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Giants running back Saquon Barkley said late last week that he feels like he’s back to being the player he was in his early years in the NFL, but Sunday’s game against the Bears presented Barkley with a chance to do something new .
Daniel Jones left the game with an ankle injury and backup Tyrod Taylor had to come out with a concussion, putting Barkley in a position to snap as a Wildcat quarterback. Jones eventually came back to pass the ball, but the Wildcat helped set up a field goal as the Giants celebrated a 20-12 win at home.
Barkley ended the day with 31 carries for 146 yards and feeling good about his quarterback performance.
“When I saw Tyrod go down, I kind of knew it was my turn,” Barkley said. “I’m the quarterback. First of all, you have to give credit to DJ, who comes back into play. I can’t swear, he’s a tough man you know what. Nothing but respect for him that he goes in and keeps fighting his way because his team just shows you what kind of person and player he is. I think I just tried my best to read it. It’s really not that hard I guess, but I think I read them correctly. But we were able to keep the ball moving, get into the field, get some points and the defense did a great job for us.”
The Giants will hope Jones is well enough to play the Packers in London this week, but the first four weeks have shown that regardless of who takes the snaps, the offensive focus should be on Barkley.