Cam Skattebo didn’t hide how he felt after the Giants let a late lead slip away Thursday night.
New York had chances to lean on its lead running back in a pair of crucial short-yardage spots against Washington, but head coach John Harbaugh went elsewhere. He turned to quarterbacks Jameis Winston and J.J. McCarthy, and both calls came up empty in a 24-21 loss that dropped the Giants to 5-3-1.
Afterward, Skattebo said the missed opportunities bothered him, and he pointed back to what happened the last time these teams met.
“It sucks, and I think part of it is I put myself in a situation last time we played these guys that kind of killed the trust in Coach [Harbaugh], maybe a little bit, of giving up the ball last time,” Skattebo explained, per Peter Sblendorio of the New York Daily News. “And maybe he didn’t want to give me the ball again.
I don’t know. I’m not gonna say that was something that he was thinking, but I would think that as well.”
That earlier issue came in Week 5, when Skattebo lost a costly fumble late in New York’s 27-27 tie with Washington. On Thursday, Harbaugh first called for Winston on a quarterback sneak on third down with less than four minutes left and the Giants holding a 21-17 lead. Winston was stopped short.
Harbaugh then stayed with a quarterback run on third-and-3 from the Washington 39-yard line with two minutes remaining, this time giving the ball to McCarthy. That play went nowhere, with McCarthy tackled behind the line and New York forced to punt again.
Washington made the Giants pay. With about a minute left, Jayden Daniels connected with Stefon Diggs on a 32-yard touchdown that turned into the game winner.
Skattebo also said he believed he could have helped keep the drive alive, even if he stopped short of saying it outright.
“I can’t say that,” Skattebo responded when asked if he felt he could have kept the Giants’ drive going late in the game. “Do I think that?
Yeah. But I can’t say that, because it could’ve been any situation at any time.”
He finished with 18 carries for 78 yards and two touchdowns, while adding three catches for 44 yards.
The Giants now get extra time to sit with the loss before turning to their next game, a home matchup with the Jacksonville Jaguars on Nov. 22. Jacksonville is 6-2 and plays at the 1-7 Tennessee Titans this Sunday.
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