Saquon Barkley rose to superstardom during his days with the Penn State Nittany Lions. He became must watch television each time Penn State was the featured game. Just like we have many athletes that we refer to with just their first name such as Tiger, Peyton, Steph, Serena, Kobe and Lebron, all you had to do was mention Saquon’s name and people would know who you were talking about. Since being drafted by the New York Giants, he’s become a star in the NFL at the next level and won offensive rookie of the year in 2018 and was the only shining point for the Giants during a tough season last year. Yesterday in Tampa Bay, he went down with what looked to be an apparent ankle injury. He was sidelined for the rest of the game and was seen on crutches which is never a good sign. Today, the news came out that the young running back will be sidelined for four to six weeks with a high-ankle sprain.
I remember the night he was drafted and how everyone questioned the Giants decision to pick him over a quarterback which is understandable considering Eli Manning is pretty much a shell of himself and he’s way past his prime. I don’t think anyone is questioning this pick now. People tend to forget how strong this kid truly is. He’s a very hard runner with great vision and in the open field, he’s so difficult to bring down. I’ve seen him drag defenders with him while he’s running. He has great vision, solid feet, he lets the lanes open, then he takes off. He gets his yards in so many ways and can score from anywhere. Don’t let his size fool you because he can get around a defender in so many ways. He’ll lower the shoulder to power through you, he’s fluid enough in the hips to dance around you and in space, he can leap over you. I remember a play last season against the 49ers on a Monday night. Eli got him the ball on a pass to the flat of the field, Saquon caught it, moved up the field like it was nothing then out of nowhere, he just leaps up over a guy and casually steps out of bounds after a big gain. The crazy thing is I don’t think he realizes just how dominant he can be. He has all the tools to be one of the best not just at this moment, but maybe of all-time when it’s all said and done. The sky is the limit for him.
This is a tough loss for the Giants offense. He accounts for more than half of what they do on that side of the football. Of course, his role in the running game goes without explanation, but he’s also a vital piece to their passing game. This injury happens just as a young quarterback is set to make his transition to the starting job for the team. Let’s see how the Giants fare without him for this next month or so.
