John Harbaugh was passing out credit for Sunday’s overtime win against the Houston Texans immediately after the game. And the New York Giants coach said the credit goes to the players, including quarterback J.J. McCarthy and running back Cam Skattebo, and God.
“First of all, I just want to humbly say, just personally, very grateful to my Lord, High Rock, Protector and Stronghold, the Lord God in heaven,” Harbaugh said in opening his news conference. “And our guys, man, that was a player’s win.”
The Giants are supposed to win this season with their young quarterback and young running back doing incredible things, but who could’ve predicted McCarthy would be the young quarterback instead of Jaxson Dart, and the young running back would have to get out of the coaching staff’s doghouse first.
McCarthy and Skattebo were outstanding in helping the Giants beat the Texans.
Skattebo rushed for a career-high 124 yards, delivered perhaps the game’s defining run in overtime to set up the winning points, and ran so hard throughout the game – get this – on one play he was flagged for unnecessary roughness.
Because he buried an potential tackler.
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On New York’s second possession, Skattebo took a handoff from McCarthy and drove through a hole, lowered his head, and ran through Texans safety M.J. Stewart.
Skattebo steamrolled Stewart but the NFL is all about player safety these days so he was flagged because he lowered his head before making contact.
Larry Csonka, Jim Brown and Earl Campbell would have been proud. And the 15 yard penalty that followed would have been foreign and appalling to the all time greats.
Skattebo wasn’t done. He scored on a 16-yard run and in overtime got off a 42-yard run that gave the Giants the football at the Houston 28 yard line. A field goal would have won it from there, but Devin Singletary ran in for a TD on the next play and a Giants win.
Harbaugh, who benched Skattebo last week, said his running back played with a “fierce joy” on Sunday.
The coach also noted how McCarthy responded in his start to deliver his first win as the Giants starting quarterback. McCarthy was officially named the starter on Wednesday, succeeding Jameis Winston who had succeeded the injured Dart.
McCarthy, who joined the team 27 days ago when he was traded from the Minnesota Vikings, had a good day.
He was generally efficient, completing 20 of 28 passes for 252 yards. He didn’t throw a touchdown pass, but didn’t throw an interception and didn’t fumble, either.
“I thought he did a great job,” Harbaugh said. “He sure didn’t play perfect but he played a heck of a football game. He deserves a lot of credit.”
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The twin performance by his youngsters left Harbaugh confident his team can answer challenges – some of which he himself posed, including with the benching of Skattebo.
“It tells you who they are,” he said. “I thought before the game we’re going to find out about our guys.”
The Giants are the only team in the NFC East with a winning record. And getting their practically new, young quarterback to perform while rediscovering the team’s leading rusher suggests this team will be relevant despite not having Dart.
“We’re going to be in it until the end now,” Harbaugh said.
