Saquon Barkley Eyeing Big Role in Giants' Showdown at Washington

By the time Week 15 of the NFL season rolls around, finding any player that's taken even a modicum of snaps in an NFL game that’s “healthy” is about as rare as finding a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.

But for New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley, who has been dealing with shoulder and neck issues that led to his appearing on last week’s injury report, it’s mind over matter--especially with the Giants’ biggest game to date on the line this weekend against the Washington Commanders.

“My perspective on that is ‘try to make a change. Try to be helpful. Try to make plays.’ That’s where I feel like I’ve got to get back to,” Barkley said Thursday. “I feel like I’ve been lacking the last couple of weeks – being the guy, and making explosive plays, especially when it matters most. The only thing I can do is come here and practice, try to have the best practice I can have. And when the games come, when the opportunity presents itself, got to capitalize on it.”

The Giants would certainly welcome that from the 25-year-old running back. New York is 9-7 when Barkley runs for 100+ yards in games. He’s also had some of the biggest performances of his career against Washington on their home turf, rushing for a career-high 189 yards on 22 carries on December 22, 2019, and 170 yards on 14 carries (second-highest career rushing total) on September 9, 2018.

But Barkley was quick to remind people that the past is in the past and that it’s not necessarily an indication of how the future will turn out, good or bad.

“You can’t read too much into that,” he said. “It’s a new game; it’s a new season. (It’s a) new opportunity. I’m just really excited for the opportunity. We have a great opportunity in front of us, and go out there and try to capitalize on it.”

Capitalizing for Barkley would be to get back to making explosive, big-play runs, something he last did two weeks ago against the Commanders in their Week 13 game at MetLife Stadium when he ripped off a 21-yard run.

“The last couple of weeks, the run game has been – I don’t want to say non-existent--but they’ve been doing a really good job of stopping the run game,” he said.

“That’s a focal point. And that’s going to be a focal point again this week. But just got to continue to get back to that mentality of knowing that teams are going to try to stop us, but if I can get going, it’s going to help the team, and it’s going to help put us in a position to win.”

While Barkley recognizes the magnitude of the upcoming game and what’s at stake, he’s also trying to keep the upcoming game in perspective.

“It’s a divisional opponent, a primetime game. I do understand that. But for me, I guess I kind of just go back to my Penn State days,” he said. “Something that (Penn State Head) Coach (James) Franklin kind of taught us when I was 18 years old is that ‘It’s the biggest game because it’s the next game – next opportunity.’ So, I just take that with me, no matter what.”

Once this game is in the books, the Giants will have three more to play against the Vikings, Colts, and Eagles. And regardless of what happens, Barkley has one goal in mind.

“It’s important to finish four games strong just because, like I said, loving the game and wanting to be out there for my teammates,” he said. “And how I feel, (how) my body feels, I feel pretty good. And I just want to go out there and try to make a difference for my team.”

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