Brian Daboll and Mike Kafka need a new plan to get the New York Giants and a struggling offense back on track. There was some evidence of a shift in philosophy early on during the 28-20 defeat to the Dallas Cowboys on Thanksgiving Day.
The Giants came out throwing at AT&T Stadium, with a clear aim to deter the Cowboys from focusing on star running back Saquon Barkley. Ultimately, the plan didn’t work and Barkley was condemned to a second-straight tame outing after being held to just 22 yards on 15 carries against the Detroit Lions in Week 11.
Barkley’s suddenly middling performances are a message to head coach Daboll and offensive coordinator Kafka they need to ease the workload for their main weapon. Unless they share a few more carries with other members of the backfield, the Giants will put “too much of a burden” on the next most important member of their offense.
Passing Game Can’t Carry the Load if Main Man Falters
If Barkley’s out of sorts, “there is too much of a burden put on Jones and the passing game, which is operating with a dearth of quality at the wide receiver position,” according to Paul Schwartz of the New York Post.
The burden proved too much against the Cowboys, when Jones missed on 14 of his 35 attempts. Two of those errant throws proved crucial, a failed connection with Richie James on third down and a drop by Barkley on 4th-and-1 in Giants’ territory in the third period.
It was the pivotal shift in momentum in the game, with the Cowboys converting favorable field position into a touchdown and an eight-point lead they never relinquished. Barkley and Jones both lobbied to take the blame for the botched play, per Pat Leonard of the New York Daily News:
Saquon Barkley takes responsibility for 4th down drop (“I have to make the play”) & Daniel Jones says “It was a bad throw.”
Both take responsibility. Jones admits this loss hit: hard because it’s a big division game and #Giants didn’t play their best. But says still confident
Truthfully, it doesn’t matter who was at fault. The reality is Jones can’t carry a game behind an injury-hit offensive line that gave up three sacks in Dallas. Nor can the signal-caller go score-for-score with opponents while he’s lacking an elite wide receiver.
Those problems are why Barkley must produce more than the 39 yards he managed on 11 carries against the Cowboys. It’s asking a lot when 2018’s second-overall draft pick doesn’t look fully healthy but is still having to shoulder the load almost entirely by himself.
Schwartz is right to point out the burden on Jones, but it’s equally true Barkley is carrying just as much weight in the Giants’ offense.
Star Weapon Showing Signs of Wear and Tear
As Schwartz pointed out, Barkley is being asked to do much while Daboll and Kafka virtually ignore the other running backs at their disposal: “Barkley is the star of the offense and he needs to shine. He was on the field for 47 of the 64 snaps on offense against the Cowboys and it is clear this coaching staff is not interested in sharing the load. Matt Breida had only two rushing attempts. Gary Brightwell, a special teams player, was dusted off with a season-high five rushing attempts.”
The disparity between Barkley’s workload and that of the Giants’ other runners in Dallas was merely a snapshot of the 2022 NFL season. Barkley has carried the ball 224 times, while Breida has been given just 34 attempts and Brightwell nine.
Rushing chores are too lopsided in Barkley’s favor. Especially when the latter “hasn’t looked the same since injuring his right shoulder in Week 5,” according to Dan Duggan of The Athletic.
Barkley being as banged up as his offensive line leaves the Giants with little excuse for not involving their other backs. It makes more sense when you consider Breida averaged over four yards per carry every season before he joined the Giants in 2022.
Putting Breida and Barkley in the backfield together should be an ideal ploy for using No. 26 as a decoy. Instead, Daboll and Kafka are still calling Barkley’s number, even when it means putting him in direction competition against a defense’s best player.
That’s what happened on this modified jet sweep against the Cowboys, highlighted by NFL Network’s Brian Baldinger:
.@Dallascowboys @MicahhParsons11 v @Giants @saquon just a couple of Lions on the chase. Hard to turn the corner v the Hungry Lion. @PennStateFball #BaldysBreakdowns
Not many players, even Barkley, are going to outrun Micah Parsons on the edge. The Giants should’ve used Barkley’s motion to distract a defense already zeroed in on him and popped Breida loose on an inside trap.
If Daboll and Kafka don’t have faith in Breida and Brightwell, there’s all the more reason to add a veteran ball-carrier like Melvin Gordon III. The Giants need a runner coaches trust to give Barkley a breather and also keep the running game effective enough to avoid asking Jones to do too much.
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Giants Putting ‘Too Much of a Burden’ on Key Player