The Giants don’t need a fireworks show from Cam Skattebo on Sunday night. They need him to set a tone Dallas can’t shrug off.
That’s the assignment in Week 1, and it fits Skattebo’s game perfectly. The second-year back is healthy again after a rookie season that was cut short by injury, and he arrives at the opener with the kind of physical style that can change the feel of a nationally televised game fast.
This is not a runner who’s looking to nibble around the edges. He wants contact, and the Cowboys know it.
New York has spent plenty of time talking about its offense, but the talking only matters if it turns into something opponents have to deal with. Against Dallas, Skattebo gives the Giants a simple way to make that happen.
He doesn’t have to handle 25 carries for the plan to work. What matters is whether the Cowboys feel him early, whether linebackers have to take on blocks, whether a third-and-two stops being a routine call and becomes a problem.
That’s where Skattebo can help Jaxson Dart, too. If the run game has some bite, Dart can lean on play action without every defender already selling out for the pass. That’s the kind of small advantage that can shape a game when the defense is trying to make life uncomfortable.
Skattebo’s first season took a turn once the Giants gave him a bigger role starting in Week 4, and even though he didn’t get to finish the year the way he wanted, the bigger picture is clear now: he’s available, and the Giants have a back who can add edge to an offense built around a young quarterback.
At MetLife Stadium on Sunday Night Football, nothing will stay quiet for long. Every snap will get picked apart.
That’s why a few hard runs matter so much. They can keep the Giants on schedule, keep the offensive line out of obvious passing downs and keep the crowd in it.
Basic? Sure. But against Dallas, basic can be exactly what swings the opening night feel.
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