Saquon Barkley, Giants expect tough sledding against Eagles
New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley (26) struggles for yardage as New Orleans Saints defensive tackle Khalen Saunders, right, defends during the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 17, 2023, in New Orleans. Credit: AP/Matthew Hinton
All Saquon Barkley wants for Christmas is a win over the Eagles.
Seriously.
“We know it’s going to be a tough environment against a really good team,” Barkley said Thursday at his locker. “We’re not getting caught up in the [three-game] losing streak that they are in. They're still Philly. They’re still last year’s [NFC] champions, and still have great players all around, so we know it’s going to be a tough matchup, and we’ve got to play our best ball if we want to come out of there with a win."
Undoubtedly, the Philly crowd will try to provide inspiration for the Christmas Day kickoff (4:30 p.m.) and end their skid (falling to San Francisco, Dallas and Seattle).
As for the Giants, they haven’t won at Lincoln Financial Field since 2013. When Barkley was still in high school.
Barkley knows exactly what to expect from the environment. It’s going to be tough. It’s going to be loud.
“As a player, as a competitor, those are environments you want to be a part of and those are games you want to be a part of,” Barkley said. “They are a tough team and we have got to play our best ball to come out with a win.”
That is almost certainly true.
The Giants' playoff chances essentially were dashed in last Sunday’s loss to the Saints. And it appeared that Barkley spent more time on the sideline than usual.
Against the Saints, Barkley had nine carries for 14 yards. He mused after the game that he felt like he didn’t have a five-yard run. He was correct. His longest gain was of four yards.
Barkley was on the field for 50% of the offensive snaps.
The week before, against Green Bay, Barkley had 20 carries for 86 yards, and caught three passes for 15 yards. He was on the field for 86% of the offensive snaps.
“I’d say we want Saquon out on the field as much as possible,” offensive coordinator Mike Kafka said. “Saquon will be out there until he needs to get out, until he needs a blow. That’s really how we work out with him. He’s out there as long as he can until he needs a tap, and another guy comes in.”
On third downs, Barkley often left the field.
“I think [that’s attributable to] the usage on first and second down,” Kafka said, “and then third down comes around, if he can stay in there, he will. If he can’t, then he’ll come out for a play and then the other guy will step up.”
Barkley noted that his snap percentage was down in the last game. He mused that the “score getting out of hand” may have played a role in those decisions.
That’s fair.
It’s also almost certainly true that Barkley wants to be on the field as much as possible against the Eagles.
He and Fletcher Cox share a mutual respect. There was a play several years back where Barkley was motoring down the sideline and looked over his shoulder to see the much bigger Cox on his heels.
Barkley smiled at that memory on Thursday.
“These are fun games,” he said. “Obviously, it hasn’t been that fun because we’ve been losing a lot. But as a competitor, those are the games that you want to be a part of. So it’s going to be a fun, tough game in a tough environment, and we got to all come alive for this game.”
Kimberly Jones covers the Giants for Newsday, a beat she first worked in the early 2000s before joining the YES Network to cover the Yankees. She worked for the NFL Network for more than a decade and has been heard semi-regularly on WFAN.
