BARK’ & BITE
Saquon return can be catalyst for Daniel success
T here was nothing Saquon Barkley could do, even as he did it all, to keep those Giants fans from believing that general manager Dave Gettleman blew it by passing on Sam Darnold and Josh Allen and postponing the succession plan for Eli Manning.
“This kid,” Gettleman said after the 2018 draft, “makes our quarterback better, he makes our wide receivers better, he makes our O- l i ne better, he makes our defense better. Because we will have a much stronger ability to hold the ball.”
More than anyone, Barkley needs to make Daniel Jones better.
Barkley, as a rookie, made the Giants just two games better, because a franchise quarterback will make a bigger impact on winning than a franchise running back.
But now Barkley comes back from his high ankle sprain against the Cardinals with a chance to help Jones grow into the franchise quarterback who will eventually make those aforementioned Giants fans forgive Gettleman.
There have been the predictable illadvised decisions and interceptions and ball security issues from Jones, and as much as he refuses to make a single excuse, he has played with a healthy Barkley only long enough — 23 snaps — to watch him rush for 10 yards on eight carries and catch four passes for 27 yards.
Jones has never gotten to ride this Big Blue Bentley for an entire game.
The Saquon versus Sam debate has already begun to fade into the background with Danny versus Sam poised to take center stage across the next decade. In fact, it has already begun, and much too early. Darnold has Le’Veon Bell to turn to in times of trouble and Jones will once again have Barkley, and not a moment too soon.
I asked offensive coordinator Mike Shula, formerly in Carolina, to characterize the difference between Barkley and Christian McCaffrey.
“They’re very similar ... internal drive just to be great,” Shula said. “They both can make all the runs that you want, inside runs, outside runs, which for Christian, you don’t think that he’s an easy runner ... and they’re both really good receivers.”
Shula was asked to elaborate on Barkley’s internal drive.
“He just is always pushing himself on ... whatever he’s doing, do it better,” Shula said. “He’s texted me a couple of times, I’ll get a text at 11:30 at night, ‘Hey, what did you think of my route on this?’ or ‘ What did you think about my pass protection on that, how can I do that better?’ During OTAs, I think he texted me one night and says, ‘What teams do you think I should watch, other players I should watch that would help me be a better running back?’ It just seems like he’s always thinking about it. I haven’t had many guys text me l i ke that.”
Jones has had Golden Tate for two games. He won’t get Sterling Shepard (concussion) back on Sunday. But he will get Evan Engram.
Jones didn’t have Barkley against the Vikings and Patriots. The Giants ran 20 times for 64 yards against the Vikings and 16 times for 52 yards against the Patriots. These are recipes for disaster for a rookie quarterback subject to growing pains.
“When I saw him at Penn State,” Tate told The Post, “for as big as he was and how he was separating from guys, right then and there I was like, ‘This dude is not gonna be good in the league,’ I didn’t know how good. And then after seeing his first few appearances in the NFL, I was like, ‘ This guy has a chance to do something amazing and great.’ And now after working with him, obviously the talent is there, all the physical part is there, but I think what’s gonna make him to be the best is he’s mentally very, very strong, and he’s one of the most competitive people I’ve ever been around, like he wants to be the best at whatever he does. Like ping pong table? — ‘ All right, give me a year, I’m gonna be the best.’ And that’s just how he’s built.
“And that’s one thing you gotta appreciate. He doesn’t talk the talk, but he walks the walk as well.” Jones needs Barkley to run the run. “Having a good run game for a young quarterback makes it a lot easier,” Tate said. “It reminds me of back when I was young in Seattle when we had Russell Wilson, we had such a dominant run game and a really, really good defense that Russell didn’t have to put himself in awkward situations, he just had to let the game play out.”
Jones is 2-2 as the starter and the Giants are 2-4, and if Saquon Barkley starts making Daniel Jones better, they should be 3-4, and one game out of first place in the NFC East.