Thunder in the Swamp
GIANTS’ SAQUON BARKLEY GOES 39 YDS. ON HIS FIRST CARRY
Everyone knows Eli Manning has a short memory, but this is ridiculous.
Thursday night, after No. 2 overall pick Saquon Barkley electrified MetLife Stadium with lightning quick jukes and bursts on his first-ever NFL carry, Manning cautioned not to overhype the rookie’s 39-yard rip.
“Just a run, ya know?” Manning said. “Let’s not go berserk yet, alright? That was a good run, offensive line had things blocked well, it was a good cutback, good play.”
Not go berserk? Eli, at 37 years old, has lost it.
Does he already forget that in the 2017 season, the 3-13 Giants had two — TWO! — rushes of 30 yards or more the entire 16 game season, both by Orleans Darkwa, who is no longer on the team: a 47-yard dash in Denver in Week 6 and a 75-yard touchdown scamper in Week 17 at home against Washington.
No, Eli: this is a big deal. And the Giants fans on Thursday night, therefore, were right to lose their minds for 10-to-15 seconds — “I think the fans did (go berserk) a little,” Barkley said with a grin — as GM Dave Gettleman’s prized pick dodged right behind tight end Evan Engram, burst to his left upfield through a hole making two Browns defenders miss, and went off to the races up the right sideline before being pushed out by Browns safety Damarious Randall.
“When the play was called, I took a deep breath, was like, ‘Play the game, be slow and let the play happen,’” said Barkley, who made the most of playing two series in his NFL debut. “The patience I had on that play definitely was my favorite thing about that. And everyone talks about how the speed’s different in the NFL. So to still be able to see you’ve got that burst and you can get through the line of scrimmage on that (play) and create space. I’ve just got to find a way to gain even more yards on that play.”
It was bedlam in East Rutherford. Fans were delirious. The promise of a better 2018 had arrived with a bang. The partially-filled stadium, frankly, was louder than it had been most of last year’s dismal season.
“That was impressive,” defensive end Olivier Vernon said. “They brought him here to be that horse.”
Thursday’s returns weren’t all encouraging, however. Namely, second-string quarterback Davis Webb, who mostly has had a strong training camp to start his second NFL, sailed several throws and finished 9of-22 for 70 yards and a 49.4 quarterback rating in an all-around difficult night.
And remember, while Barkley’s talent is tantalizing, the Giants drafted him instead of taking a quarterback to succeed Manning, so the pressure is on Webb to fill the void.
Head coach Pat Shurmur said, “Davis gets a little amped up at times. That’s what causes the ball to sail. But he had his (good) moments.” And Webb admitted that, having not played in a game since Aug. 31, 2017 at New England, he was a bit on edge to start.
That resulted in plays like one overthrow of Russell Shepard that could have been a touchdown.
“I was pumped up,” Webb said. “It was my first time playing in a year, so I think the biggest thing was kind of just take a deep breath, let the game come to you. I’m not too worried about it. I know I could make those throws and I know I will. I’ve just got to get evenkeeled and be ready to rock and roll next week.”
Webb’s play wasn’t all bad. He made a nice touch pass to Kalif Raymond that would have been a touchdown if Raymond hadn’t gotten turned around veering toward the front corner of the end zone. And Webb scrambled for a tough six yards to set up Jalen Simmons’ five-yard touchdown run for the Giants’ lone trip to the end zone, cashing in a turnover forced on the preceding Browns punt return by Kerry Wynn and recovered by Zak DeOssie.
Still, Webb’s struggles stood out especially in comparison to impressive Browns No. 1 overall pick Baker Mayfield, who looked much more polished even though he was appearing in his first-ever NFL action.
Mayfield, Webb’s former Texas Tech teammate, was confident, dynamic, accurate, and he demonstrated poise well beyond his years. He completed 11-of-20 passes for 212 yards, two touchdowns and a 125.4 passer rating. And he rushed three times for 13 yards, all for first downs, including once on third down and twice on fourth.
Browns No. 1 quarterback Tyrod Taylor looked great, also, going 5-for-5 for 99 yards and a 36-yard TD pass to Cedar Grove, N.J., product David Njoku over Giants LB Alec Ogletree.
Barkley’s big run, though, was still the most important moment of the evening. “You could see it wasn’t too big for him,” Shurmur said. No, it was not. Barkley is not afraid of the big time. Feel free to go berserk.