McCarthy and Skattebo have no game designation as Giants prepare for Washington rematch

The New York Giants and Washington Commanders meet at MetLife Stadium on Thursday, November 12, five weeks after a 27–27 tie in which each team had an opportunity to win in overtime. New York enters at 5–2–1 and leads the NFC East. Washington is 2–5–1. Kickoff is scheduled for 8:15 p.m. Eastern time in East Rutherford, New Jersey, which is 5:15 a.m. in Dubai on Friday, November 13. The final injury report gives the Giants a clearer picture at quarterback and running back, while Washington has ruled out two players whose absences affect different parts of its game.

J.J. McCarthy and Cam Skattebo both finished the Giants’ report without a game designation after being limited on Monday. Jayden Daniels also carries no designation for Washington. The comparison between the two meetings starts there. Daniels led the Commanders in October, when Jameis Winston took almost all of the meaningful quarterback snaps for New York. McCarthy, who appeared briefly in that game, is expected to start the rematch. The last result offers evidence about the two defenses and how the game changed in the fourth quarter, while the change under center alters how New York can attack.

Why the October tie still matters

In Landover on October 11, Washington took a 12–3 lead into halftime and led by 14 with about 11 minutes left in regulation. Winston responded with two fourth-quarter touchdown passes. Malik Nabers caught the second from 17 yards with 1:43 left to help level the score. The Giants finished with 27 points despite gaining only 77 yards in the first half, according to their game report. Winston attempted 54 passes, completing 33 for 326 yards and three touchdowns. Nabers and tight end Isaiah Likely each caught 11 passes. The production came largely from a game in which New York had to recover from behind.

Overtime presented both teams with a different problem. New York’s Dominic Zvada missed from 46 yards on the opening possession. Washington then punted, and a later Giants drive reached the Washington 24 before Daron Payne forced a Skattebo fumble that Shy Tuttle recovered. Daniels took the Commanders back into range, but the clock expired following the final play from the New York 24, with Washington unable to attempt a kick. The four possessions produced a missed kick, a punt, a turnover and an expired clock. The teams had moved the ball well enough to create opportunities, but neither converted its field position into points.

Daniels’ contribution that afternoon extended well beyond the final sequence. Washington’s statistical report credited him with 17 completions on 25 attempts for 199 yards. He also ran for 100 yards and scored twice on the ground in his first game back from a left elbow injury. The Giants’ account records a 16-yard Daniels run on the final possession as Washington moved into kicking range. For the rematch, the first game offers a clear example of what can happen when the defense leaves space for him to run. It also shows how a strong rushing performance can coexist with a difficult finish if an offense runs short of plays near the end.

McCarthy’s short sample with the Giants

The final Giants report lists McCarthy with a hip issue and Skattebo with a hamstring issue, with both players credited with full participation on Tuesday and again in Wednesday’s walkthrough estimate. Linebacker Malik Harrison, dealing with a groin issue, is listed as questionable. According to the NFL’s preview, McCarthy missed 16 third-quarter snaps against Philadelphia before returning. He completed three of seven passes for 26 yards after he came back. That segment describes what happened after the interruption against the Eagles. The injury report establishes his listed availability for Thursday. Neither figure, on its own, says how he will move or throw against Washington.

McCarthy has made two starts since joining New York in a trade from Minnesota. The Associated Press puts him at 43 completions in 68 attempts for 622 yards, with one touchdown pass and one interception for the Giants, including his relief work. The NFL’s preview cites Next Gen Stats showing he has completed 17 of 28 passes outside the numbers this season for 339 yards, or 12.1 yards per attempt in that area. The volume is small enough that several plays can substantially change the average. It still identifies a specific part of the field where his passing has produced large gains so far.

Washington’s own matchup notes put its pass defense at 240 yards allowed per game. That figure comes from the team’s season to date, rather than from plays specifically thrown outside the numbers or against McCarthy. The distinction matters for interpreting the matchup. A high average allowed describes a broad weakness, while the quarterback’s directional numbers point to a narrower area of recent success. How often New York gets into situations where it can attempt those throws also depends on first-down production, protection and what Washington does with its coverage before the ball is snapped.

