John Harbaugh backs Cam Skattebo, rips NFL for controversial flag: ‘That’s the way you’re supposed to run’
Cam Skattebo shared his thoughts on a controversial unnecessary roughness call against him in the New York Giants’ win over the Houston Texans on Sunday.
His head coach, John Harbaugh, shared the same sentiment.
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Skattebo ripped the NFL after officials assessed a 15-yard penalty against him after lowering his shoulder into Texans safety M.J. Stewart, delivering a forceful blow that sent him to the turf.
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New York Giants head coach John Harbaugh talks with reporters following an NFL football game against the Houston Texans in Houston on Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
“I will say, man, the NFL loves to post me when I do stuff like that, but then also wants to take stuff from me,” he said after a game where he ran for over 120 yards with a touchdown. “So, I mean, I’m going to run the ball like I want to run the ball, and if I’m going to continue to get flagged or it or fined for it, man, I guess I’m going to play for free.”
On Monday during time with reporters, Harbaugh was asked about what he said to the official during his own heated exchange in the moment after holding back Skattebo, who was livid with the official as he came off the field.
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“Did you see me after the play expressing my opinion? That’s how I felt about it,” he said.
Harbaugh admitted he understood the idea of why a yellow flag landed on the turf at NRG Stadium after seeing the hit. The NFL is always trying to crack down on helmet-to-helmet contact, and the official thought that Skattebo led with the crown of his helmet when he hit Stewart.
Harbaugh saw it differently.
“I also understand human physiology and anatomy and the way the body works,” he said. “Skat runs low. You have to run low.
New York Giants running back Cam Skattebo runs with the ball during the first quarter against the Houston Texans at Reliant Stadium in Houston, Texas, on Oct. 25, 2026. (IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)
“You have to run low to protect the football. You have to run low to protect your body. You can’t run in there and give tacklers your chest. When you run low, your head’s down there, too. You can’t move your head off your shoulders. It’s a physical impossibility.”
Harbaugh added that he didn’t believe his running back was “trying to use his helmet as a weapon, as a battering ram.” Skattebo certainly enjoys initiating contact. In fact, Skattebo was featured in multiple commercials during the broadcast where he is seen running through walls and other objects because, well, that’s his thing.
Ultimately, Harbaugh believes Skattebo’s running style is “the way you’re supposed to run.”
New York Giants running back Cam Skattebo (44) leaps over Houston Texans safety M.J. Stewart (29) and is tackled by linebacker Henry To’oto’o during the first half of an NFL football game in Houston on Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
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“That’s how you protect yourself and the football,” he said.
It’s old school, it’s punishing, and it’s what helped the Giants pick up a win on Sunday, just as it has in past games. So, Harbaugh begs the question for the NFL: How should Skattebo be running through the trenches?
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