Saquon passes 1st playoff test
MINNEAPOLIS — Saquon Barkley’s first career playoff game was a good start toward the greatness he envisions.
Used mostly as a complement to Daniel Jones’ arm and legs, Barkley still made a major impact for the Giants with 109 yards from scrimmage and two touchdowns on just 14 touches in a 31-24 upset victory of the Vikings. Barkley’s first touchdown was a show of his trademark acceleration, but it seemed especially fitting that the game-winning points were scored on the type of gritty between-the-tackles 2-yard power run that critics want to see more.
“That was an impressive run from him,” Jones said. “It was kind of one of those where he wasn’t going to be denied, and you could sense that. You could see that almost in the huddle before the snap. We had an expectation and just saw it.”
Barkley spent part of last week looking up the playoff records of Eric Dickerson (248 rushing yards in a playoff game) and Emmitt Smith (1,586 rushing yards and 19 touchdowns in 17 career playoff games) for extra motivation to be at his best. He ended the week with nine carries for 53 yards and five catches for 56.
Head coach Brian Daboll had just made a new gutsiest call of the season, replacing his decision to give the ball to Barkley on a two-point conversion in the Week 1 upset of the Titans that set the path for this surprising season. With the score tied at 24-24 and the ball at the 7-yard line midway through the fourth quarter, Jones converted a fourth-and-1 on a sneak. Two plays later, Barkley’s number was called.
“D.J. looked at me and said, ‘LFG,’ ” Barkley said, later explaining Jones actually said the ‘Let’s f--king go’ that it stands for. “I gave him the look back that said you already know. That’s the type of relationship we have with each other. We expect a lot of each other. We have each other’s backs.”
Barkley joined the short list of running backs whose first career playoff carry went for a long touchdown when he took a toss crack left, and let Andrew Thomas, pulling center Jon Feliciano and receiver Isaiah Hodgins set up blocks to spring him for a 28-yard score. Fresh off a rest in the regularseason finale that left his career-high rushing total at 1,312 yards, Barkley burst through the hole with an important tying response to the Vikings’ game-opening touchdown.
“Every time he has the ball in space, we know he’s going to make a play,” Thomas said. “The defenses are not
happy when he’s out there with those opportunities.”
Barkley said earlier in the week that he was happy with “40-50” touches or “0-5” as long as the Giants won. Turns out that 14 was the right answer as offensive coordinator Mike Kafka kept the Vikings’ defense guessing.
Dalvin Tomlinson, a 325-pound former Giants, was the Vikings defensive lineman on the opposite end of Barkley’s show of muscle.
“The whole thing is ‘want-to,’ ” Barkley said. “On a 2-yard run in the playoffs, that’s how it is.”