Arizona State Professional Athletes

Cam Skattebo's Career Night Carries Giants Past Houston

Arizona State's most compelling NFL story this week didn't just make the highlight reel — it made the injury report, the penalty debate, and the trade rumor mill too.

Cam Skattebo turned in the best performance of his young NFL career on Sunday, rushing for 124 yards and a touchdown to power the New York Giants to a 27-21 overtime victory over the Houston Texans. The result improved New York to 4-2-1 and gave the Sun Devil faithful plenty to cheer about — at least until the final minutes of OT.

The Breakout

Skattebo's day was defined by physicality and big moments, which made it a fitting showcase for a back who has built his identity on running through defenders rather than around them. The 124-yard outing was his career best, and it came at the right time: just two weeks after a costly fumble in Week 5 against Washington that had sparked benching rumors and trade speculation. According to Heavy Sports, Skattebo hadn't registered a single carry the game immediately preceding Sunday's win — making the turnaround even more striking.

The Giants outgained Houston by nearly 200 total yards on the day, and Skattebo was the engine behind it.

The Injury Scare

The celebration was brief. Late in overtime, Skattebo broke loose for a career-long 42-yard run — and went down on the play. The sight of New York's bell-cow back limping off sent a jolt of anxiety through the Giants' locker room and fantasy managers alike. Per The Sporting News and Heavy Sports, the Giants received relatively good news on his status in the aftermath, providing some relief heading into Week 8.

The injury wasn't the only physical toll from the run. Skattebo was flagged for an unnecessary roughness penalty during the game — a call that drew sharp criticism from Giants head coach John Harbaugh, who publicly backed his back's hard-nosed style and demanded clarification from the league. Even Jason Kelce weighed in, calling out the officials on air. Skattebo addressed the penalty himself in a video posted after the game, making clear he has no plans to change his approach.

Elsewhere in the Alumni Report

It was a quieter week for other Sun Devil alumni around the league. Zane Gonzalez was elevated to the active roster for the Miami Dolphins ahead of their 28-25 win over the Jets, while fellow ASU alum Malik McClain suited up for New York's side in that same game. Neither registered notable stats. Jack Jones, the former ASU cornerback, saw action for the 49ers in their 20-29 loss to the Falcons, though San Francisco released him in the days surrounding the game — opening the door for others on the roster to step into his role.

The week, ultimately, belonged to Skattebo. Whether it signals a full reclamation of his RB1 role in New York or just a one-week reprieve in an otherwise turbulent season remains to be seen. But for one afternoon in Houston, the Arizona State product reminded the NFL what he's capable of when the Giants hand him the ball and get out of the way.

The Benching Heard in the Tri-State Area

Cam Skattebo's first season with the New York Giants was supposed to be a showcase. Instead, the Arizona State product spent Week 6 watching from the sideline as Najee Harris — the veteran brought in over him — took the starting nod against the New Orleans Saints and managed just four carries in a loss. Skattebo didn't register a single carry and was on the field for only six snaps.

Then the situation got stranger. Days after benching Skattebo in favor of Harris, the Giants released Harris entirely. It was a chaotic sequence that Skattebo addressed with unambiguous clarity: "Nobody is safe," the ASU alum said, per Bleacher Report — a line that read less like bravado and more like a hard-earned reality check.

'I Got Taught a Lesson'

Skattebo didn't spin the benching. He owned it. A costly fumble earlier in the season appeared to be the catalyst for his diminished role, and he acknowledged as much heading into Week 7 against the Houston Texans, telling reporters he "got taught a lesson" and was eager to prove himself, per CBS Sports and Sports Illustrated. Head coach John Harbaugh followed up with his own pointed message, publicly calling on Skattebo to "focus more on football" — a rare, blunt rebuke that made the rounds before the Texans game, per Heavy Sports.

A former Giants coach also weighed in, publicly arguing that Skattebo isn't "the guy" in New York's running game — adding more outside noise to an already turbulent week for the 2025 draft pick.

A Crowded Backfield, A Murkier Future

With Harris gone, the Giants' backfield still features Tyrone Tracy and Devin Singletary alongside Skattebo, meaning the path back to a feature role isn't automatically clear. The Sporting News reported additional bad news for Skattebo regarding the team's RB plans going forward, and trade speculation has already surfaced — Heavy Sports floated a pitch sending him to a Super Bowl contender, while Sports Illustrated made the case for the Cincinnati Bengals to buy low on the ASU back.

Skattebo, for his part, sent a clear message before the Texans game: he's not going anywhere quietly.

Elsewhere: Tyson Still Waiting, White Contributes

Two other Sun Devils drew attention this week, though neither in a starring role.

Saints rookie wide receiver Jordyn Tyson remains sidelined. The ASU wideout will not practice this week and is now pushed back to at least Week 9 for his NFL debut, per Pro Football Talk and The Sporting News. Tyson traveled with the Saints to Paris for their international game against the Steelers, which briefly raised hopes — but the appearance was logistical, not medical.

Commanders running back Rachaad White had a quiet but productive Monday night, contributing 27 rushing yards, four receptions, 30 receiving yards, and a touchdown in Washington's 23–17 win over the 49ers. It was a complementary performance rather than a headline one, but it keeps the former Sun Devil in the Commanders' offensive rotation as Washington contends in the NFC.

