It was not a promise or a guarantee, as Saquon Barkley was quick to say, “I don’t know if it’s this week.’’ But he sounds as if he wants to soar Sunday in Chicago.
“I haven’t jumped over a guy yet this year,’’ he said Thursday. “Thank you for reminding me.’’
It is one of the most enduring snapshots of a brilliant rookie year. Barkley, after hauling in a short pass from Eli Manning, did not attempt to run past or through Bears safety Adrian Amos. Barkley leaped over the defender, legs flying apart as if he was making up his own Olympic event. Watch it in slow motion, in real speed, backwards, forwards. It always comes out the same: stunning.
“I have to hurdle someone this week,’’ Barkley said, smiling. “Go back to having fun.’’
The leap of faith last season lifted the Giants to an upset victory up and over the Bears, the same team up next for Barkley and the Giants. Amos plays for the Packers now, but there are plenty of others this weekend at Soldier Field who Barkley can try to vault. The Giants are mired in a six-game losing streak and Year 2 for Barkley has been a downer, missing three games with a high ankle sprain and a humbling performance against the Jets in his last game. The bye week gave Barkley extra time to rest his ankle and he returned, he said, refreshed of body and, just as importantly, of mind.
“That’s where I felt watching film of myself, I allowed, I don’t know what it was, for me not to be me,’’ Barkley said. “I don’t care, that’s who I am and that’s what I’m getting back to these last six weeks. I’m going to go out there and ball and have fun. And whatever happens, happens.’’
What happened with Barkley the last time he stepped onto the field was an embarrassment.
Barkley is not a superhero, but he is a superior football player. There is no way, no how he should ever — ever — finish a game in which the ball was handed to him 13 times and come away with 1 yard. That is 3 feet. That is 36 inches. That is .914 meters, if you prefer.
It is an impossibly low total that is wholly unacceptable, for Barkley, for those paid to block for him, for coaches who get paid to win with him, for scouts and front office executives who deemed Barkley worthy of the No. 2 pick in the 2018 NFL Draft. The Giants hope Barkley has a long and productive career and they must insist he never has a game as humbling and wasteful as he did nearly two weeks ago against the Jets.
“We anticipated running the ball more, and better, against the Jets,’’ coach Pat Shurmur said before Thursday’s practice under a blue and cloudless sky. “It didn’t happen, so we threw it more and we had success doing that.’’
Sure enough, the Giants did find their way to success with rookie Daniel Jones tossing four touchdown passes. But they lost, again. This cannot be the Giants Way. Saquon Barkley is not here to be a complementary piece.
“It was one of those game you watch the film and you just put it away,’’ he said. “I did research and I was like, ‘I have to be the first back ever to have a game like that.’ And I’m not trying to put myself on that level or compare myself with that person, but Barry Sanders had a game where he had 16 carries for zero yards [actually 13 carries for minus-1 yard] against the Green Bay Packers, in the playoffs. I don’t think that stopped him from having a great career.’’
The Giants have not won a game this season started and finished by Barkley. He has completed six games this season and the Giants are 0-6. Losing does strange things to elite players. Barkley does not believe it made him press and try to do too much. Quite the opposite.
“No, I think there’s times where I think I did too less,’’ he said. “Say a guy got beat quick, I would take what they give me and, I would not go down with ease, but I would be more focused on securing the ball and live for another down, where there’s times I can make that person miss and do what I do best.’’
He considers a lesson he learned in middle school, hearing he should change his all-or-nothing running style and his father told him to be who you are.
“Have fun, be a little kid and try to ball out with my brothers,’’ Barkley said.
And maybe even leap over a defender or two.
For more on the Giants, listen to the latest episode of the “Blue Rush” podcast: