On a normal day, New York Giants running back Cam Skattebo's motor is running at about 150 percent. He is one of the NFL's highest-octane players, making up for whatever talents he may lack with aggression and determination.
But this is not a normal day. Skattebo is coming off a game in which he did more watching than playing. The Giants demoted him due to ball-security issues. Translation: He fumbled the week before and cost the Giants a victory.
Skattebo played just six offensive snaps and did not touch the football in the Giants' 34-27 loss to the New Orleans Saints at home last Sunday.
"That was not our intention at all for him to not get any carries. It really was not," offensive coordinator Matt Nagy told reporters on Thursday. "We got into
the second half five minutes to go, and we're down 24. He certainly could have been out there at certain times in the pass game. We got one-dimensional."
Skattebo recognizes what he did wrong and has reconciled it with himself. He is more determined than ever to get back to attacking defenses.
“Six plays last week kind of killed me," Skattebo told the New York Post.
He commented on how he processed the demotion, which drew praise from Nagy and some veteran teammates.
"I think it needs to be made very clear that the way Skatt handled things last week is impressive, and it's not easy to do," said Nagy. "He handled that like a true pro, and that's growth. I'm really proud of him for that."
“It shows the coaches that I understand where I stand and the issues I’ve caused myself," Skattebo added. “When players understand that and don’t put the blame on anybody else, that’s when coaches understand, ‘OK, this guy’s trying to get it fixed, and he understands why he’s in this position.’ ... The best players come back from it, get it fixed and go back and play ball."
The Houston Texans have one of the best defenses against the run this season. Skattebo sees them as a good place to start his redemption tour.
"They’re really good,’’ Skattebo said. “That’s a challenge for us. We want to get the running game going, and we’ve got the No. 3 run defense to go against. So, let’s see what we can do with it and see if we can get this thing going."
The Giants realize their best chance on the ground is with Skattebo leading the charge. They cut Najee Harris this week and appear to be regaining confidence in Tyrone Tracy Jr., who scored two touchdowns against the Saints last week. That also means Devin Singletary will no longer be a game-day scratch.
"Less backs means probably more carries for some of those backs that are in there," Nagy said. "It makes it easier. I think we're excited to see where this thing goes."
The Giants opened up the season by rushing for 165 yards in their win over Dallas. But then quarterback Jaxson Dart went down for the season with a knee injury, and the running game has stalled. Without Dart, the Giants have been averaging 92.8 yards per game on the ground.
That could be changing. Dart's presence kept defenses honest. He operates the RPO (run-pass option) as well as any quarterback in the league. The Giants lost that when he went down, and backup Jameis Winston took over.
Now, with J.J. McCarthy, who can run the RPO effectively, at quarterback, the Giants are back in business. Having Skattebo back with a bigger chip on his shoulder should add even more fuel to the flame.
This article originally appeared on Giants Wire: After demotion, Giants' Cam Skattebo has even bigger chip on shoulder