The week's defining ASU story, though, belongs entirely to Skattebo — a rookie navigating one of the messiest backfield situations in the NFL, with the cameras squarely on him.

When Cam Skattebo lost the football in overtime last Sunday, it looked like a catastrophic mistake. It turned out to be the second-most embarrassing thing that happened in the final two minutes of Giants-Commanders — and that's saying something.

The former Arizona State running back fumbled in OT with New York setting up what should have been a walk-off field goal. Washington recovered and drove into chip-shot range. Then the Commanders forgot they had no timeouts, let the clock expire on a sack, and settled for a 27-27 tie that left head coach Dan Quinn spiking his headset into the turf. Mike Tomlin said he "threw up" watching it. Stephen A. Smith called for Quinn's job. And through all of it, Skattebo's fumble remained the flashpoint.

The rookie took full ownership. "I try to fight for extra yards," Skattebo said afterward. "It bit me on Sunday." He let out "a sigh of relief" when time expired — the Commanders' dysfunction bailing him out — but the week that followed was anything but comfortable. Giants coaches put him on notice publicly, with one calling the ball-security lapse "unacceptable." Giants legend Tiki Barber piled on, saying Skattebo "has to change his mindset." Reports surfaced that the "peanut punch" — a defensive technique specifically targeting ball carriers — has become a daily emphasis in practice because Skattebo now accounts for three of New York's five fumbles on the season.

Head coach Brian Daboll's message before Week 6 was blunt: clean it up or lose snaps. The Giants, despite sitting at 3-1-1 atop the NFC East, rank in the bottom 10 in rushing efficiency. Skattebo finished the game with 59 rushing yards and 12 receiving yards, numbers that suggest upside — but the fumble is the only stat anyone remembers.

The Other Sun Devil in the Room

What got lost in the chaos: fellow ASU alum Jacory Croskey-Merritt was outright rolling for Washington before the fourth quarter arrived. The second-year back averaged 7.5 yards per carry against the Giants' defense — a number that would headline any normal week. Then the carries stopped. With the game on the line, the Commanders turned to Rachaad White — another Sun Devil, making it a three-ASU afternoon — who logged 18 rushing yards and a reception as Washington tried to manage the clock in overtime. That clock management, of course, is what ultimately unraveled.

Sports Illustrated examined why Croskey-Merritt's touches dried up despite his efficiency, a question Washington's coaching staff will need to answer going forward. For now, the 7.5 yards-per-carry line sits as a footnote to one of the stranger NFL finishes in recent memory.

Elsewhere in the Sun Devil World

Jordyn Tyson's wait continues. The Saints rookie wide receiver has yet to make his NFL debut, with New Orleans coach Kellen Moore confirming this week that Tyson is still not ready to play. The wait stretches on for the former ASU pass-catcher, who heads into Week 6 still without a regular-season snap.

It was, in short, a week that felt very Arizona State: flashes of brilliance, a costly mistake at the worst possible moment, and just enough chaos to keep everyone talking.

The Sun Devil in the Spotlight

Cam Skattebo isn't interested in being anyone's underdog — and he'll say so to your face.

The Arizona State product has emerged as the unquestioned engine of a New York Giants offense that nobody saw coming. After a 36-24 dismantling of the Arizona Cardinals in Week 4 — a game in which Skattebo carried for 58 yards and added a reception — the Giants moved to 3-1 and claimed sole possession of first place in the NFC East for the first time since 2015. Skattebo didn't let the moment pass quietly. He publicly blasted oddsmakers for making New York home underdogs against Arizona, calling the slight "dumb" in remarks that ricocheted across the league.

Head coach John Harbaugh has been equally blunt in his praise — and in his demands. Harbaugh acknowledged this week that the Giants need more explosive runs out of the backfield, noting that Skattebo's longest carry this season is a 13-yarder. The candid critique underscores what Skattebo already appears to know: this team's ceiling is higher, and the standard is rising to match the moment. Despite a minor injury scare heading into Week 5, Skattebo was cleared and declared good to go for Sunday's divisional clash against the Washington Commanders — a game with legitimate NFC East title implications attached to it.

For a player who entered the league with something to prove, the early returns are unmistakable. Skattebo isn't just surviving as a starting NFL back — he's becoming the identity of a franchise rediscovering its footing.

Waiting Game in New Orleans

While Skattebo thrives under the lights, fellow Sun Devil Jordyn Tyson remains firmly in the shadows — and the timeline for his NFL debut keeps slipping.

The Saints drafted Tyson with first-round expectations and a clear role in mind: become one of Tyler Shough's primary targets in a revamped New Orleans passing attack. Through four weeks of the 2026 season, that vision hasn't materialized. Tyson has yet to play a single snap. A hamstring injury landed him on injured reserve, and the latest reports indicate he's still weeks away from being activated — and even once eligible, the Saints aren't expected to rush him back.

The good news, if there is any, is that New Orleans hasn't completely stalled without him. Shough has built early chemistry with Chris Olave and Devaughn Vele, giving the offense a functional identity in Tyson's absence. But the Saints drafted him to be more than a depth option, and every week that passes is a week of development — and opportunity — that he can't reclaim.

For ASU fans tracking both alumni, Week 5 offers a sharp contrast: one Sun Devil heading into a division showdown as a budding star, another watching from the sideline as his NFL story waits for a first chapter.