Getty Saquon Barkley
Suffice it to say, Cris Carter does not foresee a Dallas Cowboys victory in next week’s season-opener.
During an appearance on FS1’s First Things First on Monday, the legendary NFL wide receiver projected 200 rushing yards for New York Giants franchise running back Saquon Barkley in the inaugural 2019 meeting of the NFC East foes.
“Don’t sleep on the Giants,” Carter warned. “Especially with the defensive line being in question for Dallas. Barkley can rush for 200 yards in that first game and the Giants could pull off that upset.”
“Don’t sleep on the Giants. Saquon Barkley can rush for 200 yards in that first game against the Cowboys and the Giants can pull off that upset.” — @criscarter80
Good luck, Saquon.
Despite a phenomenal rookie year in which he finished second in rushing yards, behind Dallas’ Ezekiel Elliott, Barkley was mostly contained by Cowboys. In the first rivalry game last season, he totaled just 28 yards on 11 carries amid a 20-13 defeat. In the second, a meaningless finale, Barkley found some room, logging 17 totes for 109 yards and a touchdown in a wild 36-35 loss.
An amazing talent, no doubt. A shoo-in to hit the second century mark at AT&T Stadium on Sept. 8? Hardly.
The Cowboys ranked ninth in run defense last year, allowing only 78.7 yards per game. Star defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence, who Carter indirectly mentioned, is healthy following offseason shoulder surgery. The unit, as a whole, is deeper than anything the Giants have seen in quite a bit of time.
“I’d say top to bottom, it’s as much talent as I’ve been around,” linebacker Sean Lee noted Wednesday, per the Dallas Morning News.
Oddsmakers tend to agree with Lee’s assessment. The Cowboys have opened as seven-point favorites over New York, a rebuilding franchise thisclose to trotting out first-round rookie quarterback Daniel Jones.
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Saquon Sides with Zeke
The NFL, at its core, is a giant fraternity, and the Giants’ bellcow has thrown his support behind the Cowboys’, who’s pushing to become the league’s richest-ever back, surpassing Los Angeles Rams title-holder Todd Gurley. Barkley, unlike many other notable outsiders, firmly believes Elliott is worth his sought-after payday.
“I’ve played against [Ezekiel Elliott] two times [last] year, and my teammates that were here before me have played against him two times a year,” Barkley recently said on NFL Network, via Kimberly A. Martin of Yahoo! Sports. “If you ask anybody in the NFL that’s played against the Dallas Cowboys, ‘Would you rather play the Dallas Cowboys with Zeke, or without Zeke?,’ I think everyone knows what the answer would be. He’s a very important piece of that team.”
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Follow Zack Kelberman on Twitter @KelbermanNFL