ALBANY – In his record-setting 2005 season, Tiki Barber touched the ball a staggering 427 times, yet his greatest contribution, his single most significant moment, quite possibly was a play in which the ball was not anywhere near his clutches.
It was Barber who, on a thrilling Oct.
23 afternoon at Giants Stadium, correctly deciphered where the Denver pressure was coming from. It was Barber who diagnosed that safety John Lynch would be charging up the middle and linebacker Ian Gold was set to rocket in from the edge. It was Barber who made the determination to move outside and to his right, intent on impeding the onrushing Gold. It was Barber who got the leverage to stand Gold up and push him back, enabling Eli Manning to backpedal just enough to buy the time for his game-winning touchdown toss to Amani Toomer.
That blitz pickup could easily get lost in the yards and points and highlights that Barber produces. It surely was not lost on coach Tom Coughlin, and until second-year monster back Brandon Jacobs proves he can make that subtle but important play, he will not be deemed ready for an expanded role.
“Obviously he’s great with the ball in his hands, we’ve seen that, we’ve experienced it and we know that,” Barber said of Jacobs yesterday.
“What they ask the running back in the New York Giants offense to do is vast and complicated and extremely important to the functioning of our offense.” Pick up the blitz. Provide an extra set of eyes for Manning. Fill a huge role in the passing attack. It’s not all fun and games, a lesson Jacobs needed to learn and, judging by his comments, the education is nearly complete.
“I wanted to play more [as a rookie] but it didn’t work out, because Tiki’s a beast and I didn’t know as much,” Jacobs said. “I wasn’t really ready to get out there last year.
These coaches do what they do for a reason.
I wasn’t really ready to get out there.” The first preseason game arrives Friday night in Baltimore and Jacobs will get to show how much he’s grown. Not physically, of course, as a mountainous 6-4, 264-pound running back with a barrel chest and thin, long legs doesn’t need to get any bigger. The loss for at least a month of Derrick Ward to a broken foot means Jacobs slides in as the unquestioned backup to Barber, making it imperative that Jacobs can be trusted to handle every part of his job description.
Earlier in the week, Jacobs was held out of one practice because he experienced an irregular heartbeat.
He said yesterday that the symptoms felt “weird and different” but after a battery of tests he’s been cleared to resume practicing. “Something that just occurred, it’s really no big deal,” he said. “Everything’s good with my heart.” Jacobs last season became the first Giants rookie in 62 years to rush for as many as seven touchdowns and, used almost exclusively in shortyardage and goal-line situations, converted 20 of 32 opportunities on runs of at least four yards to go. In two goal-line runs in training camp, he earned raves from Coughlin. He does not lack for self-esteem.
“Nobody can bring me down,” Jacobs declared. “My confidence is as high as it has ever been throughout my career right now. When my confidence is sky-high I go out there and I play better. I don’t think, I just play.” Barber has taken it upon himself to tutor Jacobs as often as possible.
“The more he spends time with me and the more I talk to him the better he’ll get,” said Barber, who plans on retiring after this season or next.
By then, perhaps Jacobs will be ready to take over.