John Harbaugh explains J.J. McCarthy's roster activation for Giants' game against Cardinals, assesses Jameis Winston's mixed performance

Life withoutJaxson Dart took shape for the Giants in Sunday’s 36-24 win over the Cardinals.

New York activatedJ.J. McCarthy behind Week 4 backup Jake Haener and starter Jameis Winston, who did enough to lead Big Blue (3-1) past Arizona (1-3).

“We thought we could do it with kind of way we were set up for special teams,” Harbaugh said of McCarthy, who joined the Giants earlier this week after Monday’s trade with the Minnesota Vikings. “We had enough guys playing special teams and it just gave us an option in case we want to put J.J. out there to run certain plays that we had prepared for him, but to think that he was going to be the backup for the whole game was unrealistic.

“… We had Jake up, too, and that was our thinking. We just felt like we needed three guys for, kind of, the two roles.”

Winston completed 18 of 29 passes for 250 yards and three touchdowns to two interceptions.

“I thought he played well except for the turnovers, and that’s the thing he’s going to tell you,” Harbaugh said of Winston. “The turnovers were the thing, and those are throws he can make — I mean, he can make in his sleep. So, that’s something to clean up. I think we just got to keep chasing clean football. Turnover-free football.

“… So, we have to chase the kind of football that doesn’t give our opponent any opportunity to breathe. That’s the kind of football that we want to play and we’ve got to keep chasing that kind of football.”

Winston outperformed Jacoby Brissett, who completed 21 of 35 passes for 166 yards and two touchdowns to three interceptions — the third a 98-yard pick-six as time expired — in Winston’s second start since Dart’s injury.

With back-to-back wins entering next Sunday’s 1 p.m. game versus the Washington Commanders, who fell to 1-3 after Sunday’s 30-13 loss against the Indianapolis Colts, Winston sees room for improvement.

“I’m just grateful for the opportunity I have now,” Winston said. “And right now, I get to smile and say I’m the starting quarterback for the New York Football Giants. So, focusing on what I would love is winning games with my team, being the best that I can be. And I just feel like that, man, I’m heating up and I’m starting to get better, better and better.

“Last week, I was questioning if I could even throw. This week, I’ve got people talking about the Jameis Winston experience again. So, I’m just still so curious and I’m so inspired to be the best me every single day. And that alone pushes me — not another man, not another teammate, just my desire to be what I would love.”