“Tush Push” plays are typically all-hands-on-deck, or tush, attempts to push a ball carrier forward by sheer force in a short-yardage situation.
But Giants running back Cam Skattebo grabbed neither deck nor tush on what likely became the play that cost the Giants the game on Thursday night.
With the Giants leading 21-17 and 3:56 remaining in the fourth quarter, New York faced a third-and-1. If the Giants got the first down, they likely could have drained the clock or at least forced the Commanders to use all their timeouts. Instead, Winston got stuffed, and the Giants punted.
Even more concerning, replay showed that Skattebo didn’t get out of his stance when the ball was snapped. He only started moving at the tail end of the play, after his forward progress had already stopped.
Oddly, the normally hypercritical New York media didn’t ask Skattebo about the play after the game. So, there is no explanation for why he didn’t get involved.
Other than that, Skattebo had a great game. He had 122 yards from scrimmage and two rushing touchdowns. The first time the Commanders and Giants tangled this year, Skattebo fumbled on what should have been their game-winning overtime drive. Washington self-destructed in a comedy of errors that ended the game in a tie.
While there were plenty of other things the Giants could have done to win the game, it seems another Skattebo mistake once again loomed large in their failure to come away with a victory.
