3 minSports
Giants’ Cam Skattebo defends running style after unnecessary roughness flag
New York Giants running back Cam Skattebo criticized the NFL after a 15-yard unnecessary roughness penalty in the team’s win over the Houston Texans, and head coach John Harbaugh backed his running style.
New York Giants running back Cam Skattebo criticized the NFL after officials penalized him 15 yards for unnecessary roughness during the team’s win over the Houston Texans on Sunday. Head coach John Harbaugh publicly sided with his player, calling Skattebo’s running style the way a ball carrier is supposed to run.
Skattebo was flagged after lowering his shoulder into Texans safety M.J. Stewart, a forceful hit that sent Stewart to the turf. Officials judged that Skattebo led with the crown of his helmet, a point of emphasis for the league as it works to limit helmet-to-helmet contact. Skattebo rejected that reading and questioned the league’s stance after a game in which he ran for more than 120 yards and scored a touchdown.
“I will say, man, the NFL loves to post me when I do stuff like that, but then also wants to take stuff from me,” Skattebo said. “So, I mean, I’m going to run the ball like I want to run the ball, and if I’m going to continue to get flagged or it or fined for it, man, I guess I’m going to play for free.”
On Monday, Harbaugh was asked about his own heated exchange with the official after the play, when he held back Skattebo as the running back came off the field livid about the call. Harbaugh said his reaction reflected how he felt about the penalty. “Did you see me after the play expressing my opinion? That’s how I felt about it,” he said.
Harbaugh said he understood why the flag was thrown, but he disagreed with the interpretation of the hit. “I also understand human physiology and anatomy and the way the body works,” he said. “Skat runs low. You have to run low. You have to run low to protect the football. You have to run low to protect your body. You can’t run in there and give tacklers your chest. When you run low, your head’s down there, too. You can’t move your head off your shoulders. It’s a physical impossibility.”
Harbaugh added that he did not believe Skattebo was trying to use his helmet as a weapon or a battering ram. He said the running style that draws penalties is the same one that protects both the runner and the football, and that it has helped the Giants win in past games as well as Sunday’s contest. Harbaugh framed the issue as a question for the league: how a runner like Skattebo should be expected to run through the trenches while staying within the rules.
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