When the New York Giants selected Saquon Barkley second overall in the 2018 NFL Draft, they knew they were getting someone special. Yet still, Big Blue had their fair share of critics who believed taking a running back second overall was too high.
One of the pitfalls of former head coach Pat Shurmur was that he shied away from his star running back when they needed him the most. Barkley had a down season due to injury, but it’s clear that when he’s healthy, Barkley is one of the league’s best.
In both of Saturday’s divisional round playoff games, running the ball was certainly crucial.
In the early Saturday game, following a Richard Sherman interception, the San Francisco 49ers found themselves up seven in the third quarter. The 49ers scored on that drive on the shoulders of their running backs.
San Francisco ran the ball eight straight times, controlling the drive and bullying their way to the end zone. The 49ers out-rushed the Vikings 186-21 in the game.
The late Saturday game featured the Derrick Henry Show again for the Tennessee Titans.
The Titans star running back became the first player in NFL history to rack up 180-plus yards in three straight games, carrying them to back-to-back wins over the New England Patriots and Baltimore Ravens in the process.
Giants general manager Dave Gettleman has long placed an emphasis on the trenches, often touting his desire to add ‘hog mollies.’ In fact, Gettleman mentioned earlier this week that the top four rushing teams are all in the postseason and had moved on to the divisional round — a fact that was not well-received at the time.
It may not be a popular opinion right now since everything Gettleman says is supposed to be wrong, but it’s clear that winning in the NFL means running the ball, stopping the run and playing stout defense. In order to do that, the Giants must improve in the trenches and stick with Barkley.
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