Cam Skattebo didn’t try to run from the moment that hurt the Giants in Sunday’s 27-27 tie with the Commanders. He owned it.
With New York in position for what could have been a game-winning field goal in overtime, Skattebo coughed up the ball. Afterward, the rookie running back was blunt about the mistake and what comes next.
“At the end of the day, I [expletive] up,” Skattebo admitted, per Kevin Patra of the NFL's website. “I’m going to put that on me. We’ll get better from that, and we’ll come out with the win next time.”
It was Skattebo’s fourth fumble in the first five games of the season, though it was his first lost fumble. The weather was miserable, with soaking-wet conditions throughout the game, but Skattebo made clear that won’t be an excuse for him moving forward.
“First off, I fumbled the ball. We can't have that,” Skattebo said, per the Giants' website.“
I understand that. I'm going to go into the film room and get it fixed.
I felt like I had good protection on it. The kid made a hell of a play.
I think in that situation what I think I could do differently is try not to get the extra yards because we're already in a good position and continue to take care of the ball. If I get tackled for a loss at one yard, then I get tackled for a loss at one yard.
I'm the player that tries to fight for as many yards as possible for this team. It kind of bit me in the a-- there.
I got to make sure I protect the ball for this football team. We win that game if I do.”
The tie leaves the Giants in a decent spot on paper, even if the ending was messy. New York goes into Week 6 as the only NFC East team with three wins, and Skattebo said the result should be treated as a teaching moment.
“It wasn't a loss,” Skattebo responded. “It wasn't a win.
I think somebody explained it to us as a lesson. We could have fixed some things.
I gave up the ball at the end there. There were lessons that were taught to us today, especially me.
Once we get past that and we learn from those, get them fixed, and then it's a different ball game.”
New York now turns to its Oct. 18 matchup against the 1-4 New Orleans Saints, with the 3-1-1 Giants listed Monday morning by DraftKings Sportsbook as a 1.5-point home underdog.
In Other News...
Commanders Have Another Officiating Controversy Fans Wont Let Go
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Robertson did not let the frustration sit for long, taking to social media to vent about the quality of the officiating and pointing to multiple instances this year he believes have hurt Washington. The broader backdrop only adds to the irritation, with recent NFL officiating disputes and player confrontations making every questionable flag feel bigger, and this one is sure to linger with Commanders fans for a while. [Read more 🡒]
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Even after the lead evaporated, Washington still had a clear path to escape with a victory, only to let the moment slip away in the final seconds. The late clock management left the Commanders settling for a tie instead of a win, an outcome that will linger because it was there to be taken. [Read more 🡒]
Jayden Daniels Criticism Just Took An Ugly Turn After Giants Tie
The Commanders came out of Week 5 with a 27-27 tie against the Giants, and Jayden Daniels still had a performance that most teams would gladly take. He completed 17 of 25 passes for 199 yards and added 103 rushing yards with two touchdowns, giving Washington a chance to escape with a win in a game that never fully settled into a clean finish.
Still, the late-game decision-making around Daniels became a talking point afterward, and the scrutiny only got louder in the days following the tie. Washington now turns to a Week 6 trip to face the 49ers at Levi's Stadium, with Daniels carrying both the burden of a strong outing and the noise that can follow when a close game ends without a winner. [Read more 🡒]