Saquon Barkley Responds to ‘Pitch Count’ in Eagles vs. Giants

Saquon Barkley bristled at questions about whether the New York Giants kept him on a “pitch count” against the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 14. Barkley gained just 28 yards on nine carries in limited playing time during a humbling 48-22 defeat.

Questions abounded about Barkley’s status during Eagles week, with rumors focused on whether he’d had an MRI to assess a potential neck injury. Barkley being listed as questionable on consecutive practice reports fuelled the idea he was purposefully kept out of the firing line against the Eagles.

Head coach Brian Daboll denied there was a conscious attempt to protect Barkley during the rout. The running back’s spiky response suggested he felt restrained by the coaching staff.

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Barkley, Daboll Offer Different Responses

Daboll at least admitted the Giants planned to keep Barkley fresh, per ESPN’s Jordan Raanan:

Giving a mere 20 snaps to the premier offensive weapon on the team was a curious strategy from the Giants, regardless of Barkley’s status. It meant Daboll and offensive coordinator Mike Kafka turned to backups Matt Breida and Gary Brightwell more often.

Breida “played more passing downs in place of Barkley, and Gary Brightwell played a full series, which is rare,” according to The Athletic’s Dan Duggan. Their increased workload meant Barkley only got onto the field for “about a third of his normal load (55.7 per game).”

The 25-year-old didn’t hide his desire to have seen more action, per Pat Leonard of the New York Daily News:

Barkley also revealed he had no doubt he could handle facing the Eagles, per Duggan: “Not in my mind. Every game is important. I was ready. I was ready to go, but obviously, the game plan and just the way the game played out, that wasn’t the case.”

There’s a confusion about how exactly Daboll and his staff are approaching Barkley’s role during the business end of the 2022 NFL season. Are the Giants being overly cautious or are they trying to hide a deeper problem?

Answers are needed before Week 15’s crunch rematch with NFC East rivals the Washington Commanders. It’s a game the free-falling Giants, who haven’t won since beating the Houston Texans on November 10, can’t afford to lose.

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Barkley Makes Commanders Pledge

Barkley is emphatic he’ll not only start against the Commanders, but also see more snaps. He told Leonard: “I look forward to the next opportunity and I’m probably pretty sure I’ll have more of a bigger role for next game.”

That’s quite the statement and suggests Barkley felt he was held back in Week 14. The Giants can’t risk doing the same thing against Washington. Not when playoff hopes that looked close to a lock a few weeks ago now hang in the balance.

Daboll has to decide if those fading postseason chances are worth gambling on Barkley’s health. The coach neither went all in nor played it completely safe against Philadelphia, with Leonard believing it should have been an easy decision:

A fresh Barkley will be essential against a Washington defense stingy against the run. The Commanders have allowed 1,435 yards on the ground, good for 12th-fewest in the league. More impressive are the scant seven rushing touchdowns, tied for third-fewest given up.

Barkley scored one of those touchdowns during Week 13’s 20-20 tie, but 2018’s second-overall pick was generally kept in check. He averaged 3.5 yards on 18 carries against a defensive front underpinned by dominant tackles Jonathan Allen and Daron Payne, who present a mismatch against a vulnerable Giants’ interior O-line.

Barkley’s neck will remain a focus until more clarity is provided on an injury the player said he noticed the Wednesday before facing the Eagles, per Duggan: “Caught the ball, tagging off, kind of spun out of it, and something just flared in my neck.”

The severity of the problem will determine whether or not the Giants can arrest the late slide that’s threatening to wreck a once-promising season.

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