Giants-Cardinals Week 4: What to watch in Sunday's matchup

Winston focused on Cardinals, not QB competition

Jameis Winston was optimistic that his second start will go better than his first. But he will be happy if it ends the same way it did last week — with a win.

Winston has yet to throw for 120 yards in a game this season. The forecast calls for a chance of rain Sunday, so conditions won’t be favorable at MetLife Stadium when the Giants host Arizona. But Winston tried to stay positive while knowing he has to improve; the Giants have gone eight straight quarters without a touchdown.

“It's going to be a different day. It's going to be a different week,” he said. “But my desire is to, again, build on the positives and eliminate the negatives.”

Winston spent extra time after practice this week throwing with his receivers and tight ends. He talked about focusing more on the  duties for Sunday instead of what didn’t go well his first two games.

As for the Giants'   trade for another quarterback in J.J. McCarthy, Winston embraced him as a new teammate and a fellow national champion in college. He also praised McCarthy's curiosity and desire to be great.

But he said he doesn’t feel any pressure to play better with the former Viking on the roster.

"I have to play well regardless," Winston said. "It doesn't matter who's in the building. When you're the quarterback for the New York Football Giants, you have to give your team a chance to win, and that's just the business that we're in.”

Love is a battlefield

Jeremiyah Love came out of college as the consensus top running back in this year's draft. The Giants, who had the No. 5 overall pick, were rumored to have interest in the Notre Dame product, but the Cardinals took him with the No. 3 pick. Now the Giants get to face Love, who scored a touchdown in his NFL debut in Week 1 and last week had his best game with 90 yards on 21 carries.

The Giants are 11th in rushing yards per game with 118.3; the Cardinals are 25th with 93. 

Cam Skattebo has more rushing yards (177) than Love (160), but  Skattebo doesn’t feel the need to make a statement against a player who could’ve been his teammate.

“Outperforming [another player] is not in my vision. I want to go out there and outperform myself from last week,” Skattebo said. “I’m not worried about any other running backs or anybody else on the field.”

Giants rookie receiver Malachi Fields and Love were  teammates at Notre Dame last year.

“It’s going to be different for sure,” Fields told Newsday. “Being together with him for a year and building that bond. Going out and competing together and then going to the Combine and training and stuff like that.” 

Fields looks forward to catching up with Love after the game. “It’d be cool to see him [play well]," Fields said,  "but I don’t want him to do too much against us.”

“

Rookie Reese off to fast start

Linebacker Arvell Reese, the No. 5 overall pick in this year's draft, has impressed in his first month of NFL action.

The rookie earned his first game ball last Sunday after making 12 tackles against the Titans. Reese’s 24 total tackles are third among rookies entering this weekend.

John Harbaugh said Reese is starting to get his "sea legs” and be comfortable while quickly learning from any mistakes on the field.

"He was flying around sideline to sideline,” Harbaugh said of Reese’s play last week. "I hope he can keep building off of that. I've not seen him take any steps back yet, which is pretty incredible.”

Look who's back at linebacker

The Giants brought back a familiar face this week, someone who knows the locker room and defensive scheme.

Outside linebacker Jihad Ward was signed from the Vikings' practice squad. He not only played for the Giants from 2022-23 with 20 starts but played for the Titans last season under current Giants defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson.

Ward had a career-high-tying five sacks last year. With the Giants needing depth after Brian Burns’ season-ending injury, adding a player who is  a familiar face and knows the defensive playbook should be helpful.

“He's a tough player. He's a big man,” Wilson said. “And Haddy's going to be ready when his number is called. We'll see how it all plays out going forward to Sunday and weeks after that. But he's a guy that knows the expectation. He's going to be prepared. He's an ultimate professional.”

By Evan Barnes

evan.barnes@newsday.comevan_b

Evan Barnes covers the Giants for Newsday. He previously covered the Brooklyn Nets, Memphis football and the Memphis Grizzlies and also covered prep sports in Los Angeles.