Cam Skattebo’s week keeps getting harder, and the Giants’ backfield picture is looking messier by the day.
After his costly fumble in Week 5, Skattebo took a major hit when John Harbaugh benched him in Week 6. He barely saw the field and never touched the ball, a sharp fall for a player who started the season in a much more prominent role.
Now, heading into Week 7, ESPN’s Dan Graziano says the Giants could take another step at running back, either by bringing in help from outside or leaning more heavily on Tyrone Tracy Jr.
"They'd also love to alter things at running back, apparently," Graziano writes. "The new coaching staff has clearly soured on Cam Skattebo, the Giants just released Najee Harris, and it wouldn't be shocking to see them add someone from the outside or give Tyrone Tracy Jr. a bigger chance."
That doesn’t amount to an official team announcement, but it does point to where things stand. Skattebo’s standing in the offense has dropped fast, and the Week 5 overtime fumble only made the situation worse before the benching in Week 6 against the leaky New Orleans Saints defense.
The challenge now is even bigger. The Giants are also turning to J.J.
McCarthy at quarterback for Week 7 against the Houston Texans, and Skattebo’s role no longer looks like a simple one-game setback. It may be something more serious.
At this point, the question isn’t how much work he’ll get. It’s whether he’ll get any at all on game day.
A healthy scratch would be the clearest sign yet that Harbaugh has pushed him further into the doghouse.
For now, one thing is clear: the Giants do not appear set to keep Skattebo in the lead role they started the season with. Tracy, Devin Singletary, and possibly another back are in the mix as this rushing attack continues to shift.
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