Skip to main content
New York Giants homepage
Advertising

Giants News | New York Giants – Giants.com

ForF_100x30

Presented by

Fact or Fiction: Stat predictions for Week 7

TYRONE-TRACY-FOF

The Giants.com crew is presented with four statements and must decide whether they are Fact or Fiction.

J.J. McCarthy will have at least five rushing attempts.

John Schmeelk: Fact – I'm not sure these are going to be designed runs either. With elite pass rushers Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter screaming off the edge, I could easily see McCarthy having to scramble up through the pocket and run a number of times in this game to escape pressure. I'm going to go with two designed runs and four scrambles for McCarthy. The Texans' run defense ranks third in the NFL in yards per carry and yards per play. They might push the Giants into more of a passing game, leading to more scrambles.

Dan Salomone: Fact – Jaxson Dart had 11 rushing attempts in his first and only full game of the season. J.J. McCarthy has a similar set of skills, which will put more of the original offense back in play. "We talked about percentages the first time we were here, right?" offensive coordinator Matt Nagy said this week. "You talked about whether it's 30 percent of the offense is gone. Well, maybe now 20 percent of that 30 that was gone is back."

Matt Citak: Fact – McCarthy's mobility played a part in him being named the starting quarterback this week, as it should at least somewhat help alleviate the pressure faced from the Texans' pass rush. Now it might not be all designed runs, but I do believe McCarthy finishes with at least five rushing attempts. Since last season, McCarthy has scrambled 19 times for 185 yards and three touchdowns, with his 9.7 yards per scramble leading all quarterbacks with at least 15 carries. We saw him do this last week with his 28-yard scramble on the final drive, which got the ball into Saints' territory.

The Texans have the toughest pass rush on the Giants' schedule this season.

John Schmeelk: Fact – They certainly have the best tandem of pass pushers with Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter, especially since the Giants avoided Myles Garrett in Week 2. There is a debate to be had whether the Texans' overall pass rush is better than the Seahawks. Seattle has a 4.5 percent higher pressure rate, but a 12 percent higher blitz rate, which probably negates that advantage. The Seahawks might be better from the interior with Byron Murphy and Leonard Williams but lack the level of edge rushers like Anderson and Hunter. I will give the slight edge to Houston since their sack rate is higher than the Seahawks. The Browns are a sleeper team here since they have the fourth-highest sack rate in the league.

Dan Salomone: Fact – Since the Texans teamed Will Anderson Jr. with Danielle Hunter in 2024, the duo leads the NFL with 60.5 combined sacks. Pass rush takes coordination between the entire defense, and Houston does that well. Since DeMeco Ryans took over defensive play-calling duties in Week 5, the Texans are blitzing roughly 12 percent more and allowing 10 fewer points per game.

Matt Citak: Fact – The Lions (Week 16) currently lead the NFL with 20 sacks in just five games, while the Browns (Week 15) are second with 19 in six contests. Meanwhile, the Seahawks (Week 14) have one of defenses in the league, if not the best. And yet, I still have to give the edge to the Texans here. Will Anderson Jr. is firmly in the Defensive Player of the Year conversation with his league-leading 7.5 sacks, and Danielle Hunter is coming off four straight seasons with 10+ sacks, including 15 last year. Add in backup Jadeveon Clowney and interior lineman Sheldon Rankins, combined with DeMeco Ryans' aggressive scheme, and it's easy to see why Houston has the toughest pass rush on the schedule this year.

View photos of the Giants on the practice field as they prepare for their Week 7 matchup against the Texans.

Malik Nabers will have a fourth consecutive game with 100 receiving yards.

John Schmeelk: Fiction – I could end up being wrong here since the Texans give up more completions of 15 or more yards (45) than any team in the league, but I have too much respect for Derek Stingley Jr. and Kamari Lassiter to go with "fact". The Texans are much more vulnerable in the middle of the field than they are on the perimeter, so this might be a game where Isaiah Likely gets a few more looks between the safeties and linebackers for big gains, rather than Nabers.

Dan Salomone: Fact – I went "fiction" last week when we talked about him getting to three straight games. And I got burned. I learned my lesson. Let's go with "fact" until he proves otherwise. More impressive than the yards has been the degree of difficulty on some of the catches.

Matt Citak: Fact – Reaching 100 yards against Derek Stingley Jr. and the Texans secondary is a tall task for any wide receiver, even for one of the league's best like Nabers. But Matt Nagy has done a great job of moving Nabers around the formation in order to set him up with positive matchups. During last week's game, Nabers lined up in the slot on a season-high 41.3 percent of his routes, a significantly higher rate than the first five weeks of the season. According to NGS, Nabers' 4.7 receptions over expected from the slot is the most among wide receivers. I expect that trend to continue this weekend, which will lead to another 100-yard game from the talented wideout.

Tyrone Tracy Jr. will find the end zone again on Sunday.

John Schmeelk: Fiction – Tracy is someone who is more likely to score in non-goal line situations with his usage in the pass game and as a perimeter runner, so I think Cam Skattebo and Devin Singletary are safer bets here. They are more likely to see the ball in the red zone, though if the Giants are forced to enter more of a pass-first mode, all bets are off with Tracy as the team's third down back.

Dan Salomone: Fact – Asked Friday about whether Tracy's two-touchdown performance earned him more snaps on Sunday, Harbaugh said "yes" before going into detail on how he has practiced well. "He's been right on with his assignments," Harbaugh added. "And I think it's the physical nature, the way he's been running the ball, acceleration, speed, things like that have been really good."

Matt Citak: Fiction – Tracy was able to find the end zone twice last Sunday, one on the ground and once through the air. I expect the third-year back to continue his role as the third down/pass-catching back, and against a surging Texans team, this could mean more opportunities in the second half. But I think this is the week Cam Skattebo finds the end zone again for the first time since Week 1. I also wouldn't be surprised if McCarthy scored one with his legs, as well. Tracy will have his opportunities moving forward, and he could catch a decent number of passes on Sunday, but finding the end zone might be tough.

View rare photos of the all-time history between the New York Giants and Houston Texans.

26_SGT_Header

Single Game Tickets

Buy single game tickets to see the Giants live during the 2026 season

Related Content

Advertising