New York Giants' Saquon Barkley Pushes Back Against Critics of Running Style

Saquon Barkley is tired of criticism from people who don't understand his role and made his feelings crystal clear.

Author:
Patricia Traina
Publish date:
Aug 18, 2022 4:22 PM EDT

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New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley is tired of people who have never played the game or his position dishing out criticism about his running style.

Barkley, who head coach Brian Daboll praised earlier in the week for running more north and south and being more of a downhill force, expressed his frustration when reporters called his style into play.

“I’m kind of fed up with people who never played the position trying to speak on how I run the football,” he said Thursday. “We call them ‘All-Pros with clickers in their hands.’ Running back is a tough position, but it’s easy to be there and watch football, watch on TV or even watch on film and stop the clicker and go, 'He should have made that cut.' There are a lot of things that go into making that cut. There are a lot of things with your shoulders being square. There are a lot of things that have an impact on your vision.”

In his first preseason game action last week since his rookie season, Barkley ran the ball four times for 13 yards and averaged 2.0 yards after contact, according to Pro Football Focus. A big criticism of his running style dating back to his rookie campaign has been his going for the home run ball on nearly every rushing attempt rather than chipping away at the yardage that’s there to be had.

Those feelings still exist around the league. In an article published last month by ESPN’s Jeremey Fowler, an anonymous offensive coach didn’t mince words when it came to Barkley, opining that the former Penn State star doesn’t fully understand how to play the position at this level.

"I'm down on him -- he still doesn't know how to play running back enough," the anonymous coach said of Barkley.

"He's a bouncer. He wants every run to be a home run. He's going to have to learn that 4-yard runs in this league are good instead of stopping, cutting it back, and losing 2. And he gets his (backside) kicked in protection."

Barkley tried to set the record straight.

“I know people will say [I’m] dancing and this and that, and he doesn’t get north and south, but I’m not going to just run into my linemen’s back,” Barkley said. “That’s not how I play the game. That’s not how I’ve been playing since I was eight years old. I’ve been playing the position for a very long time. By no means am I a perfect running back, and I still have so much work to do, but I know that’s been the conversation, and the thing that’s been said about me is ‘He doesn’t know what he’s doing; he’s just dancing.”

Any perception of Barkley being hesitant could be directly related to his surgically repaired right knee, which earlier this year, Barkley admitted that there were times when maybe he didn’t fully trust himself in his first year back from surgery.

So far this summer, that hasn’t been the case. Barkley has run with power and has been more decisive thanks to the upgraded wall of blockers in front of him.

He's also been working hard to address his pass protection skills, which have also come under criticism.

"Pass-pro is a big focus for me, just continuing to get more confident, continue to get more technically sound with the technique and dropping my hips, punching not catching," Barkley said.

"K-Faulk (Kevin Faulk, Bill Walsh Coaching intern) is doing a really good job with me in that time. And just everything, not just that: catching the ball, balance, with so many team reps and short individual time, you don’t get that much work on yourself as a running back.

So, we take that time to just do anything, whether it’s pass-pro, catching, running back drills, just getting the hands active, getting the feet active, whatever it can be to help make me a better player."

As for those who still aren’t sold on Barkley’s running style, the back suggested his critics should try focusing on something else.

“The coaches have been making a point of emphasis on the running style we have as a team and the mentality we have as a team,” Barkley said. “I’m going to do whatever Coach wants me to do, and that’s where my focus is, trying to be the best running back for the team.”