A backflip at a public event. A fight in training camp. Cam Skattebo gave John Harbaugh plenty to manage before the season even started. Now those problems have spilled onto the field, and things could turn ugly in the New York Giants’ locker room.
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After Sunday’s loss to the New Orleans Saints, what stood out most to fans was Skattebo’s absence from the offense. As it turns out, the running back believes he was punished for his mistakes on the field.
“I got punished for what I did [from last week]. I understand it, so I gotta be ready when coach calls my name, and that wasn’t today,” Skattebo said, according to The Athletic’s Charlotte Carroll.
“It’s hard, but I’ve made mistakes and I got to own up to them,” he added. “If that is what they want to do — keep me on the sidelines because of that — I totally understand. I can’t make mistakes at this level of this game and when you make mistakes like that, consequences will be had.”
Skattebo hasn’t been scoring touchdowns, but he has been a reliable piece of the offense this season. Through the Giants’ first five games, he had 91 touches for 294 yards, including 79 receiving yards. Against the Saints, though, he didn’t record a single touch, and he believes it was punishment for his mistake against the Commanders.
Last week against Washington, Skattebo fumbled in overtime at the Commanders’ 24-yard line. The Commanders failed to capitalize, and the game ended in a tie, and it may have worried Harbaugh about a bigger issue: it was Skattebo’s third fumble in five games.
However, ball security is a new issue for Skattebo, who fumbled just once last season. The result was the first game of his NFL career without a touch while active, and it could spell trouble for the team.
For starters, Harbaugh’s explanation for Skattebo’s absence was different from the running back’s.
“We were trying to see who could get a hot hand and earn it. Second half, we come out, we’re down by a bunch, and after the first series, we go into kind of a no-huddle deal, and that’s where you start using your third-down guys. It wasn’t by design for him not to carry the ball. When he was in there, we didn’t call any runs,” Harbaugh said.
It’s not the first time the two have told different stories. After the backflip, Harbaugh said he would talk to the second-year running back. According to Skattebo, that conversation never happened.
“Actually, Harbaugh didn’t even talk to me. Joe Schoen texted me and he was like: ‘Let’s lay low for a little bit.’ Just kind of reassuring me that, hey, the season’s coming up, we need you healthy, make sure that you’re in a good spot to be ready to play football.”
Ahead of Sunday’s game, ESPN’s Jordan Raanan reported that Najee Harris would get a bigger workload instead of Skattebo. Even as starter Jameis Winston threw two interceptions and completed just over 50% of his passes, Harbaugh kept the ball out of Skattebo’s hands.
That may have been a factor in the loss, especially given how vulnerable the Saints looked against the run, with J.J. McCarthy rushing for 26 yards. Skattebo could have swung the game.
This could simply be about getting snaps for other running backs. But if it’s about disciplining Skattebo, Harbaugh may be taking a risky road. Back in August, he made it clear he wanted to channel Skattebo’s “infectious energy” in the right direction.
“Skatt’s great. He does bring a lot of energy. But he did get a 15-yard penalty at the end of practice. Did you notice that? That’s not infectious. Well, it is infectious, actually. Infectious in a bad way, right? Like infectious disease type of thing. We don’t want that. So, we want it to be directed in a positive way.”
But is benching him from the run game the right approach? Harbaugh may want to revisit what he said about working with Skattebo just a few weeks ago.
“It’s part of the ongoing process. Just communication, be on the same page, trying to be the best at everything we do. He’s great. He wants to be great. He listens. He talks. He tells you what he thinks. It’s all good.”
The Giants now turn to their Week 7 matchup against the Houston Texans. Skattebo’s workload will be worth watching after his zero-touch outing, especially given his ball-security issues and the competition for carries.