The New York Giants are 4-2-1 on the season after defeating the Houston Texans 27-21 on Sunday. It was a great performance for running back Cam Skattebo, as he played a key part in helping his team get the win. However, after the game, Skattebo had some choice words for the NFL after being penalized for lowering his helmet.
The 24-year-old was given a 15-yard unnecessary roughness penalty during the contest after delivering a hard hit on Texans safety M.J. Stewart. After the game, Skattebo claimed that he has no intention of changing his playing style and called out the NFL a bit for consistently hyping him up for how he plays football, but then turning around and penalizing him for playing hard.
“The NFL loves to post me when I do stuff like that,” Skattebo said. “But then also wants to take stuff from me. If I'm going to continue to get flagged for it, or fined for it, I guess I'm going to play for free.”
While the second-year pro did lower his shoulder and deliver a hard hit, the contact looked rather similar to what you'd see in old Mike Alstott highlights. Skattebo just ran through Stewart on the play, and it would have been a clean play back in the day.
Article Continues Below#Giants RB Cam Skattebo just absolutely obliterated #Texans S M.J. Stewart—but was called for unnecessary roughness for lowering his helmet.
This is not the NFL you grew up watching.pic.twitter.com/6jt8xE4qXP
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) October 25, 2026
Truth be told, the NFL has seemingly enjoyed sharing Cam Skattebo hits. Whether it's commercials or highlights, the former Arizona State Sun Devils star has built a reputation for being a hard-hitting running back.
After essentially being benched in the previous game, Skattebo turned things around against the Texans. He finished the day with 124 rushing yards and a touchdown on 17 attempts.