New York Giants head coach John Harbaugh will be the first to admit the team still has plenty to clean up on both sides of the ball.
Among the team’s top priorities is stemming the tide of fumbles. The Giants are tied with Seattle for the league lead in total fumbles (5), three of which they lost, one fewer than Seattle.
“The league is more of a punch-out league than it’s ever been before, and more players are really good at it than they’ve ever been before,” Harbaugh said. “It’s been a major point of emphasis from day one, and it’s still not good enough. So, we’ve got to get a lot better in that area.”
Cam Skattebo, the team’s starting running back, leads the team with three fumbles, including one he lost last week deep in Commanders territory as the Giants were driving toward a potential game-winning score.
On that play, Skattebo, perhaps because of the wet conditions, removed his gloves, which may have made the ball easier to punch out.
His other two fumbles, one each against the Titans and Cowboys, share a common thread. Skattebo, who wore gloves on both of those carries, appeared to bring his elbow just a smidge away from his body as defenders closed in, the running back clearly preparing to throw a stiff arm to ward them off.
The result was a slight gap in the “high and tight” carrying style coaches preach.
So What’s the Answer?
Giants offensive coordinator Matt Nagy said Skattebo understands that defenders are looking to separate ball carriers from the ball using what’s called a “peanut punch,” and that the technique has increased league-wide.
“Everyone here is seeing what this NFL has become right now with that peanut punch. It’s across the board. (Defenders) are being taught to punch the ball out.
“Obviously, in that situation, (Skattebo) knows more than anybody that we can’t have that happen, and it’s just unacceptable. He knows that, but that cannot happen again, and it’s not going to happen.”
While Nagy wouldn’t go into specifics about what they uncovered while watching the film of the fumbles, one thing he did mention that should help reduce the likelihood of fumbling is covering the ball with two hands when a defender closes in.
In his quest to squeeze out an extra yard or two on his rushing attempts, Skattebo has used stiff arms to keep defenders off him. But if the arm carrying the ball drifts from his body with the momentum, the ball becomes vulnerable to a punch-out.
“We make sure every practice that we have a bunch of different drills that we work on,” Nagy said.
“You have to speak it into existence. So, that’s the part sometimes that can get frustrating if you end up getting to a point where you practice it, you emphasize it, but yet it still happens. So, you can’t just stop doing that. You have to make sure you keep emphasizing it.”
That, and hoping the continued emphasis finally resolves the problem.
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