Getty New York Giants RB Saquon Barkley.
There’s no denying that Saquon Barkley’s comeback has been far less than the storybook tale that so many had hoped for. While running behind one of football’s most inept offensive lines certainly doesn’t help, the New York Giants running back has been among the league’s least efficient backs. His 3.5 yards per carry average is tied for 42nd among qualifying running backs (minimum 6.25 rushes per game). Furthermore, he’s failed to eclipse 64 yards rushing in any game this season and has accounted for just two rushing touchdowns over his last 13 games. As the season has progressed, Barkley’s lack of production has led to questions regarding Big Blue’s distribution of touches in their backfield.
Leading up to New York’s Week 16 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, USA Today’s Dan Benton called on Devontae Booker to usurp Barkley in the starting lineup — a demand that less than three months ago would have been laughed off. However, it’s not three months ago, it’s nearly the New Year and Benton has his backers, one of whom is former Giants Super Bowl Champion Lawrence Tynes.
Tynes: ‘I Don’t Get It’
Midway through the G-Men’s 34-10 blowout loss to Philly, Tynes took to Twitter calling for Barkley to cede majority ownership of the team’s backfield to Booker. The 2021 NFL scoring leader tweeted out a screenshot of the boxscore comparing the two back’s stat output with the caption “I don’t get this. Let Booker get the majority of the carries.”
I don’t get this. Let Booker get the majority of the carries.
In the end, Barkley finished the afternoon with 32 yards on 15 carries — a season-low 2.13 yards per tote. As for Booker, he mustered up 27 yards on six attempts for an average of 4.5 yards per carry. Booker is currently averaging exactly 4.5 yards per carry for the third consecutive season. Barkley, on the other hand, has averaged just 3.3 yards per carry over his last 149 rushing attempts dating back to the start of 2020.
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We Love Our Backup Running Backs
Typically the backup quarterback tends to be the most popular player on a struggling team. However, Jake Fromm’s 25-yard, one-interception performance against the Eagles halted any fandom he had previously received in its tracks. So, with that in mind, it appears as though Giants fans have instead opted to focus their interest on the backup running back position.
In reality, none of this is too surprising for a fanbase who was up in arms after watching Wayne Gallman walk in free agency this past offseason. Gallman, who spent his first three years in East Rutherford as a reserve, was gifted an opportunity to showcase his talents when Barkley went down with a torn ACL early in 2020. Gallman did of course exceed expectations — there’s no denying that. However, he eclipsed 68 yards rushing just twice that season and since then has amassed a total of just 28 yards on the ground.
When the team inked Booker to a two-year, $5.5 million contract in the offseason, they were ridiculed for what some deemed a blatant downgrade from Gallman. However, fast forward to current day and Booker is apparently better than a once perceived blue-chip talent in Barkley, while Gallman has bounced around three different teams over the last eight months.
Admittedly, Booker has had his moments. Then again, he only surpassed 60 yards rushing once in his four starts this year. Still, should Booker see more touches? Sure, why not. However, he’s not a superior option to Barkley, nor is either back the true issue to the team’s running game woes. While Barkley may not possess the same game-changing abilities he flexed as a rookie, handing the backfield over to a soon-to-be 30-year-old Booker would be another Rashad Jennings situation all over again.
The Giants have a decision to make when it comes to Barkley and paying him top money doesn’t look to be the smart financial move for a team in their current state. However, just like it’s difficult to judge the quarterback position in New York because of the team’s lackluster offensive line, the same can be said for the running back position.