EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsHOUSTON -- The New York Giants' running back group was called out this past week by coach John Harbaugh. He wanted someone to step up.Harbaugh asketh and he shall receive in Sunday's 27-21 overtime win over the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium.All three of his running backs, Cam Skattebo, Tyrone Tracy Jr. and Devin Singletary, scored touchdowns. Skattebo had his first career 100-yard rushing game thanks to a 42-yard dash in overtime that set up the game-winning score.Singletary then sent everyone home with a 30-yard touchdown scamper on the second possession of the extra session."It was awesome to be able to show coach and show the team that we have running backs in the backfield that can do it," Skattebo said. "Pretty cool."Skattebo, Tracy and Singletary put their arms around each other as they were celebrating after the win and started to talk their talk. They felt they had something to prove after the Giants cut running back Najee Harris last week and Harbaugh implored one of them grab the bull by the horns and seize the lead-back job.They answered as a group in a big way Sunday to supplement quarterback J.J. McCarthy in his first start with the Giants."I think that's exactly the story," Harbaugh said. "I mean, to me that's the point. It tells you who they are. You might have thought before the game we're going to find out about our guys. We're going to find out about who they are."And we did. You saw it. They did. They took the bull by the horns."The Giants finished with 188 yards rushing and 5.5 yards per carry after a slow first half. Skattebo's 42-yard run was the Giants' longest this season and the longest of his career.Even backup quarterback Jameis Winston scored a tush-push touchdown. Four different Giants rushed for a score in the contest."I would say that is how you respond," said Singletary, who was inactive for three weeks earlier this season. "In this league, it's all about how you're going to respond. You're going to face challenges every year. There ain't no way around it. It's about how you're going to respond. And we were able to respond the right way this week."Skattebo had a 19-yard run off a fake tush-push in the second half. It tied for his longest run of the season at the time. It also seemed to get the running game jumpstarted. It was the perfect answer for Skattebo after being demoted last week; he didn't have a single carry and only played six snaps in a loss to the Saints.That prompted Harbaugh to reduce the bodies in the running back room and make his public comments."We definitely do hear everything. We hear the noise," Tracy said. "But I think [Sunday] was one of them games that we just answered the call."Skattebo landed in the doghouse in recent weeks because of his lack of ball protection and fumbling. It's similar to Tracy, who also was out of the mix just a few weeks ago because of key gaffes in the preseason and in the opener against the Cowboys.As for Skattebo, he had a crucial fumble in overtime against the Commanders that landed him on the bench. At the time, it was his fifth fumble in 13 career games. But Skattebo took it all in stride. He understood that there needed to be accountability, and according to players and coaches it was business as usual.But also, message received.The second-year running back said he only thought specifically about his ball protection in the final moments of the game. That's when Singletary came to him and provided a reminder that it was priority No. 1 at that point."At the end of the game, yeah, I'm thinking about it. The only thing that matters is the ball," Skattebo said. "When I fumbled against Washington it wasn't in my mind to take care of the ball at that moment. ... I can take care of the ball if I need to and I have the right mindset."The Giants (4-2-1) now head into their bye week squarely in first place in the NFC East. The break comes at just the right time.Tracy left the game in the first half with a hamstring injury. Skattebo felt something in his hamstring at the end of the 42-yard run and walked with a limp to the team bus after the game. Right tackle Jermaine Eluemunor (calf) was in a boot, and left tackle Andrew Thomas (groin), who's been struggling in recent weeks, said he needed the time off.Harbaugh thought the win was "pivotal" for his team. They enter Monday two games up in NFC East.The Giants have two division games in five days following the bye. Harbaugh believes those are the two most important games of the season against Philadelphia and Washington, respectively."We're going to be in this thing until the end now," he said. "This was a pivotal game. This was a really high-pressure game for our team. We didn't talk about that, but they all knew how important this game was, and they responded accordingly."Especially his running backs.
