Tiki says the Giants desperately need Saquon Barkley to play Sunday against Miami, or he gives them next to no chance to win the football game.
Evan says that is a problem in itself.
“The problem I’m having is, all we talked about with Saquon Barkley in the offseason was the devaluing of the position,” Evan said. “I get why it’s devalued. It seems like right now in the NFL, the only team whose outlook on a game changes to this kind of volatile level based on the running back being healthy is the New York Giants.
“As great as Christian McAffrey is…if he doesn’t play Sunday night, the 49ers could still beat the Cowboys.”
Evan believes the Giants and Titans are the only teams stuck in eras past, where the running back was the heartbeat of the offense. Big Blue’s reliance on Barkley is a credit to Barkley’s ability, but also a criticism of how the roster is constructed.
“The Eagles changed their positon, here comes D’Andre Swift, and they haven’t missed a beat,” Evan said. “They’ve proven, to a degree, it doesn’t matter who the running back is. Or it does, but we can change it. And here we are, begging, and realizing the importance of Saquon Barkley. The Giants are one of two teams in the NFL who still live in that world where they are that reliant on the running back play.”
