Colt McCoy did enough to help Giants win

Colt McCoy was no superstar in the New York Giants signature 17-12 win over the Seattle Seahawks Sunday afternoon. But he was enough.

“I obviously can be a lot better,” McCoy said after the game. “Let’s get that straight. But to come out on top today, hat’s off to our defense and offensive line. Our running backs ran well, our receivers caught the ball. It’s fun to be a part of it for sure.”

The 10-year veteran finished Sunday’s contest 13 of 22 for 105 yards with one touchdown and one interception. Despite the mediocre numbers, McCoy managed to lead the Giants to their first win of the season against a team with a winning record by riding an explosive rushing performance and a strong defensive effort.

In a season in which the Giants have been on the wrong side of many close games, McCoy helped the Giants hold on for a convincing win that solidified the team’s first-place standing in the NFC East.

“He does a lot of things you wouldn’t notice on a stat sheet in terms of managing the game and controlling the flow of the game, talking to the guys on the sideline and relaying information in the huddle,” coach Joe Judge said after the game. “Colt really stepped up and had a huge game for us today. He made a lot of big throws when we needed them, made some tough plays down the stretch. He played a big-time game for us.”

Filling in for Daniel Jones, who suffered a hamstring injury in last week’s game against the Cincinnati Bengals, McCoy made just his eighth start in the last nine years and his first since Oct. 6, 2019. His six-yard touchdown pass to Alfred Morris was his first since Nov. 22, 2018, when he threw two scoring passes for Washington at Dallas. Two of McCoy’s career victories are against the Seahawks.

But the first half did not look promising for McCoy as the Giants headed into the locker room with no points on the scoreboard. At halftime, McCoy said that he focused on calming down.

“I wasn’t confused on a lot of looks,” McCoy explained. “I was just seeing it too quick. I needed to take a breath. Once we started running the football, I felt a lot better. To me, the offensive line and defense deserve all of the credit for this one.”

McCoy said that he was ahead of the play a lot in the first half, but the strong performance in the running game in the second half helped ease his nerves. The Giants finished with 190 rushing yards in the game, led by a 135-yard performance by Wayne Gallman.

“We had zero points at halftime, the defense was lights out,” McCoy said. “We rallied together. They helped me out, they calmed me down there in the second half. I felt like I played a little better as the game went on.”

In preparation for Sunday’s game, McCoy embraced the Giants’ hot streak. Offenses are often designed to embrace a quarterback’s strengths, but McCoy ensured that Sunday’s game plan reflected the team’s growing identity.

“I have to tip my hat to our coaches and the guys on my side of the ball,” McCoy said. “I just told them, ‘I don’t want to change much. You guys are on a three-game win streak and are playing well. You’re playing at a high level and with a lot of confidence, so I just studied all week to pick up where we left off in Cincinnati.”

McCoy said that Jones also helped him prepare throughout the week.

“He doesn’t miss a beat in meetings,” McCoy said. “He knew he wasn’t going to play and from the things he helped me with on the sidelines, to during the week, we have a great relationship. The Giants are lucky to have him, one hundred percent.”

With Jones watching from the sidelines, McCoy earned his first win as a starter since 2014.

“It’s very gratifying,” McCoy said. “Coach Judge let me break down the team at the end and I just told them how proud I was to be apart of this. That’s special to me.”