Sunday Night Football season opener between the New York Giants and the Dallas Cowboys saw a tense moment when Cam Skattebo was seen bleeding from the nose. The Giants' RB appeared visibly upset that the referees missed a facemask penalty call against him.
Skattebo appeared to absorb contact around his helmet and face during a play that Giants players believed should have drawn a facemask penalty.
Videos shared online showed blood coming from the running back's nose as he walked off visibly frustrated. Sports reporter Anthony Rivardo posted on X that Skattebo was “bleeding from the nose after a missed facemask call” while adding that officials “gotta see that.”
The second-year running back capped the Giants' opening drive with a rushing touchdown against the Cowboys on Sunday night before celebrating with a perfectly executed backflip.
{{/usCountry}}The second-year running back capped the Giants' opening drive with a rushing touchdown against the Cowboys on Sunday night before celebrating with a perfectly executed backflip.
{{/usCountry}}Skattebo scored early before the bloody nose
New York opened the game with an impressive 83-yard, 10-play drive against Dallas. Skattebo finished the possession with an untouched rushing touchdown to give the Giants a 7-0 lead in front of the home crowd at MetLife Stadium.
The touchdown was followed by one of the night's standout celebrations. Skattebo performed a backflip in the end zone and landed cleanly. The unusual celebration drew cheers from fans across the stadium. The NFL later also shared the celebration on its official X account during NBC's Sunday Night Football broadcast.
Skattebo entered the season after recovering from the ankle injury that prematurely ended his promising rookie campaign. According to Yahoo Sports, he rushed for 410 yards and five touchdowns before suffering the season-ending injury last year.
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Giants' frustration grows after officials keep flags in their pockets
Although the Giants enjoyed an explosive start, attention soon shifted from Skattebo's spectacular touchdown to the apparent missed facemask call and the visible blood on his face.
The missed call became another flashpoint during the game.
NFL columnist Pat Leonard suggested the facemask no-call ultimately “costs Giants a punt.” He wrote, “Cam Skattebo upset that refs missed a face mask there. Costs Giants a punt.”
The running back could be seen shaking his head as he walked away from the scene.