Cam Skattebo's lack of rushing attempts are major cause for concern in struggling Giants offense originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
John Harbaugh seems to be sending a message within the Giants' backfield.
Cam Skattebo, New York's 2025 fourth-round pick who has become a lead weapon in the offense, was demoted on the depth chart for Week 6 against the Saints.
After a pregame report that indicated Skattebo would see a reduced role, he went on to not log a single carry against New Orleans. The decision didn't make much of a difference for the Giants, who trailed for most of the game before an eventual 34-27 loss as their offense struggled behind Jameis Winston until J.J. McCarthy entered.
Here's why Skattebo was demoted on the depth chart and why his benching only hurt the Giants' offense on Sunday.
MORE: Marvin Harrison Jr.'s full stats as Texans win shootout over Jaguars
Why isn't Cam Skattebo playing today?
Skattebo has dealt with fumbling issues early in 2026. He has four in total, including a critical one in overtime against the Commanders last week that led to a tie, rather than a potential game-winning field goal for the Giants.
In response to Skattebo's struggles taking care of the ball, ESPN's Jordan Raanan reported on Sunday morning that the "expectation" was that New York would "change" its running back rotation to more of a committee approach, with "Skattebo downgraded but still part of the mix after the fumbles."
If anything, that wasn't even a full sign of the drastically different Giants' backfield mix against the Saints. Skattebo wasn't just demoted — he didn't log a single carry despite leading the team with 81 carries entering Week 6.
Instead, a mix of Najee Harris, Tyrone Tracy and Devin Singletary shared carries against the Saints.
Postgame, Harbaugh said Skattebo was not benched, and the running back getting no carries "was not by design."
"All those guys were taking equal reps. ... We were trying to see who could make something happen. Who could kind of get a hot hand," Harbaugh said. "When he was in there, we didn't call any runs."
The reporter also followed up about Skattebo's decreased playing time, and Harbaugh grew more frustrated.
"I don't like it either. One of those guys need to step up," Harbaugh said of his backfield. "There’s not a coach in the world that will give you a better answer than that. If you’re not thrilled with that answer, I got nothing else for you, honestly.”
A fired-up #Giants HC John Harbaugh says RB Cam Skattebo wasn’t benched and getting 0 carries wasn’t by design. He says no one has stepped up in the RB room, and he’s trying to figure out who “the guy” is. When pressed on the topic: “I don’t know what else to say. That’s the best answer you can ever get on that in 1,000 years. There’s not a coach in the world that will give you a better answer than that. If you’re not thrilled with that answer, I got nothing else for you, honestly.”
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) October 18, 2026
Giants RB carries vs. Saints
By the end of Sunday's matchup, Skattebo didn't log a single carry. Tracy had the most of any Giants running back with six, adding a touchdown on the ground and through the air.
Here's how the full carries split between Giants RBs:
- Devin Singletary: 4 carries, 14 yards
- Tyrone Tracy: 6 carries, 18 yards, TD
- Najee Harris: 4 carries, 2 yards
- Cam Skattebo: 0 carries
It was a rough day for New York's run game, totaling 84 yards on 4.2 yards per carry, but with most of that work done by scrambling from J.J. McCarthy. It certainly looked like the kind of matchup Skattebo could exploit.
Giants RBs in first half: Najee Harris 3 for 0 Tyrone Tracy 2 for 4 Devin Singletary 3 for 5 Cam Skattebo --- Total: 8 carries for 9 yards
— Jordan Raanan (@JordanRaanan) October 18, 2026
Considering the former ASU star is also known for his pass-catching abilities, with the Giants trailing most of the game, Skattebo's talents would have been welcomed as they played catch-up. Tracy also had a nice performance for a similar reason.
Instead, Skattebo was left watching as the Giants trailed throughout the game. The fumbling issues have held him back in 2026, but at his best, Skattebo's been one of the better up-the-middle runners in the NFL. In Week 6, he didn't make any impact for New York.
MORE NFL WEEK 6: