J.J. McCarthy plays through hip injury, Giants top Eagles

In the 3rd quarter McCarthy kept it on a zone-read, took a shot from Eagles linebacker Zack Baun and jogged off. Then he tried to warm up on the sideline and went down mid-throw.

Albert Breer

@AlbertBreer

JJ McCarthy in quite a bit of pain. Really tough break for the Giants.

Replays showed him grabbing his side as he fell. He went to the blue tent, then to the locker room with the trainers, and the Giants listed him as questionable to return with a hip injury. The hit cost the Eagles too: Baun went inside with a back injury, also questionable, and Smael Mondon took his spot next to Jeremiah Trotter Jr.

That put Jameis Winston in the game, and he did not just keep the seat warm. He led a long drive, Philly's defense blew a coverage on a switch in the red zone, and Isaiah Likely caught the touchdown that gave the Giants the lead.

Most teams ride the hot backup there. The Giants didn't. McCarthy came running back to the sideline, slapped hands with his teammates and started throwing. Winston had actually jogged onto the field for the next series before the staff waved him off.

It wasn't pretty after that. McCarthy was limping badly after a 3rd-down play in the 4th quarter and was obviously hurting. But he finished. The Giants won 19-11, their first win in Philadelphia since 2013, and they are 5-2-1 and in control of the NFC East. Ending that streak with the starter on 1 good hip is the kind of win a season gets built on.

Now comes the hard part. The Giants play again Thursday, so there are 3 days to recover instead of 6, and McCarthy sounded hopeful after the game.

ProFootballTalk

@ProFootballTalk

J.J. McCarthy: Hip feels pretty good, will do my best to be ready for Thursday. t.co/UDZGgDPXqD

"Pretty good" is about as much as a quarterback ever admits the night after a game. On a short week the practice reports will be estimates, so the first real answer is the Giants' injury designation for McCarthy before Thursday. If he can't go, Winston has already shown he can win a game for this team, and that may be the best thing to come out of Sunday.