The message from Saquon Barkley is not meant for his teammates, rather for anyone outside 1925 Giants Drive who see a franchise, their beloved franchise in many cases, that has fallen and is struggling to get back up.
“Don’t panic,” Barkley said. “I don’t feel like that in the locker room, I feel it’s more like everyone outside of our locker room that’s panicking. When you break it down, there’s what, 32 teams in the NFL? Half of those teams lost last week — besides two of them, they tied — but half of those teams lost. Just because you won big don’t mean you’re gonna go 16-0, just because you lost bad don’t mean you’re gonna go 0-16.
“Don’t panic. Just find a way to get better every single week, get one percent better every single day and when the games come, just try to execute at a high level.”
The Giants fell head over heels for Barkley mostly for his otherworldly gifts with the ball in his hands, but also for his knack for understanding what it takes to be a team leader and face of a franchise. For knowing what to say and when and how to say it. Derek Jeter wasn’t named captain by Joe Torre until his eighth season. Barkley was voted a captain by his teammates in his second.
Four days after a Week 1 headscratcher when he somehow was given only 15 touches, Barkley said:
“My body feels pretty good. My answer’s always gonna be like that no matter what, if it’s 15 touches, 40 touches, I’m gonna do the right things to try to get my body right, get that ready. The most important thing is feel the best you can on Sunday, so excited for that.”
He sat out the preseason games and most certainly feels like a frisky young racehorse, and it was maddening enough that with Odell Beckham Jr. gone, Barkley was given only 11 carries behind an upgraded offensive line and four receptions against the Cowboys. And whether Sterling Shepard escapes concussion protocol or not, Barkley needs 25 touches minimum.
To wit: Le’Veon Bell, after a 20-month respite, got 23 touches in the Jets opener.
Christian McCaffrey (29), Marlon Mack (25), David Johnson (24), Josh Jacobs (24), Dalvin Cook (21), Nick Chubb (20), Derrick Henry (20), Alvin Kamara (20), Austin Ekeler (18), Kerryon Johnson (18) and Leonard Fournette (17) were bigger workhorses.
“I’m willing to do whatever it takes to help the team win,” Barkley said.
Apparently rocket science isn’t football sometimes.
“We all know that Saquon is a focus of our offense,” Pat Shurmur said. “He’s also, smartly, the focus of the teams that are defending us. His charm is that you can hand it to him or throw it to him. Yeah, we want him to get the football. It makes sense for him to get the football. Each game plays out differently. I would have never predicted last week that we would have only had four possessions in the first half. That’s just how it worked out. That may, in total, speak to how many touches he might have had based on how many in the first half and how many in the second. Then in the second half, we’re behind and so we’re throwing it a lot more than the law allows. Games play out differently. For me to say we’re going to go in and get x amount, I think it would be a fun thing for everybody to keep track of, but games just play out differently.”
Sure they do. But getting Barkley the ball would more times than not give you the best possible chance to keep the chains moving and keep the other team’s quarterback on the sideline. Barkley, because he is Barkley, praises Shurmur’s playcalling and is encouraged.
“The offensive line has been playing tremendously at a high level,” Barkley said. “I believe that we’re gonna have a tremendous impact in the running game this season.”
One Rookie of the Year season does not make you the Ultimate Giant, which is how John Mara remembers the late Frank Gifford, but Barkley is too good to be true. It is why he has license to lead younger Giants who are not as mature beyond their years as he is by his words as well as by his relentless, indefatigable, indomitable example.
“Giants fans are amazing fans,” Barkley said. “Anytime you get back and play in front of New York, especially for my family, now my daughter’s a little older (Jada Clare, 17 months), she don’t really understand the game, but definitely more interactive with it, so it’s gonna be fun.”
If success spoils Saquon Barkley, there is no hope for mankind.