New York Giants running back Cam Skattebo was mostly noticeable on Sunday through a State Farm commercial, in the locker room afterwards, or sitting alongside quarterback Jameis Winston, who was benched during the fourth quarter while J.J. McCarthy took the lead. It seems coach John Harbaugh was quite frustrated with several players’ performances throughout the day.
Harbaugh decided to bench Skattebo, contradicting his comments that he didn’t. Skattebo did enter the game but didn’t get to carry the ball, likely due to his history this season of four fumbles, one of which he lost.
Harbaugh also pulled Winston from the game after he threw two interceptions and struggled to perform effectively. Now the team faces some tough decisions; they might need to consider a new starting quarterback while Skattebo will have to earn back his coach’s trust, which I imagine isn’t easy in this high-stakes environment. “How they play is kind of the main thing,” Harbaugh remarked.
But what did those changes achieve? Well, the Giants managed a rather unremarkable 84 yards on the ground. However, McCarthy demonstrated his potential as a starting quarterback by throwing for 243 yards in just the final 11 minutes of play, helping the team rally from a 34-10 deficit, even though they ultimately lost 34-27.
So it seems like Skattebo has landed in Harbaugh’s doghouse, while McCarthy is stepping into a more prominent role. Harbaugh praised McCarthy’s performance under pressure, though he didn’t commit to keeping Winston as the starter for the next game. “I can’t answer that now,” he stated after the game. The media pressed further, but Harbaugh remained tight-lipped on the matter. He reiterated that he thinks highly of how Winston competes but didn’t actually confirm his starting position. Intriguing, isn’t it?
This is particularly good news for McCarthy, who joined the Giants from the Vikings last month. Despite the loss, he expressed his focus on learning and getting better, emphasizing a weekly goal of achieving that elusive 1-0 win.
As for the Giants’ running game, there’s a lot of room for improvement. Four backs—Najee Harris, Skattebo, Tyrone Tracy, and Devin Singletary—are all in a tough competition for carries and playing time. Harbaugh noted that none of them have truly claimed the starting role yet. “Nobody’s really taken the bull by the horns,” he remarked, suggesting that they activated all four to shake things up. He added, “It wasn’t by design for [Skattebo] to not carry the ball. When he was in there, we didn’t call any runs.” Ultimately, Harbaugh is calling for one of these guys to step up and take charge. Perhaps the emergence of a new starting quarterback might share the spotlight with a running back looking to do the same.
