Jon Runyan Jr. reveals when Giants got 'energy sucked out of' them amid latest lost season

What once seemed to be a promising season for the New York Giants is quickly turning into another campaign to forget. After a 34-24 loss to the San Francisco 49ers at home on Sunday, Big Blue is now 2-7 on the season.

The Giants were already without No. 1 wide receiver Malik Nabers (torn ACL and meniscus) when rookie running back Cam Skattebo suffered a gruesome dislocation of his right ankle, a fractured fibula and a ruptured deltoid ligament back on Oct. 26. While speaking with reporters on Monday, Giants guard Jon Runyan Jr. suggested those in the locker room still hadn't fully recovered from the Skattebo injury. 

Giants feel the Cam Skattebo injury "took the wind out of our sails"

"I kind of felt like the energy sucked out of us when our best player went down at midfield," Runyan explained, per Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post. "I felt like that kind of really hurt, really shook a lot of guys, unfortunately. And I feel like it kind of took the wind out of our sails. But that’s how this league is: It’s brutal. You have to keep going after witnessing something like that, and it’s tough. Those are the times where you have to come together as teammates and get this stuff fixed."

Days after the Skattebo incident occurred at Philadelphia's Lincoln Financial Field, Giants players didn't hide that they were still devastated over the nature of the injury. Skattebo's teammates previously noted the "spark" and positive energy he brought to the club, both behind the scenes and on game days, particularly after fellow rookie Jaxson Dart became the Giants' starting quarterback in Week 4. 

Why Jon Runyan Jr. was "embarrassed" after Giants' latest loss

That said, the Skattebo injury didn't directly cause a setback for a Giants defense that surrendered 105 points over the club's past nine quarters of action. Many Giants fans have clearly had enough of this team, as they made their tickets available to 49ers supporters ahead of the weekend. 

"Putting out the performance we had as a team, seeing the San Fran fans all packing the stadium, I felt embarrassed leaving the field," Runyan admitted. "And that’s not really a feeling you want to have leaving your own home stadium." 

Runyan and Co. won't have to worry about a MetLife Stadium takeover when the Giants play at the Chicago Bears (5-3) on Sunday. As of Tuesday morning, ESPN BET had Big Blue as a 3.5-point underdog for that contest.