Rookie running back Cam Skattebo went viral for screaming “I need new gloves” on the sideline after losing a fumble that cost the Giants the game in Sunday’s 26-14 loss to the Saints.
The scene wasn’t a great look. Skattebo was raising his hands in the air yelling as assistant director of equipment operations Chris Pridy walked a new pair of gloves over to the fourth-round pick.
The rookie clarified to the Daily News on Tuesday, though, that the fumble “was on me 100 percent” and that his anger was directed at himself for fumbling — and nothing else.
“The biggest thing is I needed new gloves,” Skattebo said. “They were soaking wet, you know. The frustration was out of me fumbling, not out of anything else. And it just came off that way. But the thing is I needed new gloves and I was asking for new gloves, but I was frustrated while doing it.
“It wasn’t on anybody,” he added. “I didn’t ask for them beforehand or anything. It was, you know, something that I needed, that I kinda should have spoke[n] up [about] before. But I just needed some new gloves.”
The running back noted: “Sometimes on the sidelines people don’t hear things. So I was expressing myself to get me gloves, but it came across angry because of my mood at the time from fumbling.”
So Skattebo doesn’t blame the gloves for his fumble?
“No, no. Not at all,” he said. “I fumbled because I fumbled. He got a good punch on it. I gave the ball up, you know. That was on me 100 percent. But there was no blame on anything. It was my fault.”
Head coach Brian Daboll had an odd and different reaction. He pretended that he hadn’t seen the viral clip from the CBS broadcast at all.
“Clapping for new gloves?” Daboll said, pretending he didn’t understand the reference. “Skatt’s a competitive guy. I know he takes that one to heart, as you’ve asked. Do a good job of protecting the ball. I’ve got a lot of faith that he will.”
Does the head coach have an opinion on Skattebo’s behavior?
“Just keep on working ball security,” Daboll said, ignoring the question.
Strange for the coach not to acknowledge that situation considering one NFL source said it was “insane” to see a fourth-round rookie screaming like that on an NFL sideline with no consequence.
Regardless, Skattebo clarified his regrettable moment on Tuesday. And now it’s just about cleaning up what led to his turnover:
Saints defensive lineman Bryan Bresee overpowered right tackle Jermaine Eluemunor and punched the ball out.
Daboll described it this way on Monday: “[The] defensive end crosses the tackle’s face and gets it out.”
And Skattebo didn’t secure the ball well enough.
That’s what happened, and that’s what needs to be fixed — wet gloves, dry gloves or no gloves.
