Giants' Saquon Barkley has waited a long time for another crack at the Jets
Giants running back Saquon Barkley (26) warms up before the The New York Giants versus the Washington Commanders game at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ, Sunday, Oct. 22, 2023 Credit: Ed Murray
Saquon Barkley has been waiting four years to get his second chance against the Jets.
And, for that matter, his second rushing yard.
In his only other regular season game against the in-stadium rival – and the team he grew up rooting for – Barkley was held to a career-low 1 rushing yard on 13 carries in a 34-27 Giants loss.
“For me personally, I didn’t really have too great a game the last time I went against these guys,” he said on Thursday. “That was years ago, but that still weighs heavy on my mind.”
Not only his. He said he was sitting with his younger brother, Ali, earlier this week talking about the upcoming game.
“He definitely reminded me about it,” Barkley said. “Made a little joke about it. That's when I realized, like, dang, I really had one rushing yard against this team. At that moment, that was before I ever had an ACL or anything like that, it was probably the lowest moment I had as a player.”
Barkley did manage a run for 3 yards in that game but was pushed backward so often that his net total was just the one measly yard. He also missed a block on Jamal Adams on the defining play of the game when the Jets safety blitzed rookie quarterback Daniel Jones, stripped the ball from his hands, and returned it for a 25-yard touchdown.
“I liked how I responded,” Barkley said. “I think in the next couple of weeks I played pretty well and had one of my better games two or three weeks after that.”
It was four weeks later, actually, when he had 112 rushing yards and two TDs against Miami, then 189 and a score against Washington the following week.
“I’m not the only back that’s ever been part of a game like that,” Barkley continued. “I remember seeing the line of Barry Sanders in a playoff game having, like, 16 carries for zero yards (it was 13 for minus-1). So you learn from it.”
Barkley learned that he doesn’t want to wait another four years to get another crack at the Jets.
Barkley has looked strong the last two games since returning from an ankle injury that sidelined him for three weeks. He’s rushed for 170 yards and caught seven passes for 46 yards and a touchdown in the last two games.
“Everything is all still there,” he said. “It’s still a high ankle, it’s still challenging, but I felt really comfortable in the game (against Washington). If you watch some of my runs, they only might have gone for four or five yards, but I felt like I was shifty and was able to make the cuts that I needed to make and set up the linemen a little bit. So, I’m excited. Just keep stacking it, keep building off it, keep rehabbing it, and getting better each week.”
“He’s involved in the game plan, he’s running the ball more,” offensive coordinator Mike Kafka said. “We can use him outside on the perimeter as a receiver. He had that long touchdown catch which was a great play by him, broke a few tackles, so I think Saquon doing a great job like he has been his whole career.”
Barkley will definitely be a key to helping the Giants try to win this game. In some ways, though, he’s already notched a victory.
“Some people are familiar with my history of being a Jets fan growing up,” he said. “My dad is a real big Jets fan, having a Jets tattoo. He’s still rooting for the Jets this game, but he hopes we win this time. I got him to say that out of his own mouth two or three days ago. I finally got my father on my side.”
He didn’t even have to run for a single yard to get that accomplished.
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.
