Giants vs. Redskins: 5 Players To Watch On Thursday Night Football

Matt Jones

Sep 20, 2015; Landover, MD, USA; Washington Redskins running back Matt Jones (31) carries the ball as St. Louis Rams free safety

(23) attempts the tackle in the second quarter at FedEx Field. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

Is there a changing of the guard in the Redskins backfield? Alfred Morris has been the lead dog since being drafted out of Florida Atlantic in 2012, but it looks like he could be losing the stranglehold on that job to Matt Jones.

Jones, the rookie from Florida, was expected to take over as the receiving back after Roy Helu left to play for the Raiders. He hasn’t made much of a dent there yet, but he has exploded onto the scene as a runner out of the backfield.

Last week against the Rams, a game the Redskins were leading pretty much all afternoon, Jones actually untouched Morris 22-20. In a game that the Redskins milked clock, Jones was their go-to guy with 146 total yards, 123 of which came on the ground, with two touchdowns. Morris on the other hand struggled a bit, gaining 59 yards on 18 carries and catching two passes for 13 yards.

While Morris will still the starter, the Giants will need to be prepared for a healthy dosage of Jones as well. It is clear that the Redskins want to be a ground-and-pound team, so having a second capable back to hand the ball off to will make the plan easier to execute.

The rush defense for the Giants has been a bright spot thus far this season, as they have allowed only 68 yards per game and 3.0 yards per carry. The Cowboys and Falcons both prefer to air it out then run it though; so it will be interesting to see if the Giants can keep up that performance against a team that will be looking to run it time and time again.

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