, one that returned many contributors from the national championship team the year prior. As the game started, though, the linebacker wearing No. 8 kept getting my attention. It took all of about three plays to get on my phone and figure out who he was. From that point on, Giants LB Arvell Reese has been in my sights as one of the best, most athletic and most versatile chess pieces in football, at any level. Since arriving in New York, Reese has taken his game from Columbus and improved upon it for the Giants. He's a legit 4.4 sprinter at 245 pounds who can play ILB and edge equally well. He's the best player right now on this defense, and the Texans need to understand where No. 52 is at all times.
2. The Rematch. I've told Texans T Aireontae Ersery this before. I wasn't completely convinced about him as a draft prospect at the University of Minnesota back in the summer before the 2024 season. I studied him that summer and just wasn't 100% sure. Saw some good. Saw some things I thought needed work. Then, Penn State came to Minneapolis during the 2024 season, and that meant a matchup with one of the best edge rushers in the country, Penn State star Abdul Carter. Tae went to battle against the best, more than held his own against Carter, and it started to change my opinion on Tae. He's done nothing but improve since that cloudy fall day in Minneapolis in 2024, including holding the Jacksonville Jaguars' star DEs without a sack in London. So, coming back home, who will Ersery see on the other side on Sunday? Abdul Carter. This is going to be one heck of a rematch between these two, and Tae is ready for the battle, part two.
3. The Reader. Ersery's work ethic and growth reminded me of a former Texans trenches star: former Texan and current Giants defensive lineman D.J. Reader. When Reader arrived in Houston, he was coming off one of the toughest senior years possible, but he was an open book to learning and improving. By the time he left Houston for Cincinnati, he had become one of the best run-stuffing defensive linemen in the league. Over the past 10 years, not much has changed, although Reader has moved around a bit the past few years. He's seemingly found the right fit, playing for John Harbaugh in New York. Reader always struck me as a guy who would've fit right in with the Ravens, and now he's thriving in Harbaugh's defense in the middle of the formation. I still haven't seen an interior OL block him effectively in a one-on-one situation, and that's no different than it was dating back to his rookie year of 2016. If the Texans hope to go for over 100 yards on the ground as they did in London, they MUST find a way to control the big fella in the middle in his former house.
