Saquon Barkley Earns NFC Offensive Player of the Week Honors

Giants running back Saquon Barkley is this week’s NFC Offensive Player of the Week award winner.

Barkley set a Giants record with 279 yards from scrimmage (189 rushing and 90 receiving) in the 41-35 win over Washington, breaking Tiki Barber’s club record of 276 yards (203 yards rushing and 73 yards receiving) against the Eagles on Dec. 28, 2002.

Barkley’s 279 scrimmage yards are the highest total by an NFL player in a game this season. The previous high of 245 was set by Jacksonville’s Leonard Fournette (225 rushing yards and 20 receiving yards) on Sept. 29.

The 100-yard game was Barkley’s fourth of the season and 11th of his career, tying him with Eddie Price for sixth on the franchise’s all-time list. Barkley has rushed for 911 yards this season and needs 89 yards in the season finale vs. Philadelphia to become the first Giants player to begin a career with two 1,000-yard seasons.

Barkley edged out teammate Daniel Jones for this week’s award. Jones completed 28 of 42 passes for 352 yards, five touchdowns and no interceptions for a passer rating of 132.1.

His 352 passing yards are the second-highest total by a Giants rookie, behind Charlie Conerly’s 363 yards at Pittsburgh on Dec. 5, 1948. In addition, Jones, the POTW award winner back in Week 3, became just the fifth rookie ever to throw five touchdown passes in a game.

Jones’ passing prowess and Barkley’s outstanding rushing effort made the Giants the first team in NFL history to have a player with five touchdown passes and a player with 275+ scrimmage yards in the same game.