Devin Singletary can do something Saquon Barkley never did for the Giants: Beat the Dallas Cowboys
Devin Singletary of the New York Giants is averaging 4.7 yards per carry through the first three games of the season. Credit: Getty Images
There are plenty of things superstar Saquon Barkley used to do for the Giants that his replacement Devin Singletary simply cannot. Barkley’s torrid start with the Eagles that included a three-touchdown performance in the opener and a firm grasp on the league’s lead in rushing yards through three weeks is a reminder of that. And Barkley remains a huge fixture in the Giants’ locker room, whether it be through regular chats with his pal Daniel Jones or by tossing some social media love the way of Malik Nabers as he did this past weekend.
On Thursday night, though, Singletary, the running back brought to the Giants after Barkley left in free agency, the player who unhesitatingly stepped right into the former Giant’s No. 26 jersey, has a chance to do something for his new team that Barkley never could.
He can help them beat the Cowboys.
Barkley faced the Cowboys 10 times during his tenure in New York and scored six touchdowns in those games, but he never came out on top. The Giants did manage to beat Dallas once during his career, but it was late in the 2020 season and Barkley was on injured reserve with a torn ACL.
It’s not something that is on Singletary’s mind, exactly. “I did not know that,” he told Newsday when Barkley’s winless streak was brought to his attention. He didn’t seize on this game as an opportunity to eclipse Barkley’s shadow with a victory, yet he didn’t deny it either. “That’s one way to look at it I guess,” he said. He smiled knowingly and said he "appreciated" being given the factoid.
But even though Singletary has been here for only a few months and is about to get his very first taste of this high-profile, nearly-always-played-in-prime time rivalry, he understands that Giants players are measured not only by championships won but by how they fare against the Cowboys.
“There’s always something spectacular that seems to happen in these games that you remember for life, it goes down in history,” he said. “I’m looking forward to being part of it.”
Singletary may not play on the same level of dynamism as Barkley, but he does have some advantages his predecessor never enjoyed in these matchups. Singletary is running behind an offensive line that is better than any Barkley ever saw here. The reconstructed group that includes centerpiece Andrew Thomas and veteran free-agent additions Jon Runyan Jr., Greg Van Roten and Jermaine Eluemunor, has been functional and adequate through the first three games, words that may sound disrespectful at first but are rosy compliments compared with the way things used to be. Plus all five starters — John Michael Schmitz is the center — have played every snap so far.
“They’re some dogs, man, a true brotherhood,” Singletary said of his blockers. “They come to work. I respect them and love them for that.”
Singletary also is facing a Cowboys run defense that has become a glaring weak spot. Dallas has given up a league-worst 557 rushing yards and eight rushing touchdowns so far.
“I’m not even looking at those numbers, to be honest, because I know they’re going to bring it,” Singletary said. “I know what we’re going into.”
Singletary’s third benefit: He’s not the centerpiece of the offense the way Barkley was. That role clearly belongs to Nabers now and that is where Dallas’ attention almost certainly will be focused. That should leave Singletary and the running game with some favorable matchups.
Although Singletary has 197 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 42 carries so far, he’s also fumbled once in each of the last two games. That’s a bit of a cause for concern.
“We've got to do a better job of taking care of the football,” said coach Brian Daboll, who worked with Singletary in Buffalo. “He knows that, and he will . . . He's a pro. I've been around him a bunch. You can't let one bad or two bad plays define a lot of the good things.”
He’s obviously hoping there are more good things to come from Singletary, particularly on Thursday.
Singletary may be new to this rivalry but he certainly has played big division games throughout his career. He’s also seen trends turn. When he arrived in Buffalo, the Patriots owned the AFC East. By the time he left, the Bills were the dominant team. Last year he played in Houston, a franchise that has turned around its standing in the AFC South.
And now he’s on the Giants, a team that has lost six straight and 14 of the last 15 to the Cowboys. Ten of those losses came with Barkley on the field. For the one win he was not.
“It’s a new year, new opportunity,” Singletary said.
New running back. New No. 26, too.
New result? We’re about to find out.
Tom Rock began covering sports for Newsday in 1996 and became its NFL columnist in 2022. He previously was Newsday's Giants beat writer beginning in 2008.