When the Giants took running back Saquon Barkley with the second overall pick in the NFL draft, they were surely expecting him to do a lot more than catch six-yard checkdown passes. But that’s primarily what he did on Sunday night.
Barkley caught 14 passes for 80 yards in the Giants’ loss to the Cowboys, which is an unprecedented stat line: No player in NFL history had ever caught 14 or more passes while gaining less than 90 yards until Barkley on Sunday night.
Running the ball, Barkley also failed to break big plays. He finished with 11 carries for 28 yards on the ground. That’s an average of 2.5 yards per carry, to go along with his average of 5.7 yards per catch.
Between drafting Barkley and signing wide receiver Odell Beckham to a new contract, the Giants poured a lot of resources into offensive playmakers this offseason. They’re off to an 0-2 start, and their playmakers aren’t making plays.
