New York Giants running back Cam Skattebo said the team's red zone problems over the last two weeks have been self-inflicted, and he included himself in that group ahead of Sunday's game against the Arizona Cardinals.
"We obviously made a couple of mistakes down in the red zone the last two weeks. I've made a mistake in the red zone," Skattebo told reporters on Thursday. "So, I think we just take away the big penalties and stuff that we're doing negative against ourselves, and we'll be just fine. I think we shot ourselves in the foot a couple times, and if we get rid of those, then it's a different ball game in those football games."
He put ball security in the same category. Skattebo said the coaching staff has him down for three fumbles, and
he disputed one of them.
"I think they've got me down for three fumbles, which is BS, because the one in the second game, I caught the ball on the sidelines and kind of just let it go because I was out of bounds, and they called that a fumble as well, catching a fumble," Skattebo said.
Skattebo did not dispute the others. It was raining, he was engaged in a stiff-arm, and the ball was punched out even though he had it high and tight. His adjustment is to stop reaching for another stiff-arm once a defender is closing.
"I think maybe after the second stiff arm next time, I'll probably tuck the ball and get north and south," Skattebo said.
He was also asked whether he wanted to outperform Cardinals running back Jeremiyah Love, a player the Giants did extensive work on before the draft, and show the team it has the right back. Skattebo said that is not the aim.
"Outperforming is not in my vision. I want to go out there and outperform myself from last week," he said. "I'm not worried about any other running backs or anybody else on the field. I'm worried about me, my production, making sure that I'm doing the right things. I had a couple of missed assignments last week, so I'm going to take the blame for that."
Skattebo said he's fixing those missed assignments on the practice field. On Sunday, the focus is Arizona's defense, not another running back.
This article originally appeared on Giants Wire: Cam Skattebo: New York Giants' red zone troubles are self-inflicted
