Harbaugh's "1-0" Mindset Is Just What the Giants Need Right Now

With a favorable stretch ahead, New York's center rotation and the J.J. McCarthy-Jameis Winston quarterback picture are the questions to watch.

Oct 4, 2026; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Giants head coach John Harbaugh before the game at MetLife Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The New York Giants are 3-1 and lead the NFC East.

Let that sink in, Giants fans, because it’s been a long time since the second part of that statement has been true.

But at the risk of throwing cold water on the euphoria head coach John Harbaugh has brought to the Meadowlands, Giants running back Cam Skattebo reminded reporters in the postgame locker room on Sunday that the team “hasn’t accomplished anything yet.”

That sentiment, when relayed to Harbaugh, drew a smile.

“That's a very wise statement. He's exactly right,” he said. “We have a game this week, a very pivotal game, a very big game in terms of the opportunity that it presents our football team now, where we're at.”

To keep the focus on the present and not the past, Harbaugh had black T-shirts emblazoned with “1-0” across the chest distributed to players, coaches, and staff members as a reminder.

Rightfully so, as a 3-1 start is not an automatic ticket to the postseason. According to The Athletic, since 2020, only 75% of the teams that started a season 3-1 made it to the postseason.

The Giants obviously have their sights set on the playoffs. But it’s going to take discipline and focus on what’s ahead rather than resting on their laurels.

“We have an opportunity to make headway on the season, and we’ve got to do it one play at a time in one game that we have to play this week. So, we're excited about it,” Harbaugh said.

Center of Attention

After Sunday’s game, Harbaugh said he started Bryan Hudson over John Michael Schmitz at center because Hudson has been doing well and Schmitz missed a couple of days of practice due to the arrival of his first child.

“We felt like he's got the reps. He's made the calls, and we were thinking about starting to work him in a little bit here and there, even some extra line stuff, if possible,” Harbaugh said of Hudson.

“And it just made sense. I mean, JMS, he'd been up; his wife had the baby. He didn't get much rest. It just made sense, and I think it paid off. It's not a long-term thing. I mean, we have two centers we really like.”

New York Giants center John Michael Schmitz Jr. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Great, but only one center can play at a time. And does it really make sense to alternate centers in a game?

The answer is no. But backing up a bit, does anyone think that if, for example, Andrew Thomas, Arvell Reese, Malik Nabers, or Abdul Carter missed a Friday practice and a Saturday walkthrough due to a child’s birth, they’d be replaced in the lineup?

If that’s not enough to convince you a switch was made for football reasons, consider that Hudson played extremely well in his 2026 debut as a starter.

Per PFF, he was the Giants’ highest-graded offensive lineman in overall blocking and, in 33 pass-blocking snaps, did not allow a single quarterback pressure.

Schmitz, in 96 pass-blocking snaps this year, has already allowed five pressures.

And if you buy into PFF’s run-blocking grades, Hudson’s 72.1 season grade easily trumps Schmitz’s 49.7 mark.

Harbaugh, as he’s done all year, refused to say if Hudson will get the start again this weekend against the Commanders, but the evidence from last week’s game is hard to ignore.

“We haven't had that personnel meeting yet, but I'll say Huddy played really well, and we were excited about him going in. So, maybe create some options for us, but JMS was playing really well too. So, a very good problem to have,” Harbaugh said.

What Do You Say, J.J.?

If there was ever any doubt about the Giants’ intentions regarding quarterback J.J. McCarthy, let’s put it to rest right now.

First, the Giants didn’t simply give up a fifth-round draft pick just for fun. Harbaugh has a clear enough vision for the No. 10 overall pick in the 2024 draft, and that’s not to sit and let him marinate on the sidelines.

McCarthy is poised to become the No. 2 quarterback, perhaps as soon as this weekend against the Commanders.  

Oct 4, 2026; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Giants quarterback J.J. McCarthy (18) on the sideline before a game against the Arizona Cardinals at MetLife Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

“I think that's a possibility,” Harbaugh said when asked about it. “We'll see how it goes during the week, but that's definitely on the table.”

As McCarthy becomes more entrenched in his knowledge of the Giants’ offense, it is only a matter of time before he becomes the starter.

How soon, you might ask? In an ideal scenario, Big Blue gets through the first part of their schedule with Jameis Winston as the starter. 

However, if Winston continues to be up and down, it might be sooner.

But with New York’s  next three opponents (Washington, New Orleans, and Houston) boasting a combined 2-10 record, New York has a chance to enter their Week 8 bye with a 6-1 mark.

Winston is one of 11 players on offense but he is a key part of the unit. So far, while he hasn’t cost the Giants a game, this past weekend against Arizona might have been too close for comfort for Harbaugh, which is why we could see McCarthy sooner than anticipated.

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