The New York Giants won their most complete game Sunday against the Houston Texans, but running back Cam Skattebo and coach John Harbaugh were unhappy with one officiating decision. In the first quarter, Skattebo was flagged for unnecessary roughness after lowering his head into Houston safety M.J. Stewart on a run that initially gained 7 yards. Harbaugh was shown on the broadcast vehemently objecting to the call and spoke with the linesman afterward.
Skattebo said the NFL seems to celebrate his physical play on social media while penalizing it on the field. "I'm going to run the ball like I want to run the ball," he said. "If they're going to punish me for that, then I'm just going to keep doing it and playing hard." He had already been fined $7,073 earlier this month for illegal helmet contact on a running play.
Harbaugh said Skattebo was leading with his shoulder and had no intent to use his helmet as a weapon. "I didn't have a problem with the technique personally at all," he said Monday, adding that the league had not yet explained what it wants players taught. "Maybe they'll be able to enlighten us a little bit on it." He said that you cannot run low into tacklers without your head coming down, calling the expectation a "physical impossibility."
The victory came in a 27-21 overtime win, and Skattebo recorded his first 100-yard rushing game with a career-high 124 yards on 17 carries. The outcome followed a loss to the New Orleans Saints, where his role had been sharply reduced after several costly fumbles. Skattebo, a second-year back out of Arizona State, was reinstated as the lead back and starter for the Texans game.
Source: ESPN NFL · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing