All Barkley, no bite Giants ’18 Review, Week 6: Sliver linings in loss to Eagles
Saquon Barkley served as a silver lining in some of the Giants’ worst defeats of 2018, including their Week 6 blowout 34-13 home loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.
Barkley wasn’t the only star of his four highlight-reel runs that night in prime time, however.
The blocking in front of him provided a glimpse of what could be possible in 2019 with more consistency. Will Hernandez, Chad Wheeler, Eli Penny, Scott Simonson and Sterling Shepard all were factors in a springing the rookie running back on some sensational scampers.
They head- line Week 6 of our Big Blue Kool-Aid Film Rewind.
WORKING IN UNISON
The first of two big Barkley runs out of shotgun went 46 yards thanks to an excellent pull by the rookie left guard Hernandez, solid seals inside by right tackle Wheeler and tight end Simonson, and a good block on the second level by the wide receiver Shepard. The Giants had success a second time later running off tackle around Wheeler to the right. Free agent signing Mike Remmers is expected to start at right tackle this year, but Wheeler will compete to stick around.
Shepard always has showed excellent blocking and effort as a run-game complement. The Giants brought back Simonson to compete as a backup. With more consistency he could be an asset. Hernandez, of course, was the Giants’ second-round pick in 2018 right behind their firstround selection of Barkley, so the success or failure of the team’s run game is tied strongly to those two talents.
TO THE HOUSE
Barkley ripped off a 50-yard TD run in the third quarter on a similar-looking play call, but from a different formation without the aid of a pulling Hernandez or a receiver blocking from the slot. Still, Simonson did an excellent job taking his man out of the play, Barkley cut back and made a free defender miss, and Odell Beckham Jr.’s block on the outside bought the running back all the time he needed to take this one the distance. Wheeler again did well to help keep his man inside. He showed some effectiveness as a run blocker last year after replacing Ereck Flowers as a starter in Week 3.
A LITTLE BIT OF EVERYTHING
Barkley’s nine-yard run early in the second quarter was his most jaw-dropping running play to watch live on this night due to his galloping broken tackles past Eagles linebacker Kamu Grugier-Hill and safety Malcolm Jenkins. There were some good blocks, too, though, particularly by the fullback Penny, by Simonson sealing Chris Long just enough on the outside, and by Wheeler who got off a doubleteam to reach the second level. This under-center run, however, represented one of Barkley’s most unique and impressive individual efforts of the year.
DOWNFIELD HELP
Barkley broke tackles, danced and eluded Eagles defenders, doing most of the work on a 55-yard screen pass in the second quarter. But he had help not only from O-lineman John Greco (no longer with team) on the sideline but also Simonson, Shepard, Cody Latimer and Beckham making great second-effort blocks way downfield to keep the play alive. Pat Shurmur and his entire coaching staff constantly preach one word that this play exemplifies: finish. They want every player on the field, every down, to finish it through to the best of their ability. The Giants had a ton of people involved to the end on this big gain. The more Giants involved, the more likely a Barkley touch goes distance.
A GOLDEN RULE
This might not seem like much in the grand scheme, but Markus Golden’s half-sack of Vikings QB Kirk Cousins in this Week 6 Cardinals loss was extremely significant for Golden personally. By dismissing Minnesota’s attempt to block him with running back Latavius Murray, Golden recorded his first sack of any kind since tearing the ACL in his right knee in Week 4 of 2017. Golden’s last sack prior to this, in fact, had been in Week 17 of the 2016 season, when he completed a 12.5sack year under then Arizona D-coordinator James Bettcher.
His success that season under Bettcher is the reason the Giants took a flier on Golden as a free agent this spring. He wasn’t 100 percent healthy last season, but he built some confidence by getting to the QB for 2.5 sacks in 11 games, and now the Giants hope he’s poised to break out once again as a pass rusher.