Evan Barnes: For Giants, it's sweet redemption for Cam Skattebo, running game and J.J. McCarthy
Giants running back Cam Skattebo celebrates in the end zone after his touchdown during the second half of an NFL game against the Houston Texans in Houston on Sunday. Credit: AP/Eric Smith
There was redemption for the Giants in Houston on Sunday. For quarterback J.J. McCarthy. For the running backs. For a team that had won only once in their previous 16 games away from MetLife Stadium.
After a difficult career with the Vikings, McCarthy won his Giants debut as a starter, but he had to thank his running backs for finishing off a 27-21 overtime win over the Texans. The Giants needed only three plays in OT to break the tie, and on the final two, Cam Skattebo broke free for a 42-yard run and Devin Singletary won the game with a 30-yard touchdown run.
McCarthy later used his hand to place an imaginary crown over Skattebo, Singletary and Tyrone Tracy Jr.’s heads. Quarterbacks usually get the praise after wins, but McCarthy knew his running backs needed to share the glory.
“You want to perform well. You want to execute well,” he said. “It’s one of those things where if the running backs are getting their touches and getting their touchdowns, I’m as happy as I can be.
“Whether I’m throwing the touchdowns, I’m happy as I can be. At the end of the day, all that matters is getting that victory.”
“It’s a fierce joy to compete and to find a way to win games like this because it takes you emptying the tank. It takes everything you got,” coach John Harbaugh said.
The running backs redeemed themselves a week after Harbaugh called them out for failing to step up to be the No. 1 back. Skattebo, who received no touches and was in for only six plays the previous week because of his fumbling issues, made his case with 124 rushing yards and a touchdown on 17 carries. It was his first career 100-yard game.
He had help from Singletary (41 yards, five carries) as the former Texans running back called game with his longest run since Sept. 22, 2024. Tracy added a 2-yard touchdown run in the first quarter before leaving with a hamstring injury.
It fueled another close victory for the Giants (4-2-1), who matched last season’s win total ahead of their bye week.
Before Sunday, the Giants were 1-14-1 in road games dating to 2024. Their most recent road game was an ugly tie gifted by the Commanders’ incompetence.
McCarthy, who finished with a career-high 252 yards on 20-for-28 passing, came out firing early. He had a 42-yard completion to Malik Nabers (seven catches, 111 yards) on the opening drive that set up Tracy’s touchdown. (Nabers had a fourth straight game of at least 100 receiving yards, extending a career-best streak.) On the next drive, McCarthy connected with Malachi Fields for a 47-yard catch-and-run.
Maybe that proved his long passes the previous week weren’t a fluke against soft coverage. He had five completions that went for at least 20 yards, matching his fourth-quarter total against the Saints, when he passed for 243 yards in the final 11 minutes.
McCarthy’s mobility kept the Texans guessing. That was key in the second quarter, when on second down, he dodged the Texans’ blitz and kept his feet moving before finding Nabers for a 17-yard gain. It kept the drive going, and Jameis Winston capped it with a 1-yard touchdown plunge.
Winston entered the game five times in short-yardage situations for a “Pancake Push”: the Giants use a bunched formation with 300-pound fullback Patrick “Pancake Pat” Ricard pushing Winston from behind. Three times, Winston ran for a first down or touchdown.
A mild concern? McCarthy had a quiet second half. Yes, he led a 14-play scoring drive that burned 8:18 off the clock, but he had fewer than 100 passing yards and took two of his three sacks after halftime.
It didn’t matter. McCarthy is 1-0 as a Giants starter.
Skattebo started the game and got carries on the first two plays. He ran angry, with one carry erased by a penalty for lowering his head into a defender’s shoulder. He also had a 19-yard run on a third-and-1 in the third quarter.
Later that drive, Skattebo had an impressive 16-yard touchdown run in which he bounced off multiple tacklers before getting into the end zone. In overtime, his 42-yard carry was a career-best run and the longest run by a Giant this season.
That’s how you handle punishment: perform better.
The Giants ran for a season-high 188 yards on 34 carries against a Texans team ranked third in run defense entering Sunday. So let’s give the offensive line props as well for better blocking.
“We challenged them this week to fire off the ball, stay low with their pad level and kick [butt],” Skattebo said of the offensive line. “And they did that. I was successful because they were successful.”
The defense allowed receiver Xavier Hutchinson to catch a 3-yard touchdown pass with 52 seconds left as the Texans tied the score at 21. But they made up for it in overtime, forcing a three-and-out to set up the Giants’ winning drive.
That’s what matters. Redemption is about results speaking louder than words.
Now the Giants, coming off a win, can relax for their bye. They’re still in first place in the NFC East.
The Giants didn’t get four wins last season until the final game. It’s here now after Week 7. Thanks to McCarthy and the running backs, that’s an ultimate redemption song before this week’s relaxation melody.
Evan Barnes covers the Giants for Newsday. He previously covered the Brooklyn Nets, Memphis football and the Memphis Grizzlies and also covered prep sports in Los Angeles.
