Jameis Winston used to wear black and gold, so plenty of folks from Mid-City to the West Bank will recognize the quarterback the Saints face Sunday. What they won’t recognize is the rest of the New York Giants. A franchise that went 4-13 last season is 3-1-1 in John Harbaugh’s first year and leads the NFC East.
Here are seven things Saints fans should know before the 1 p.m. ET kickoff at MetLife Stadium, where New Orleans is a slight favorite despite a 1-4 start that angered ownership.
Jameis Winston is living the dream
Winston took over after Jaxson Dart’s knee injury in Week 2, a hit that ended Dart’s regular season. The Giants haven’t lost a game Winston has started since. “I dreamt of it,” Winston said this week, per The Associated Press. “And now it’s here.”
Saints defensive end Carl Granderson, a former teammate, kept it simple when asked about him: “He’s a leader.” Winston has also pushed back on his critics, and Harbaugh said this week that coaches are adapting the plan to give him reps that are “more Jameis.”
A J.J. McCarthy package could show up
The Giants acquired J.J. McCarthy from Minnesota in September, and he isn’t just a clipboard holder. Harbaugh said a McCarthy package offers a “change of pace” and that it would be “negligent” not to use every player on the roster, according to Giants.com.
Teammates and offensive coordinator Matt Nagy raved about McCarthy after only two practices. The Saints’ defense should be ready for a mobile quarterback to jog onto the field on a third-and-short or near the goal line.
Malik Nabers is all the way back
Nabers caught 12 passes for 96 yards over the first three games while easing back from an injury that wiped out most of 2025. Then he exploded. He caught 11 passes for 121 yards on a career-high 20 targets at Washington, and his 156 career receptions make him the fourth player in NFL history with 150 or more in fewer than 25 games, according to the Giants.
“Probably the first week or two, you could see he was a little hesitant, which is natural,” Nagy said in the team preview. Expect Kool-Aid McKinstry to draw that assignment for much of the afternoon.
Deonte Banks has become a ball hawk
Banks ended the Arizona game with a 98-yard interception return for a touchdown as time expired and allowed three catches for 19 yards on nine targets that day, per Giants.com. His seven passes defensed are tied for second in the NFL.
He’s making a play on the ball on 31.8% of his targets this season, up from 13.4% over his first three years. Shough’s outside throws to the sideline carry real risk against him.
Dru Phillips is a slot blitzer to track
Phillips, a third-year nickel corner, leads all slot corners with six pressures and two sacks. Both sacks came against Washington, making him the fifth Giants defensive back since 1982 with two in one game, according to the team.
“He is an explosive, he’s another violent player that’s not afraid of contact,” defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson said of the nickel. The Saints’ backs have to find him before the snap.
Both starting tackles are questionable
Andrew Thomas (groin) and Jermaine Eluemunor (calf) missed Wednesday’s practice before returning as limited participants Friday. Both are questionable, and Harbaugh said earlier in the week “they’ll have a chance for the game,” per the Giants’ tracker.
If either sits, Marcus Mbow or rookie J.C. Davis would start. That’s an opening for a Saints pass rush that has been one of the few bright spots of a miserable offensive stretch.
Ball security is a sore spot
The Giants have lost four fumbles, tied for fifth-most in the league, and Cam Skattebo’s overtime fumble at Washington cost them a chance at a win in the overtime draw at Washington. Harbaugh called the league “more of a punch-out league than it’s ever been before.”
Kicker Dominic Zvada also missed three field goals in that game after helping close out Tennessee in Week 3. Harbaugh traced the misses to Zvada’s plant foot, but a close game in the Meadowlands could put that leg to the test again.
More on the New Orleans Saints
- 6 Make-or-Break Players Who Decide Whether the Saints Can Stop the Bleeding Against the Giants
- Here’s What Should Scare the New Orleans Saints About the New York Giants
- New Orleans Saints QB Tyler Shough Will Have to Solve Giants’ Cover-3 in Red Zone
- Is Chris Olave Playing vs. the Giants? Answering 5 Questions Saints Fans Are Asking
