Cam Skattebo Won't Change His Running Style: 'Guess I'm Going to Play for Free'
Giants RB Cam Skattebo was flagged for lowering his helmet in Sunday's overtime win at Houston and said he isn't changing how he runs, even if the fines keep coming
Cam Skattebo isn't going to stop running the way he runs.
The Giants running back was flagged for lowering his helmet during Sunday's 27-21 overtime win over the Texans. Afterward, he made it clear the penalty won't change anything, and he took a shot at the league for promoting the same kind of plays it penalizes.
"The NFL loves to post me when I do stuff like that but then also wants to take stuff from me," Skattebo said, per The Athletic's Charlotte Carroll. "I'm going to run the ball like I want to run the ball. If I'm going to continue to get flags for it or fined for it, guess I'm going to play for free."
Cam Skattebo on penalty: "The NFL loves to post me when I do stuff like that but then also wants to take stuff from me. I'm going to run the ball like I want to run the ball. If I'm going to continue to get flags for it or fined for it, guess I'm going to play for free." #giantsView on X →
Charlotte Carroll (@charlottecrrll): Cam Skattebo on penalty: "The NFL loves to post me when I do stuff like that but then also wants to take stuff from me. I'm going to run the ball like I want to run the ball. If I'm going to continue to get flags for it or fined for it, guess I'm going to play for free." #giants
The rule in question bars a player from lowering his head to start forcible contact with his helmet, and it applies to ball carriers as well as defenders. A penalty in the game doesn't automatically mean a fine, but the league reviews these plays during the week.
The flag came in Skattebo's best game as a pro. A week after he got no carries in a loss to the Saints, he ran 17 times for 124 yards and a touchdown, his first career 100-yard game. His 42-yard run in overtime, the Giants' longest of the season, set up Devin Singletary's 30-yard game-winning touchdown.
That bounce-back came after John Harbaugh publicly challenged his running backs this week. The Giants had cut Najee Harris, and Skattebo had been benched for fumbling. "It was awesome to be able to show coach and show the team that we have running backs in the backfield that can do it," Skattebo told ESPN's Jordan Raanan.
Skattebo said he felt something in his hamstring at the end of the 42-yard run and was limping to the team bus, per Raanan. The Giants (4-2-1) are on their bye next week.