Giants' Cam Skattebo Penalized for Lowering Helmet on Texans Hit

New York Giants running back Cam Skattebo has built his reputation as something of a loose cannon on the field. He runs with ferocity and crashes into defenders without hesitation. But on Sunday, NFL officials suggested he crossed a line while attempting to truck over a Houston Texans player.

Skattebo took a handoff from quarterback J.J. McCarthy in the first quarter. The running back found a crease, lowered his helmet, and ran over an opposing defender. He put his head down and collided directly with safety M.J. Stewart. A flag was thrown immediately on the play, and Skattebo was called for unnecessary roughness because he lowered his helmet during the hit.

It remains unclear what exactly Skattebo was supposed to do in that specific situation. Helmet-to-helmet crashes happen in the NFL, but a penalty usually occurs if the player on the receiving end is considered defenseless or if the defender leads with their helmet while making a tackle, not the opposite. Even Giants head coach John Harbaugh seemed perplexed by the call.

The Giants and Texans were locked in a tight matchup during Week 7. The two teams entered halftime tied at 14-14. Skattebo had come under scrutiny earlier because he received no carries against the New Orleans Saints in Week 6. The Giants appeared to make some kind of point with his inaction that day. Harbaugh insisted last week that he did not bench Skattebo intentionally.

"It wasn't by design for him not to carry the ball," Harbaugh said. "Just when he was in there, we didn't call any runs. You're not thinking about which back is in the game and how many runs they're getting. It's we were going to give them all an equal shot, give them a chance, see who got a hot hand maybe, see who could get going with it. We weren't planning on being down by 24, that's for sure."

Skattebo's fumbles have been a cause for concern, but they probably were not enough to warrant sitting him out completely. He was certainly back in the offense for Week 7 after all that drama unfolded. The league is watching closely as these rules are tested again and again.