John Harbaugh is sending a loud and clear message in the Giants’ backfield, and it’s a brutal one for Cam Skattebo: the dude logged *zero* carries through three quarters against the Saints in Week 6, completely benched despite being a lead weapon for this struggling offense. A pregame report hinted at a reduced role, but nobody expected a full-on disappearance from the 2025 fourth-round pick, especially with the Giants’ offense sputtering behind Jameis Winston until J.J. McCarthy finally came in.
The Fumble Problem That Led to a Full Bench
So, why the drastic change for a player who led the team with 81 carries heading into Week 6? It all boils down to ball security. Skattebo has battled fumbling issues early in the 2026 season, tallying four total. One of those was a critical, game-altering fumble in overtime against the Commanders last week, which resulted in a tie instead of a potential game-winning field goal for the Giants. ESPN’s Jordan Raanan reported Sunday morning that the “expectation” was for New York to “change” its running back rotation to more of a committee approach, with “Skattebo downgraded but still part of the mix after the fumbles.” “Downgraded” turned out to be the understatement of the year. He wasn’t just downgraded, he was completely invisible from the run game.
A Run Game Lost Without Its Best Weapon
With Skattebo watching from the sideline, the Giants relied on a committee of Najee Harris, Tyrone Tracy, and Devin Singletary against the Saints. Tracy had the most carries among the backs with six, gaining 18 yards and scoring a touchdown on the ground and through the air. The full carry split painted a grim picture: Devin Singletary had four carries for 14 yards, Najee Harris had four carries for a measly two yards, and Skattebo, of course, had zero. By the fourth quarter, the Giants’ run game had totaled just 56 yards on a pathetic 2.9 yards per carry. In the first half, their running backs managed a truly abysmal eight carries for nine yards. Considering Skattebo, a former ASU star, is also known for his pass-catching abilities, his talents would’ve been a huge boost as the Giants trailed for most of the game. At his best, Skattebo is one of the better up-the-middle runners in the NFL, a kind of player this struggling offense desperately needed to exploit what looked like a favorable matchup. Instead, he made no impact whatsoever for New York in Week 6, and this offense is clearly worse for it.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by The Sporting News.
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