It came out just hours before the New York Giants' matchup against the New Orleans Saints that Najee Harris was likely to have a larger role while Cam Skattebo's was downgraded, but I don't think anybody anticipated things playing out the way they actually did despite Jordan Raanan's report.
In the 34-27 loss, Skattebo played just six snaps and failed to record a single touch. No carries. No receptions. He put up a complete goose egg on the stat sheet that left a lot of people baffled, but it comes back to what happened in last week's tie with the Washington Commanders.
For those who missed it, the second-year back coughed up the football with the Giants in field goal range in OT, and the fumble would've lost them the game had it not been for the worst clock management in recorded history. And as we know, John Harbaugh doesn't take kindly to that stuff.
So while talking to reporters after the Saints loss, Skattebo all but admitted his decreased snap share this week was punishment for Week 5. As if that was anything we didn't know, but he pulled an anti-Skatt and accepted his place in Harbaugh's doghouse, admitting he'll be ready for his next chance.
"I got punished for what I did (from last week).," Skattebo said. "I understand it so I gotta be ready when coach calls my name and that wasn’t today."
For a guy who was doing backflips at FanaticsFest and once admitted to running into poles as a kid, this level of humility is a little unexpected. But it’s nice to see No. 44 holding himself accountable, especially since he hasn’t exactly lived up to expectations this year.
Cam Skattebo understands why the Giants are decreasing his snap share, but should we?
Even when you take away the fumble, it's not like Skatt has been anything to phone home about this season. He's averaging just 3.6 yards per carry in 2026 and does not have a 20+ yard run yet this year. Besides, last week was his fourth fumble in five games, so the message from Harbs is clear: hold onto the football, or kiss the RB1 spot goodbye. .
Harbaugh is known for preferring guys who limit mistakes and play hard and he's quick to discipline those who aren't. That much is true. This is part of what we signed up for when the Giants hired him to be their new head coach. That level of accountability is something we haven't had since Coughlin.
So instead of redemption, we're seeing punishment
Unfortunately, while Skattebo seems to be accepting his new reality (at least for now), Big Blue's run game wasn't much better without him out there. They carried the ball just 20 times for 84 yards, and their leading rushers were QB J.J. McCarthy (26 yards) and WR Darnell Mooney, who logged 20.
Harbaugh admitted after the game he's looking for "the guy" in Big Blue's running back room, yet this team was supposed to have a ground-and-pound, smash-mouth offense. Make it make sense. No wonder he was looking for RB upgrades this offseason.
Given everyone thought the 24-year-old was bound to take an even bigger leap, that's not ideal. Struggling to start the year is one thing, but he can't even fend off Devin Singletary, Tyrone Tracy, and Najee Harris. But the good news here is that none of those guys were any better..
Cam Skattebo will always be a fan favorite, but ever since Jaxson Dart went down, it's felt like something has felt off for the former Arizona State product. And after four fumbles in five games, it’s hard to blame Harbaugh for wanting to send a message. But with the Giants’ run game struggling regardless of who’s carrying the football, Skattebo isn’t the only one who needs to figure things out.
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