Giants Running Backs Have 3 Things to Improve as Harbaugh's Power Scheme Arrives

The New York Giants remade their running back room without really remaking it.

Big Blue is converting to a primarily gap-based scheme, no great surprise given senior offensive assistant Greg Roman’s roots.

This switch from a primarily zone-blocking scheme will largely depend on downhill thumpers (think Cam Skattebo and fullback Patrick Ricard) and quicker backs like Tyrone Tracy Jr., who will try to find daylight behind pulling linemen.

Again, this is not a surprise. Besides Roman’s influence, head coach John Harbaugh has long been known for preferring a physical, power running game that aims to beat the defense into submission, tiring them out to the point where it becomes easier for the offense as the game wears on.

The Giants appear to have the personnel they need from the backfield–the offensive line might be another story, as that’s a work in progress, but we’ll cover that in another installment. Sticking with the running backs, here’s a look at three things they can improve upon as a unit.

Better Decisiveness

New York Giants running back Tyrone Tracy Jr. stands to benefit most from the anticipated gap-blocking scheme. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

When talking about running backs, “vision” is often mentioned, which simply means that a running back needs to be able to keep track of what’s developing in front of him, pick out a hole, and get through it as quickly as possible.

The Giants, who finished with the fifth-best rushing offense (129.1 yards/game), were also among the bottom third of the league in being dealt the fewest tackles-for-loss (28).

So what's the issue? New York’s running backs averaged just 4.0 yards per rush, 24th in the league, and were 26th in rushing success rate (41.57%) in picking up at least 60% of the requisite yardage on any given down when rushing.

In a quest to improve those numbers, some of that will come down to individual performance, but again, with the new rushing scheme switching to a gap-based system, that should theoretically help the Giants' running backs improve their rushing success rate and their average yards per rushing attempt in 2026.

Pass Protection

If a running back is going to be on the field, he better be able to pass protect, especially on obvious passing downs.

While the Giants, in pass pro, only allowed one sack out of 11 total pressures spread among the three running backs (Devin Singletary, Cam Skattebo, and Tyrone Tracy, Jr) last year, quarterbacks averaged just 1.50 seconds to throw when the running backs were involved in pass protection, which put the Giants 15th according to Tru Media via the Locked On Giants podcast. That put the Giants below the league average of 1.64 seconds.

The best of the Giants running backs in pass protection was Singletary, who, per PFF, had the best grade of the three (67.0) in pass protection, and it wasn’t even close.

Short Yardage

(For the sake of defining this category, “short yardage” is defined as one yard to go for the first down.)

When it came to picking up that one yard needed for the first down, the Giants weren’t necessarily a league powerhouse, as their average of 2.6 yards per rush was below the league average of 3.3 yards per carry, per Tru Media via the Locked On Giants podcast.

Most notable of all was that the Giants averaged just 0.65 rushing yards per carry BEFORE contact, 15th in the league.

That stat isn't entirely on the running backs, but it is undoubtedly one that head coach John Harbaugh, whose Ravens team last year averaged a league-best 2.12 yards per carry before contact, would like to see improve.

Previous Installments: Quarterbacks, Receivers

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