The return of Skattebo gives New York another part of its offense to assess. Washington’s preview credits him with a team-leading 418 rushing yards. The Associated Press reported that New York got 51 rushing yards from its running backs in the win over Philadelphia, when neither Skattebo nor Tyrone Tracy Jr. played. A running back can influence the passing game through the distance left on third down. That relationship is particularly relevant for a quarterback making his third start for a new team, where the offense already has a productive receiver in Nabers and needs to choose when to ask for the longer throw.

Washington’s protection and third-down problem

Washington ruled out center Lucas Patrick with a concussion and tight end Colson Yankoff with a knee injury. The team’s own update identified Nick Allegretti as the player expected to step in at center. He started at left guard throughout the 2024 season for Washington, and moving to center puts him in the middle of the unit’s exchanges with Daniels and its communication before the snap. The absence of Yankoff affects a different phase. Washington’s report noted his 185 special-teams snaps, an indication that his workload extended well beyond his three receptions on offense.

The Commanders list a third-down conversion rate of 31.13 percent, last in the league entering the matchup. New York’s defense has allowed conversions on 37.25 percent of third downs, according to the same preview. These rates measure different sides of the play. Washington’s figure captures how often its offense extends a drive, and New York’s reflects what it has permitted across its schedule. Washington can reduce the difficulty of those situations by staying close to the required yardage on the first two downs. An early negative play, by contrast, increases the importance of holding up in pass protection.

New York linebacker Arvell Reese brings a recent example of that pressure. The NFL credited the rookie with 12 tackles, three sacks and a forced fumble against Philadelphia. Washington’s Sonny Styles, another first-round rookie and a former Ohio State teammate of Reese, leads the Commanders in tackles and had 13 in the first Giants game, according to the NFL’s preview. The two players will be on opposite defenses rather than facing each other directly. Each provides a way to follow how his team responds when the opposing offense reaches a down on which it needs a longer gain.

The clubs’ turnover figures add a useful distinction to their records. Washington’s preview puts the Commanders at plus seven in takeaways minus giveaways and the Giants at minus two. Washington’s advantage in that measure has coexisted with five defeats. In the first meeting, Payne’s forced fumble in overtime ended a Giants scoring opportunity and put Washington back in possession. It still took another drive to create a chance at a kick. The sequence illustrates what a takeaway can give an offense immediately, and what it still has to do with the possession it inherits.

Why the same fixture carries different stakes

Both teams played division rivals or conference opponents last Sunday. The Giants beat Philadelphia 19–11, while the Commanders lost to the Los Angeles Rams 20–13. New York can strengthen its position at the top of the NFC East by taking the second meeting. Washington is trying to close a three-win gap and improve its standing within the division. The winner would take the two-game regular-season series on the strength of a win and a tie. The final division order still depends on the rest of the schedule. That is the context in which a head-to-head result can become relevant later.

Washington’s matchup notes identify this as the sixth Thursday Night Football game between the clubs and their first in that slot since Week 2 of the 2021 season. The rivalry has produced other draws in the overtime era. New York’s review of the October game identifies ties in 1997 and 2022, both against Washington, before this season’s draw. Those results carry no standings value in 2026. They do establish that this particular matchup has repeatedly reached a point at which a single possession, kick or clock decision can leave the teams level even after regulation ends.

There is a Gulf connection for fans following the road game from the UAE. Washington announced in March 2025 that it had received international marketing rights in the country through the NFL’s Global Markets Program. Its UAE fan page lists watch parties and free youth flag football camps among its community activities. Thursday’s game itself is in New Jersey. For viewers following in the Emirates, the nine-hour time difference moves kickoff into Friday morning. That date change is the difference between the NFL’s U.S. listing and the local time for the same start.

The first meeting supplies useful comparison points for the opening drives. Washington ran through Daniels and put New York under pressure to pass late. In the rematch, the Giants can build their plan around a quarterback who has recently generated yards on throws toward the sideline. The quickest read on whether either plan is taking hold will come from the distance each offense leaves itself on third down and whether it turns a promising possession into points. In October those possessions were available to both teams, all the way through overtime. The score stayed level because they could not finish them.