An inside look at Sunday’s Giants-Cardinals matchup at MetLife Stadium:
Marquee matchup
Cardinals TE Trey McBride vs. Giants S Tyler Nubin and Jason Pinnock
McBride is a reception machine and a target monster.
He has been targeted 34 times in three games this season, and his 26 receptions lead all NFL tight ends.
He is averaging just 8.1 yards per catch as a valuable safety-valve option for Jacoby Brissett.
Last season, McBride was targeted a ridiculous 169 times and came away with 126 receptions and 11 touchdowns.
Nubin returns after missing last week’s game with a calf strain. Pinnock is an experienced alternative option.
Either safety will have his hands full with McBride, who is not a physical mismatch but can be a skill-set nightmare to deal with.
If the Giants want to give McBride a bigger look, they could see if inside linebackers Arvell Reese or Tremaine Edmunds can run with him for a few snaps.
Four downs
Arm strength: For all of Jameis Winston’s faults as a quarterback in his 12 NFL seasons, the ability to get the ball down the field with his powerful right arm was not one of them.
That is why the way he delivered the ball the past two weeks was alarming.
Winston at times looked as if he was either taking something off his fastball or something was wrong with his arm. Offensive coordinator Matt Nagy said Winston’s footwork needs to be more balanced.
“I can make all the throws,’’ Winston said. “I can do anything I put my mind to. I’m blessed to that point. But at the same time, my job is to give the team the best chance to win.’’
It looks as if Winston is so concerned with not throwing interceptions that he is hesitant to cut it loose.
Don’t get your popcorn ready: This is a meeting of two of the most ho-hum offenses in the league.
In three games, the Cardinals have generated an NFL-low six “big plays’’ (a run of 10 or more yards or a pass completion of 20 or more).
The Giants? They are 31st in that category, with just 10 such plays’ thus far.
The Giants are 28th in scoring with just 46 points. The Cardinals are 18th with 63 points.
The Giants have gone through a quarterback change. Jacoby Brissett has played all 212 snaps on offense for the Cardinals.
His career record as a starter is 21-47, including going 1-11 in 2025.
Coach ’em up: Several Giants players said the 2025 team would not have been able to pull out the victory last week, with the Titans threatening on the 7-yard line in the final seconds.
There is a belief that John Harbaugh makes a difference.
“This New York Giants team, I will say this, and I think the biggest thing that I have realized this year of playing with a coach like John Harbaugh is that coaching means everything, defensive lineman Shelby Harris said on SiriusXM NFL Radio. “I feel like if we are not coached the way we are, if we are not prepared the way we are, so many things can go differently at the end of that game.’’
Love in the air: The Cardinals made Jeremiyah Love the No. 3 pick in the 2026 draft, but the rookie running back is off to a slow start (41-160, one TD), perhaps still bothered by a high ankle sprain from the summer.
“Being able to see it on an everyday basis, he’s a great back,’’ Giants rookie wide receiver Malachi Fields told The Post of his former Notre Dame teammate. “He’s got juice, runs the ball really hard, he’s athletic,’’ nose tackle D.J. Reader said. “Seems like he’s going to be special, so I’m excited to play against him.’’
Paul’s pick
Style points do not exist in the Giants’ universe, and finding a way to beat another expected non-contender should not be too much to ask.
There should be advantages to exploit on both sides of the line of scrimmage.
Will Jameis Winston fling it around some, considering there might be some rain to deal with again?
Giants 26, Cardinals 19
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