The New York Giants might be entering 2025 as arguably the biggest unknown in the NFL. On one hand, this is a much-improved roster from top to bottom, with adequate depth across the board. On the other hand, this team is facing one of the toughest schedules known to man. It's cruel and unusual punishment, but games aren't played on paper.
There's no reason to believe all is lost. Head coach Brian Daboll has performed miracles before. People forget the 50-year-old is a former Coach of the Year for dragging a Daniel Jones-led G-Men to a 9-7-1 record, and wild card playoff victory over the Minnesota Vikings. What if lightning strikes twice?
If Dabs can channel that same energy, Big Blue could be one of the league's sleeper teams. And if that's the case, it'll likely start Week 1 on the road against the Commanders. NFL Spin Zone's Ryan Heckman offered one bold prediction for each team's quarterback for the opener, and he sees Russell Wilson struggling to find the end zone, with the ground game making up for it.
Cam Skattebo could be Giants' biggest savior in Week 1 vs Commanders
Heckman starts his analysis with an acknowledgement of both teams' strong passing defenses, which finished top 10 last season. That leaves him to believe Week 1 is going to be dominated by the ground game. He writes:
"The Giants feature both Tyrone Tracy and Cam Skattebo early and often against a Commanders defense that allowed over 137 rushing yards per game in 2024."
His assessment makes a lot of sense, and makes even more if last season's results are any indication. Unfortunately, the Giants fell to the Commanders twice last year, but the running game was prominent in both.
In their 18-21 loss in Week 2, Big Blue ran for 129 yards and a touchdown, led by Devin Singletary's 95 yards. In their 22-27 Week 9 loss, they ran for 164 yards, led by Tyrone Tracy Jr.'s 66 yards. And both are running it back (literally) with New York this season.
That production came without rookie running back Cam Skattebo, who now gives the G-Men a third back with real juice and a more bruising presence.
Skatt isn’t just stashed on the depth chart to wait his turn. Even as RB3, he’s built to see real snaps. The staff likes his vision and physicality, and if the line holds up even a little, he’ll have chances to earn tough yards. He’s the kind of guy who finishes forward and embraces contact.
He’s also one of the few backs on the roster with staying power on third down. Tracy brings burst. Singletary brings experience. Skattebo brings a bit of everything — enough to earn rotational reps out of the gate. If Wilson finds himself struggling to make plays with his arm, Skattebo might end up being the quiet fix no one saw coming... except for Heckman.
For a team facing a gauntlet and a quarterback trying to settle in, Skattebo might be the unexpected spark this season needs — starting in Week 1.