Yeah, it's real — and the Giants are all in on it. Here's the full picture:
The return from benching was emphatic. After sitting Week 6 for fumbling, Skattebo came back Week 7 as the featured back and posted 17 carries for 124 yards (7.3 YPC) and a TD, plus a 42-yard OT run that set up the game-winner. John Harbaugh's benching looks like a teaching moment, not a loss of faith — Skattebo's role as RB1 is now cemented. (from the Cam Skattebo page)
What about the controversial penalty? He was flagged for unnecessary roughness on a hit the NFL likely wouldn't have flagged for anyone else. Skattebo called out the mixed messaging: "The NFL loves to post me when I do stuff like that, but then also wants to take stuff from me." He's said he won't change his aggressive downhill style even if it means fines — so the penalty is noise, not a threat to his job.
The team's actions back him up. The Giants passed on drafting a feature back, used their first-round pick on OL Francis Mauigoa, and signed Pro Bowl FB Patrick Ricard. Harbaugh's system is run-first. Every signal says Skattebo is their guy. (from the Cam Skattebo page)
One small asterisk: a hamstring tweak surfaced on that 42-yard run in OT, but the Week 8 bye gives him recovery time.
Expert take — Sal Vetri on Underdog: "Cam Skattebo, as a rookie — and not a day one or day two [pick], he was a day three rookie, meaning he was drafted in the fourth round — he was getting 51 rushing yards per game."
Bottom line: The penalty stung his wallet, not his role. He's the Giants' RB1, Harbaugh loves his style, and the big game in Week 7 was the exclamation point, not the anomaly.