Cam Skattebo returned to game action in the New York Giants’ preseason opener Saturday afternoon, and both head coach John Harbaugh and quarterback Jaxson Dart left encouraged by what they saw from the second-year running back.
Harbaugh said the early returns reminded him of the player who made an impression last season.
“I was excited about it because I thought I saw the Cam Skattebo that you guys all know and saw last year,” Harbaugh told reporters. “So, I don’t know that he’s 100 percent twitchy and explosive yet, but he’s getting there. He’s come a long way in the last two, three weeks.”
Dart, who shared the backfield with Skattebo, focused on the energy and physical presence the running back brought back to the huddle.
“It was great to have him back out there,” Dart said. “The energy that he brings, his physicality. His will just all around brings a lot of positive and tough energy into our huddle. So, not only was I happy to have him back out there, but I was just happy for him. I know recoveries (from) injuries are tough. So, when you have the opportunity to be out there on the field, you take advantage of it, and I thought he did.”
Asked whether Skattebo appears fully restored to last year’s form, Dart framed the performance as another step in ongoing development rather than a finished product.
“I think that he’s just going to continue to get better,” Dart said. “I thought that even last year that it was just his rookie year, so there’s improvements that he’s going to continue to make. And I think that the experience that he had was very valuable. And I think going forward now, he’s just a more mature player. He’s starting to understand the NFL schemes more and more. And I think that this run game suits him. I think that it’s going to be very valuable for our offense to really establish that. So, I do believe that he’s just going to continue to get better.”
For an offense aiming to lean on a physical running game, the combination of Harbaugh’s observation and Dart’s perspective painted an encouraging early picture of Skattebo’s progress.
This article originally appeared on Giants Wire: Cam Skattebo's return brings positive, tough energy to Giants huddle