In the Week 8 blowout loss to the Eagles, New York Giants’ rookie running back Cam Skattebo suffered a likely season-ending ankle injury.
Skattebo leads all rookies in scrimmage touchdowns and yards. The star rookie has already solidified himself as a building block for this young Giants offense. He will be sorely missed for the remainder of the season.
It will be difficult, but the Giants can find a way to recover from Skattebo’s injury through the reemergence of second-year back Tyrone Tracy Jr. and a change in the offensive game plan.
Tyrone Tracy’s Return to the Starting Job
Tracy lost the starting job after his Week 3 shoulder injury and Skattebo’s superb play. Despite his benching, Tracy has still made some contributions to the offense since then, and he has shown his abilities in the past.
Last season, he had over 1,100 yards from scrimmage and six touchdowns in just 12 starts. This season, he has made his mark as a backup, scoring a 31-yard touchdown in Week 7.
Tracy’s style of play is drastically different from Skattebo’s. Tracy relies on his impressive vision and downhill speed. Meanwhile, Skattebo is a contact-heavy, workhorse back. One thing both backs excel at is receiving out of the backfield and out wide.
Although very different, Tracy is a very serviceable substitute for Skattebo. He is someone the Giants should implement heavily in their new-look offense.
How Will They Change the Game Plan?
With Tracy being such a different back than Skattebo, the Giants’ game plan is bound to change. Many of the Giants’ runs are inside runs. They rely on Skattebo’s run after contact to gain them extra yards on each of these.
Another key difference between the two is how much Tracy runs outside compared to Skattebo. This season, 15 of Tracy’s 35 carries are to the outside (43%), while 36 of Skattebo’s 98 runs are outside (37%). This means there will be more running behind the phenomenal tackle duo of Andrew Thomas and Jermaine Eluemunor — certainly not a negative.
(Stats via NFLPro)
Running more to the outside will be the primary adjustment that Brian Daboll and Mike Kafka will make to the Giants’ offense.
A Big Change to the Giants’ Offensive Identity
Other than his on-field play, Skattebo brings endless fight and identity to the team. His effort and intensity are something that the Giants have been yearning for in their recent rough stretch of years. This has led to numerous headfirst efforts by him and fellow rookie Jaxson Dart. Their grit, from start to finish, has led to multiple short-down conversions and big runs after contact.
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With this intensity now out of the offense, the Giants are losing a lot of character. Although this is not reflected on the stat sheet, it was clear during Skattebo’s absence in Week 8 that players were not fighting for yards as often or as aggressively when he was off the field. Skattebo’s approach to the game drastically changed the Giants’ offensive identity, and it cannot be replicated.
Hopefully, plugging in Tracy will help spark the offense while the Giants look to readjust their identity.
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