The Giants are treating two parts of their offense very differently.
At quarterback, the team is still sorting through Jameis Winston and J.J. McCarthy, with John Harbaugh working on a decision for the upcoming game against the Texans and Ian Rapoport saying, “McCarthy’s time is coming, whether it’s this week, whether it’s next week. He is going to play.”
In the backfield, though, the response has already been immediate.
Just hours before the matchup with the Saints, it emerged that Najee Harris was likely to have a larger role while Cam Skattebo’s workload would be reduced. Then the game unfolded in the most dramatic way possible: Skattebo played only six snaps, did not record a carry, and the Giants’ starter on paper was left out of the offense entirely in a 34-27 loss.
That was not a one-game blip. Skattebo had already put the Giants in a bind the week before, coughing up the football in overtime against Washington while the team was in field goal range. After the Saints game, he acknowledged the consequence plainly: “I got punished for what I did from last week. I understand it so I gotta be ready when coach calls my name and that wasn’t today.”
The punishment opened the door for Devin Singletary, who led New York running backs with 31 snaps against the Saints. He finished with 33 yards on five touches, including 14 rushing yards and 19 receiving yards, and his name is now back in the picture as the Giants try to find someone who can stabilize the position.
Harbaugh’s view of the run game was blunt. “It was not very good,” he said after the loss. He added, “Nobody’s really taken the bull by the horns.”
The numbers back up the frustration. The Giants managed only 84 rushing yards against New Orleans, and their season total sits at 545 rushing yards with a 3.7-yard average, which ranks 24th in the NFL. Their only rushing touchdown came in the season opener against Dallas.
The quarterback picture is moving more slowly. Winston has gone 2-1-1 as the Giants’ starter, but Harbaugh benched him in favor of McCarthy during the Saints game, and McCarthy replaced him in the second half. McCarthy threw for 243 yards and a touchdown in the fourth quarter alone, but the team is still deciding how quickly to move forward with him.
That leaves the Giants in a strange middle ground. One part of the offense is being managed with patience, practice reps, and a decision still to come. The other is being reshaped almost week to week, with Skattebo’s role cut back, Singletary pushed forward, and Harbaugh openly searching for a back who can seize the job.
The Giants are 3-2-1 and alone atop the NFC East, which makes the lack of clarity even more awkward. They are first in the division, but the offense is being handled as if every position is on a different timeline.
Harbaugh still has to settle the quarterback spot for Houston. He also has to decide whether the backfield belongs to Singletary, whether Skattebo gets another chance, and whether the offense can stop changing shape from one week to the next.