Cam Skattebo, a second-year running back for the New York Giants, suggests he is intentionally making short runs early in the season to wear down opponents, hoping they will be less effective at stopping longer runs later on. With only one run exceeding 13 yards this season, Skattebo leads the NFL with 68 carries without gaining more than 15 yards. The Giants’ running game has struggled overall, averaging just 3.7 yards per attempt, prompting coach John Harbaugh to acknowledge that as the team improves, longer runs will likely become more frequent.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-10-11,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Is the inability to break off big runs part of a calculated, playing-the-long-game approach by Cam Skattebo?
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inability → break → Skattebo
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Access → access → subscribers
tRY IT NOW“Yeah, for sure,’’ the second-year running back said.
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back → try → IT
“I think early in the year, I kind of like to punish my opponents.
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I → think → opponents
When game seven, eight, nine comes around, they’re not going to want to do that.
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they → come → that
That’s when you kind of just get to run past them.
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you → ’ → them
When they lower their shoulder and close their eyes.
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they → lower → eyes
“Right now, I’m just doing me.
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I → do → me
I obviously could probably make a move here and there, but sometimes it’s better for the team, beating up on the other team, lowering the shoulder.
uncertain
it → make → shoulder
I’ve got to be better, obviously, in the run game.
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I → get → game
I could definitely make a couple different cuts a game and completely change the outcome.
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I → make → outcome
I’m going to continue to work on that and continue to grow.
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I → go → that
He has the most rushing attempts (68) of any player in the NFL without a gain of 15 or more yards.
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He → have → yards
The Giants are averaging 3.7 yards per rushing attempt.
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Giants → average → attempt
Quarterbacks Jaxson Dart (22 yards) and Jameis Winston (15) have the two longest gains for the Giants in the first four games.
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Dart → have → games
“Yeah, I mean, we’re just not good enough yet,’’ coach John Harbaugh said.
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Harbaugh → mean → ?
“Defenses are playing us pretty well.
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Defenses → play → us
As we get better, we’ll probably have more longer runs.
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we → get → runs
Also, if we make them pay a little more with play action, I think that’ll loosen them up a little bit, probably.’’
The Commanders are sixth in the NFL in run defense, allowing only 93.9 yards per game.
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Commanders → make → game
The forecast of heavy rain Sunday could magnify the importance of the running game for both sides.
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forecast → magnify → sides
“Linemen, we like to run the ball,’’ guard Jon Runyan Jr. told The Post.
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Jr. → like → Post
“We’ll throw the ball if we have to, but we like to establish the run as much as we can.
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we → throw → run
It makes our jobs a little bit easier, it makes it a lot more fun.’’
Commanders QB Jayden Daniels and Malik Nabers were teammates at LSU in 2022 and 2023.
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Daniels → make → 2022
Both players have flashed greatness but also vulnerability, as far as debilitating injuries that kept them off the field for long stretches.
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that → flash → stretches
“Things have been really tough for me and him this past year and ongoing, really,’’ Nabers said.
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Nabers → say → me
“But it’s always exciting to see your brother get back on the field after seeing a lot of things go bad.
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lot → ’ → things
So, I’m excited to see him.
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I → ’m → him
I’m excited to see him go back out there and do what I know he’s capable of.
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he → ’m → what
No team in the league blitzes more than the Vikings, and Jones brought that approach to Washington.
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Jones → blitz → Washington
The Commanders blitz 46 percent of the time in passing situations.
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Commanders → blitz → situations
Only the Vikings bring pressure more often.
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Vikings → bring → pressure
This might not bode well for Winston.
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This → bode → Winston
He has the second-lowest passer rating in the NFL this season against the blitz.
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He → have → blitz
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