‘Held My Breath For a Second,’ ‘We Can’t Have Anything Good’ — NFL World Taken Aback By Footage of Eagles LB’s Nasty Hit on J.J. McCarthy

The New York Giants picked up a 19-11 win against the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday, with J.J. McCarthy leading the team at quarterback. McCarthy faced constant pressure from the Eagles’ defense, which brought him down for five sacks. Notably, McCarthy’s performance was also interrupted by a frightening moment in the third quarter. He took a brutal hit to his lower abdomen in the third quarter when Eagles linebacker Zack Baun led with his helmet while attempting to stop the QB’s run. It ultimately made direct contact with McCarthy’s side as Baun brought him down, triggering reactions from the NFL community. J.J. McCarthy’s Painful Collision With Zack Baun Leaves the NFL World Worried After the brutal play, McCarthy attempted a few warm-up throws to determine whether he could continue. He winced in pain after his first attempt and collapsed to the ground in considerable discomfort following the second. The medical staff later escorted McCarthy to the locker room for further evaluation. Reacting to the footage, KDKA-TV sports director Bob Pompeani compared the collision to a similar incident involving Mike Tomczak and Tracy Scroggins. “J. J. McCarthy turned into a massive hit. It reminded me of Mike Tomczak turning into Tracy Scroggins and getting blindsided in a 1995 game. Tomczak suffered a bruised sternum,” Pompeani wrote . “Dang,” popular analyst/ host Trey Wingo wrote . McCarthy later explained that the play was designed as a quarterback run, but his decision to pull the ball back inside after reading the defense left him exposed to Baun. He acknowledged that he spotted the linebacker late and attempted to lower his shoulder to absorb the contact, but failed to get low enough. McCarthy also credited Baun for delivering an excellent hit and accepted responsibility, saying that he needed to do a better job of protecting himself in such situations. Meanwhile, reactions to the hit continued. SET YOUR LINEUPS: PFN’s Free Fantasy Start/Sit Optimizer “JJ McCarthy ran into a WALL on this one. Held my breath for a second,” Anthony Rivardo, host of the Fireside Giants, wrote . “The guy is just so small, man… naturally, the first non-scramble rushing attempt he has as a starter ends in him leaving the game. We can’t have anything good. Not one thing,” Justin Penik, host of the “Talkin’ Giants” podcast, wrote . McCarthy managed to return to the game just before the end of the third quarter and remained optimistic about his condition, insisting he would be fine. But his recovery could become a concern for the Giants, who are scheduled to face the Washington Commanders on Thursday. With McCarthy initially listed as questionable to return, the Giants turned to Jameis Winston under center. Winston, who ranks No. 23 in the PFN QB Impact with a 70.5 grade, led the offense on a touchdown drive before returning to the sideline.