The Washington Commanders (1-3) host the New York Giants (3-1) in a good-old-fashioned NFC East battle at Northwest Stadium on Sunday. Due to Hurricane Isaias, the weather in Landover is expected to be less than ideal. While temperatures are expected to be in the upper 60s, there will be plenty of rain and wind.
Usually, when rain is in the forecast, both teams will try to lean on the running game. Washington ranks No. 9 in rushing offense, while New York ranks No. 13. The Commanders’ ranking is a bit deceptive because of quarterbacks Jayden Daniels and Marcus Mariota. The running backs have largely struggled. Meanwhile, the Giants average only 3.7 yards per attempt.
New York’s leading rusher is second-year back Cam Skattebo. Skattebo is arguably
the Giants’ most popular player and always makes for a good quote or two. Anticipating Sunday’s weather, Skattebo had a message to Giants offensive coordinator Matt Nagy.
“I already told Coach (Matt Nagy), ‘Just give me the ball, we’ll be fine,’” Skattebo said, via Dan Benton of Giants Wire.
Skattebo wasn’t disrespecting the Commanders either.
“I think the film shows you that they’re better than what their record says. They play hard. They play fast. They’re athletic up front. Their linebackers are really good,” he said. “We’re going to have a challenge in front of us, especially with the weather. It’s going to be a slugfest, and I think it’s going to be a fun game for us.”
A slugfest: That’s music to the ears of these teams’ legendary former coaches, Bill Parcells (Giants) and Joe Gibbs (Washington).
Skattebo played in only one of New York's games against Washington last season, carrying the ball twice for -3 yards. This season, he has carried the ball 68 times for 235 yards with one touchdown. Skattebo averages only 3.5 yards per attempt and has fumbled twice.
Washington’s run defense will challenge Skattebo, as the Commanders rank No. 6 in the NFL, allowing only 93.5 rushing yards per game.
This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Cam Skattebo had a message for Giants ahead of Week 5 clash vs Commanders
