Losing Saquon Barkley puts burden on Giants' offense and defense
Arizona Cardinals safety Jalen Thompson (34) tackles Giants running back Saquon Barkley (26) during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 17, 2023, in Glendale, Ariz. Credit: AP/Matt York
TEMPE, Ariz.
There it was in a nutshell in the fourth quarter on Sunday, the much-chewed-over Saquon Barkley debate reduced to a few memorable images.
We saw greatness, we saw grit and we saw another gut punch with the news Monday that the Giants running back will not play again until sometime next month.
Start with nine minutes left in what would become a dramatic 31-28 victory over the Cardinals. Down 14 points, the Giants had third-and-goal at the Arizona 4-yard line and were pushed back by a penalty. Now it was third-and-9.
No worries. Daniel Jones rolled right, threw a short pass to Barkley and watched him fly through the air and clip the end zone pylon with the ball. Touchdown.
Then this: tie game, less than two minutes left, and the Giants at the Arizona 36, not yet in comfortable field-goal range.
Barkley ran up the middle for 16 yards, his longest rush of the day, to the Arizona 20, all but clinching the game.
And then, finally . . .
Two plays later, he ran for 2 yards, eating up clock before the Giants kicked the winning field goal, and had his ankle rolled over in the scrum. Barkley had to be helped off the field, and as teammates enjoyed the victory in the locker room, he sat on a chair, stone-faced.
Getting coach Brian Daboll to admit it is hot in Arizona in September would be a chore, let alone getting something out of him about Barkley’s status. So all he would say Monday morning was that he was “hopeful.”
A few hours later, ESPN reported that Barkley is expected to miss three weeks.
Here’s hoping it is not longer term than that for Barkley, because he is fun to watch and because the Giants are less good and less interesting without him.
But the fact that we are talking about this in the first place illustrates one factor in the Giants’ signing of Jones to a four-year, $160 million deal while Barkley was left with a franchise tag and a one-year, $11 million contract — if he reaches incentives.
The running back market has cratered for multiple reasons. One of them is that playing football at any position is dangerous but playing it as a back is particularly high risk.
As we were reminded of again Monday night with the gruesome knee injury suffered by the Browns’ Nick Chubb.
Barkley missed three games in 2019 and four in 2021 with ankle injuries, sandwiched around missing 14 with a torn ACL in 2020.
The Giants made a cold calculation that Jones was the more important of the dynamic offensive duo to keep long term, and here we are.
Jones had a great second half on Sunday, but without Barkley as his wingman, the comeback from 20-0 and 28-7 deficits would not have happened.
Barkley finished with 17 rushes for 63 yards and a touchdown and six catches for 29 and a touchdown. He was in for 65 of 67 offensive snaps.
Next up? Matt Breida. That was not part of the Giants’ plan, but it is part of their reality — and Barkley’s.
By the time select players met with reporters at the team hotel here Monday, they had absorbed the news.
“Obviously, we’ll miss him,” Jones said. “He’s a huge part of what we’re doing, so guys will have to step up. It won’t be any one guy. It will be everyone elevating their play and stepping up, and I’m confident we can do that.”
Jones said he had spoken with Barkley. And? “Obviously, he’s disappointed, and I feel for him on that. But he’s going to work hard to come back. He’ll be back.”
Losing Barkley has ripple effects beyond the offense.
As linebacker Bobby Okereke said: “It’s tough. Wink [Martindale, the defensive coordinator] will always say, ‘He’s our best defensive player, because when he’s on the field running the ball, we’re on the sideline.’ ”
Okereke also called Barkley “an incredible leader.”
The justified accolades for the elite back made one wonder why Barkley did not command as much money for as many years as Jones did.
But everyone in the NFL knows the answer. That’s just the way it is. And losing Barkley for three weeks illustrates one of the reasons why.
Neil Best first worked at Newsday in 1982, returned in 1985 after a detour to Alaska and has been here since, specializing in high schools, college basketball, the NFL and most recently sports media and business.
