Cam Skattebo's role changed sharply on Sunday. After coughing up a brutal fumble against the Washington Commanders in overtime last Sunday, the New York Giants running back did not record a carry in the 34-27 loss to the New Orleans Saints.
It was the first time in Skattebo's NFL career that he finished a game without a touch, and he made clear after the game that he understood why. "I got punished for what I did," he said, after a previous mistake appeared to cost him his place in the rotation.
Why Skattebo was left on the sidelines
Skattebo said he had to own the error that came before it. "I've made mistakes, and I got to own up to them," he said. "And if that is what they want to do, is 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 (happen)."
He also admitted the drop in usage was hard to anticipate. "Did I know it was going to go from 50 snaps to five snaps? No. But if that's what it is, that's what it is."
That was the clearest sign that the Giants treated Sunday as a reset, not just for Skattebo but for the whole running back room. The plan clearly shifted after the turnover, and the result was a game in which he was not asked to carry the ball at all.
The Giants' ground game never found a rhythm
The backfield experiment did not solve the wider problem. The Giants rushed for only 84 yards, and their running backs combined for 14 carries for 34 yards in a game that finished as the position room's worst output of the season by a wide margin.
That is a poor return even against a Saints defense that entered the game near the bottom of the league in multiple categories against the run. But the Giants could not take advantage, and the lack of production left them with little margin for error over 60 minutes.
For Skattebo, the shift was stark. He had entered the game with 81 carries on the season, but this was the night when the Giants decided not to lean on him after last week's mistake. The consequence was a zero-touch performance, and a backfield that looked as unsettled as it has all year.
The bigger question now is whether this was only a temporary punishment or the start of a longer search for answers. The Giants know they need better production on the ground, and Skattebo's response to one fumble may shape how the rotation looks next week and beyond.
