Tiki Barber was adamant at the start of Wednesday’s show that the Giants cannot afford to rest starters and take their foot off the gas heading into Sunday’s regular season finale against the Eagles.
Sure, Sunday has no meaning for Big Blue in terms of playoff positioning, as the team is locked in to the sixth seed, but Tiki says the team is still a work in progress, and would benefit from another game to serve as a tune-up and opportunity to get better heading into the team’s first playoff game in six years.
“This team needs to continue to get better,” Tiki said. “Play it hard.”
Carl Banks joined the show for his weekly spot soon after, and made it clear that he would take a much different approach if he were on the Giants coaching staff.
“They’re gonna coach it to win it, and the players that are out there are gonna get the same game plan as they get every week,” Banks said. “But you’re not gonna put your best guys out there at certain positions. You can’t send everybody out there, Tiki.
“You can’t sit all 22, so there’s gonna be starters on the field. But I’m not putting Daniel Jones out there when I have Tyrod Taylor. If it were me, I’m not putting Saquon out there when I have two other really good running backs that I can put out there.”
Banks also disagrees with the notion that Week 18 should be used as a chance to get better before the playoffs, as the team has now had 16 games to show what they are. Now, the priority should be health.
“You have to do what’s in your best interest right now, and your best interest is saying, ‘Let’s get healthier. We know who we are,’” Banks said. “Evan Neal is probably not gonna play because he’s on the mend. Saquon Barkley has a shoulder issue. Do you want him to take extra pounding?”
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