Can More Play Action Fix the Giants' Stalled Run Game?

The Giants are in search of more explosive runs on their offense.

Oct 4, 2026; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Giants running back Cam Skattebo (44) runs the ball against Arizona Cardinals cornerback Denzel Burke (29) during the second quarter at MetLife Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The New York Giants' offensive identity is built on a power rushing game designed to wear down opponents.

But after four games, the Giants' rushing offense ranks 12th in total yards (442), 23rd in average yards per rush (3.7) and tied for 28th in rushing touchdowns (one), and it is 19th in explosive runs of 10 or more yards (eight).

That’s probably not what head coach John Harbaugh was imagining when he took the job in January and began building the roster.

“Yeah, I mean, we're just not good enough yet. Defenses are playing us pretty well,” he said when asked specifically about the lack of explosive runs, which would boost the total yards and average yards per carry.

The Giants’ running backs are who they are. Cam Skattebo and Najee Harris, who have handled most of the rushing attempts over the last three weeks, are power backs who sometimes work behind fullback Patrick Ricard.

On the flip side, Devin Singletary and Tyrone Tracy Jr., both of whom can provide a semblance of explosiveness, have been seldom used on offense. Tracy has mainly been used on special teams, and Singletary has been inactive the last two weeks.

For now, the Giants will roll with what they have, though there is a growing public sentiment that they might look to add an explosive back like Cardinals rookie Jeremiyah Love, whom the Giants were heavily linked to in this year’s draft.

“As we get better, we'll probably have more longer runs,” Harbaugh said. “Also, if we make them pay a little more with play action, I think that'll loosen (defenses) up a little bit, probably. But we just got to keep getting better.”

To his point, the Giants have run play action just 33 times through four games, which ranks 24th in the league. And when they have run play action, they have averaged 10.3 yards per play.

Until they can address that, Harbaugh believes all they can do is keep making strides toward improvement every week.

“I think the guys are working hard at it. We're playing very hard. We're trying to play very physically. So, all the elements are there. We have to keep getting better,” he said.

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