Giants PFF Grades Week 6: DJ Reader Leads, Jameis Winston Struggles

Vincent Rapisardi

Oct 20

4 min read

Updated: 17 hours ago

Published Oct 20, 2026, 4:11 PM ET | By Vincent Rapisardi

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SM1WN8i8hTI

Key points

DJ Reader earned the Giants' top PFF grade in Week 6 at 89.2, per Giants Wire, in the 34-27 loss to the Saints.
Malik Nabers led the offense at 78.6, and JJ McCarthy graded 74.3 after replacing Jameis Winston (36.3).
Safeties Ar'Darius Washington (81.4) and Jason Pinnock (78.1) joined Reader among the top defensive grades.

The Giants PFF grades for Week 6 are in, and DJ Reader led the way in the 34-27 loss to the New Orleans Saints.

Reader posted an 89.2 overall grade, the best mark on the team, per Giants Wire's rundown of PFF's grades. Malik Nabers led the offense at 78.6.

The game swung hard. The Giants led 10-0 late in the second quarter, per Giants Wire. They trailed 34-10 when JJ McCarthy replaced Jameis Winston in the fourth quarter, per Giants.com.

By the Numbers: Top Giants PFF Grades in Week 6

Player	Pos.	Week 6 PFF grade
DJ Reader	DT	89.2
Ar'Darius Washington	S	81.4
Malik Nabers	WR	78.6
Jason Pinnock	S	78.1
Isaiah Likely	TE	74.7
JJ McCarthy	QB	74.3

Source: Giants Wire, citing Pro Football Focus. Season numbers for every player are on our Giants PFF grades page.

Giants Offense PFF Grades vs. the Saints

Nabers caught a game-high 12 passes for 165 yards, per SNY. Charlie Jones (75.0), Isaiah Likely (74.7) and Andrew Thomas (73.9) rounded out the top offensive grades.

McCarthy completed 11 of 21 passes for 243 yards, with a touchdown and an interception, per Big Blue View. His 74.3 grade was more than double Winston's 36.3.

Winston's mark was the lowest on the offense. He was pulled after his second interception, per Giants Wire.

Tight end Thomas Fidone II (41.3) had the next-lowest offensive grade. Guard Francis Mauigoa (44.8), receiver Darnell Mooney (48.0) and center Bryan Hudson (48.1) completed the bottom five.

Marcus Mbow, starting in place of the injured Jermaine Eluemunor, graded 56.1. Jon Runyan finished at 55.9, and Najee Harris graded 51.4.

Giants Defense PFF Grades vs. the Saints

Reader's 89.2 was the best grade on either side of the ball for New York. He and Nabers both made PFF's Week 6 Team of the Week.

Behind Reader, Washington and Pinnock gave the Giants two high-graded safeties. Abdul Carter (73.6) and Kayvon Thibodeaux (73.5) were next.

Greg Newsome II added a 71.5 at cornerback. Arvell Reese graded 69.2, Jevon Holland 59.5 and Deonte Banks 56.8.

Trace Ford had the lowest defensive grade at 39.6. Bobby Jamison-Travis (40.4), Nic Jones (44.7), Dru Phillips (49.5) and Jihad Ward (52.9) filled out the bottom five.

The Giants are releasing Ward, SNY's Connor Hughes reported Tuesday, as we covered in our Jihad Ward story.

Giants Special Teams PFF Grades

Reese (74.6) and Malik Harrison (74.5) posted the top special teams grades. Ford bounced back there with a 72.4, and Washington added a 67.5.

What the Week 6 Grades Say

The grades point to a game decided at quarterback. Winston's 36.3 was the lowest offensive or defensive grade on the roster, while McCarthy's 74.3 ranked fourth on the offense.

The defense's best work came from the middle and the back end. Reader, Washington and Pinnock all graded above 78.

Reader's season grade of 89.8 ranks first among 129 qualified interior defensive linemen, per PFF. Every player's season number is on our Giants PFF grades page.

The 3-2-1 Giants visit the Houston Texans next, their final game before the bye.

Our Take: The Giants' Week 6 Grades Settled the QB Debate for Me

The number I keep returning to is the quarterback gap. JJ McCarthy graded 74.3 in one quarter of work, and Jameis Winston graded 36.3 before he was pulled.

My reaction after the game was that McCarthy had to start the next week, and the Giants got there before Wednesday's practice.

Two grades from one game can mislead, and McCarthy's came with the Saints protecting a big lead. Still, Winston's 52.8 season grade, 30th of 35 on our Giants PFF grades page, shows Week 6 wasn't a one-off.

The defensive side is more encouraging. DJ Reader and two safeties graded above 78, which gives the Giants something to build on in Houston.

One more caution: PFF grades are subjective charting, not official stats. I treat them as a second opinion alongside the box score.

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