Cam Skattebo Lauded by PFF for Week 3 Performance

The New York Giants may not have had much to take away from their most recent loss in Week 3 to the Chiefs, which plummeted their record to 0-3 and ignited a big change at the quarterback position with the switch from Russell Wilson to Jaxson Dart as the new starter.

One positive they could pull from another defeat was the performance of rookie running back Cam Skattebo, the team’s fourth-round pick, who has started to find his groove and make his bruising presence felt in the Giants’ backfield.

Skattebo started his rookie campaign as the No. 2 ball carrier behind Tyrone Tracy Jr. and only saw limited snaps in Week 1 with negative results. He has since then ramped up his impact in the Giants’ last two games against Dallas and Kansas City to catapult himself into the lead in the rushing order.

In the 22-9 loss to Kansas City on Sunday night, Skattebo was arguably the one player who gave the fans any reason to stay engaged in what was another offensive slumber from the team.

He tallied 121 yards from scrimmage and was knocking over tacklers with his tireless rushing style to produce an average carry of 6.0 yards and his second touchdown of his rookie season.

Despite that stat sheet not being nearly enough to help the Giants win the football game and get them out of the winless stretch they’re in, Pro Football Focus found the Arizona State product worthy enough to earn a nod into their rookie team of the week for the second consecutive week.

"This marks back-to-back weeks with Skattebo as the top rookie running back," the outlet said.

"Skattebo rushed for 59 yards (44 after contact) on 11 carries and the Giants’ only touchdown in their Sunday Night Football loss to the Chiefs, securing a 78.1 PFF rushing grade.

“He was also dynamic as a receiver, catching six of his eight targets for 61 yards and an 86.6 PFF receiving grade. On top of that, Skattebo forced five missed tackles as one of the few bright spots for the Giants."

Sep 21, 2025; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Giants running back Cam Skattebo (44) celebrates with wide receiver Malik Nabers (1) and guard Jon Runyan (76) after scoring a touchdown against the Kansas City Chiefs in the second quarter at MetLife Stadium. | Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images

Beyond his contributions on the field, Skattebo has wasted no time becoming a source of loud energy and gritty spirit within the building, a quality that couldn't be more needed at this time.

He has loved to capture the attention of everyone watching the team with his signature yells and show what it means to fight for every inch to get closer to capturing the winning moments that the Giants crave.

Those character traits are what made college and pro scouts begin to notice the 5-foot-11, 215-pound running back as he worked to ascend from the FCS level into a huge role with the Sun Devils, where he carried them deep into the College Football Playoff in his final season.

Nobody would forget his thrilling rushing display in the quarterfinals against Texas in January, where Skattebo would nearly put his school over the top in overtime with an astounding 30 carries for 143 yards and two touchdowns as he simply refused to go down without taking every defender with him for as many yards as he could get.

It’s hard to find running backs of that caliber even in the NFL nowadays, and Giants fans remember a few of the rare predecessors who defined their recent history, such as Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw. The hope is that Skattebo continues to grow into the next player in their lineage, and boy, do they need him to become that.

The Giants are expected to be without fellow running back Tyrone Tracy for the immediate future after the 2024 draft pick injured his shoulder in the loss to the Chiefs, in which he only managed to record seven carries for 29 yards before leaving the contest.

With Tracy sidelined, the Giants are thin at the position, and the only other rostered man on the 53-man squad is veteran Devin Singletary, who lost the starting workload to Tracy last season.

The Giants could call up Turbo Miller from the practice squad to supplement the depth, but a big onus could fall on Skattebo’s shoulders to bear the ground load.

Even with their fully healthy unit, the Giants have not boasted the greatest returns in the run game either. They’ve ranked in the bottom third of the league in the major metrics, including an average of 96 rushing yards per game and 4.1 yards per carry.

That trend needs to improve for the Giants to maintain a versatile and more respected offense, as opponents are quickly taking away their biggest receiving targets, making it very difficult to burn them through the air. The more the Giants don’t earn quality yards early to put the defense on their heels on late downs, the harder it will be to move the football and score points, which have been problems in two of their three games this season.

Skattebo, who presumes to step into the No. 1 role until Tracy returns, has that opportunity to revive the Giants' rushing attack and give it that physical style that has been missing.

The Giants love to play guys with some edge to them, and the recent stretch, combined with this honor, should show that Skattebo is willing to play up to that standard.

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