Taking on the 49ers and their potent defense was already a tall order for the Giants, but now without Saquon Barkley, Gio believes the Giants are in even bigger trouble, both on Thursday night and beyond without their star rusher.
“They’re definitely going to suffer,” Gio said. “There are some teams that don’t have much of a dropoff from running back to another, and there are teams that do. The Giants are one of them.
“It just sucks, especially when you’re in a position where you need every offensive weapon against a team like the 49ers.”
Barkley was a 1,000-yard rusher last season, and Big Blue relied heavily on him in their improbable path to the playoffs. Now, Barkley is out three weeks with a sprained ankle, and Gio believes the Giants will struggle without him, starting Thursday against Nick Bosa and company.
“I want to feel like the Giants have a shot,” Gio said. “But without one of their best offensive weapons…short week, it’s just a bad spot.”