Giants RB Cam Skattebo Still Holds This Distinction Despite Being on IR

Pro Football Focus is still holding New York Giants running back Cam Skattebo in high regard even though his season is over.

New York Giants running back Cam Skattebo is still gaining recognition despite a season ending injury. | Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

Running back Cam Skattebo hasn’t played for the New York Giants since suffering an ankle injury in Week 8 against Philadelphia; however, some still consider him the league's top rookie.

Pro Football Focus has Skattebo as the league's highest-graded rookie, checking in with an overall grade of 80.5. He and Tetairoa McMillan of the Panthers are the only two rookies on the season with an overall grade above 80.

That statistic is an example of the impact that Skattebo had on the Giants' offense and why it lacks a spark without him.

On the season, Skattebo carried it 101 times for 410 yards and five touchdowns, while through the air he hauled in 32 receptions for 207 yards and two touchdowns.

It is possible Skattebo could have been in for a truly special season, as he still ranks 6th among rookies in rushing yards, and his 4.1 YPC mark ranks third among rookies with at least 100 carries.

The whole situation regarding Skattebo’s injury is devastating, especially given that he ranked among the league's top rookies despite missing the last three games.

The Giants have to play it safe with Skattebo, as they don’t want to rush him back and risk hindering his recovery. If all goes well, the hope is that Skattebo can make a full recovery and get back to making a similar impact in Week 1 of next season.

Giants running game improving weekly without Skattebo

The Giants' offense has undergone a litany of changes this season, and the injury to Skattebo was definitely detrimental, but week by week since then they have improved their production on the ground.

In Week 9 against San Francisco, Tyrone Tracy Jr and Devin Singletary accounted for just 63 yards on 13 carries, but they have seen that rise in each Week since then.

In Week 10 against Chicago, the duo accounted for 91 yards on 22 carries, with the volume increasing in carries but not in yards per carry; however, that changed in Week 11.

In Mike Kafka’s debut against the Packers, the Giants made a concerted effort to run the ball, and it paid off, with Singletary and Tracy accounting for 35 carries for 132 yards and two touchdowns.

No reinforcements are coming to the Giants' running back room, barring an unforeseen change. With that being the case, Tracy and Singletary continuing to improve weekly is an important development for the offense, especially if Kafka continues to show a willingness to run the ball at a similar rate to what we saw against Green Bay.

The volume has increased heavily over the last two weeks for both Singletary and Tracy, and with that, the duo’s confidence has spiked as well.

If the Giants are going to send Dart back out there following his injury, it is paramount that they give him a run game to match.

Despite the loss in Week 11, the Giants were able to spark their run game, which is important as they try to find stability on offense over the remaining portion of the schedule.

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