Cam Skattebo expressed his frustration regarding a controversial unnecessary roughness penalty during the New York Giants’ victory over the Houston Texans on Sunday. His coach, John Harbaugh, echoed his thoughts.
Skattebo took aim at the NFL after officials penalized him 15 yards for a tackle where he lowered his shoulder into Texans safety M.J. Stewart, who ended up on the ground after the impact.
“I’ll say, man, the NFL loves to post me when I do stuff like that, but then also wants to take stuff from me,” he remarked after a game where he rushed for more than 120 yards and scored a touchdown. “I’m going to run the ball how I want, and if I keep getting flagged or fined for it, I guess I’m playing for free.”
After the game, Harbaugh was asked about his exchange with the official that followed a heated moment when he held back a furious Skattebo as he left the field. “Did you see me after the play expressing my opinion? That’s how I felt about it,” he replied.
Harbaugh admitted he understood the reasoning behind the flag after watching the hit. The NFL is focusing on reducing helmet-to-helmet contact, and the official deemed that Skattebo had led with the crown of his helmet. However, Harbaugh disagreed.
“I get the basics of human anatomy and how the body operates,” he stated. “Skat runs low. You’ve got to run low.”
“You need to run low to protect the football. You have to run low to protect yourself. You can’t just go in there and offer your chest to tacklers. If you run low, your head’s down there as well—you can’t just detach your head from your body. It’s basically impossible,” he added.
Harbaugh emphasized that he didn’t believe his running back was trying to use his helmet as a weapon. Skattebo has a penchant for making contact. In fact, he was featured in several ads during the broadcast, where he is seen breaking through walls, which fits his persona.
In the end, Harbaugh believes that Skattebo’s style of running is “the way you’re supposed to run.”
“That’s how you protect yourself and the football,” he concluded, acknowledging the effectiveness of this approach in securing a win for the Giants, just like in previous matches. Harbaugh posed an interesting question: How exactly should Skattebo navigate through the defenses?
