Barkley or Bust
A few years back, the New York Giants picked up a rookie running back. This player would have a rookie campaign unlike any the Giants had seen in many years. Saquon Barkley burst onto the scene in phenomenal fashion, displaying an elusive style of running that was reminiscent of some of the greats. Although his team at the time was underwhelming, he still found a way to bust holes in the defense, cause defenders to miss, and make monster plays, game after game. He rushed for over 1000 yards in both of his first two seasons. Needless to say, optimism about his future in the league was sky high.
Unfortunately during the second game of his third season, he suffered a season ending knee injury against the Bears. Any injury of that gravity is always worrisome, but ACL tears are especially known to have lasting effects on running backs. Even after they’ve healed, a lot of running backs lack the power and quickness they once had upon their return. There are, of course, some very notable exceptions.
By far the most shining example of a miraculous recovery from this type of injury is Adrian Peterson. Above all the criticism and doubt, upon his return to the NFL Peterson shattered even the highest of expectations for him. Not only did he win the rushing title that year, AP came 9 yards shy of Eric Dickerson’s all-time rushing record of 2,105 yards for a season, while carrying his team to the playoffs.
Now I am by no means saying that Saquon will be coming back and breaking Dickerson’s record. What I am saying, however, is that the NFC East is wide open. Daniel Jones has by no means been a quarterback to fear as of yet, but he has had flashes of greatness. As we know flashes of greatness mean nothing without a little consistency, but he has a much better setup offensively this year. With the addition of Kenny Golladay from the Lions, they now have a star receiver to spearhead their already well rounded core. If Daniel Jones is going to lead this team to the playoffs, he has the tools to do so this season.
So now it all hinges on Saquon. If he comes back healthy, with a chip on his shoulder to prove the doubters wrong, he can give this team the boost they need. A fully functioning Barkley has the ability to occupy the attention of opposing defenses. He can buy Jones more time in the pocket, and if Jones is able to capitalize, defenses won’t have the option to stack the box. If that becomes the case, then we might see a monstrous season out of Saquon, one that could end in a rushing title for him and a playoff run for the Giants.