Saquon Barkley said last week that he would do whatever it takes to help the Giants beat the Vikings, whether that was “carry the ball 30 or 40 times” or take more of a reduced role in a pass-heavy offense like the first game between the two.
Turns out it was the latter, as Barkley had just 14 touches, but he ended up with 109 yards from scrimmage and two touchdowns for an efficient and successful day.
“Like I said, whatever I’ve got to do to help the team win,” Barkley said after the game. “If it’s carry the ball 50 times, if it’s block, if it’s run the ball this many times, that’s what I’m willing to do. We felt like we could throw the ball on this team. We ran the ball well too, to be honest, but we got the job done. Put points on the board, gave us a chance to win, and the defense closed it out for us.”
Saquon was the star of the Giants’ first series, as he had a 13-yard run called back by a penalty but later scampered 28 yards for a touchdown, answering right back after the Vikings had scored on their opening possession.
“It's all about how you respond. All three phases got to play together. Defense gave up a touchdown, we got to help them out,” Barkley said.
Saquon had just five more touches in the first half, four on the Giants’ 20-play field goal drive, but the Giants were up 17-14. He again had just eight in the second half, but perhaps the two biggest of the game – the second being his two-yard run on first-and-goal at the two that gave the Giants the 31-24 lead they would not relinquish, and came on a play where Jones had used the actual words of a very familiar but vulgar acronym to call the play.
“DJ looked at me and says, “LFG,” and I gave him the look back. That’s the kind of relationship we have; we expect a lot from each other and have each other’s backs,” Barkley smiled. “But we’re a confident group because we’ve been in these games all year; we’ve prepared for these moments all year, and it’s all about the will and the confidence and the belief in each other. If you have that, you can go places.”
We only need a couple yards to get it in and put it in his hands, and I thought he did a great job,” head coach Brian Daboll said. “The guys pushed him and kept his legs driving.”
Earlier on that drive, though, Barkley converted a second-and-10 pass into a first down thanks in part to a huge block by Kenny Golladay – a play that, as Barkley intimated, proves that everyone and every assignment is important to the Giants’ success.
“We have confidence because we know what type of men and women we have in our facility and in our locker room. We believe in each other,” Barkley said. “We’re a confident group, we’ve shown that throughout the whole season. If you look at this whole first week of the playoffs, that’s the type of team you’ve got to be, because every game is going to be close. You’ve got to lean on each other, you’ve got to trust each other, and keep making plays in critical situations.”
And even if it’s not you, the star player, making plays? Well, Barkley had seen 22 to 30 touches in five out of six games after the massive win over Houston, but just 14 in the playoff-clinching blowout of Indianapolis and 14 on Sunday – and he’s fine with that, because when the offense is in rhythm, there’s no need to divvy things up.
“Hats off to all the guys, and Kaf (offensive coordinator Mike Kafka) designing the plays up. We're finding the rhythm,” Barkley said. “We felt like we had a rhythm going at the end of the season, found our identity again. We had a different identity beginning of the season, but we found a new identity and you know, we're executing it. Who knows, next week it could be a different type of game.”
That’s why, as he says, he’s ready for “whatever they ask me to do to try and help this team win” – and if you ask him, well, the passing game can do that, because the Giants do indeed have an elite QB.
“I know we have an elite quarterback. I think he’s shown that multiple times, but we’ve also got amazing players around him too. So, we’ve got his back, no matter what,” Barkley said. “He’s been doing it all year. He's really a special player. You know what a way to start it off. I'm happy for him and proud of him and we're going to need him and keep leaning on him.”
And they can, because after a five-year period of turmoil, the Giants are back.
“All the other conversations is playing about the past, talking about how long we've been here or experiencing this -- we finally got here and we were able to get the job done,” Barkley said. “Now we go back, watch film, learn from it and move on and get ready for Philly.”
Follow Lou DiPietro on Twitter: @LouDiPietroWFAN
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