4 NY Giants players who must elevate their game vs. Dallas
1. RB Saquon Barkley
After running the ball 15 times for 22 yards against the Lions last week, Saquon Barkley must step it up and dominate against the Cowboys. While this disappointing performance is not entirely on Barkley, as the Giants offensive line looked absolutely putrid, he still looked a little slow.
Barkley is likely still dealing with the shoulder injury he suffered against the Packers in Week 5, which could explain how slow he was, but regardless he must perform at a higher level. As elite as the Cowboys pass defense is, their run defense does not necessarily share the same dominance. So, while the Cowboys allow a high volume of yards, they’ve only given up five rushing TDs on the season.
The good thing about this is that Barkley had a relatively dominant performance last time he faced the Cowboys, running the ball 14 times for 81 yards and a TD while also catching four passes for 41 yards. We all know how much the Giants rely on Barkley to carry their offense against tough opponents. While the offensive line very clearly holds him back at times, we can only hope that they play much better than they did last week.
While Jon Feliciano is listed as questionable, Nick Gates has proven to be a better player this season when he has played. In addition to this, the Giants could be getting Evan Neal back, who has had some very good run-blocking snaps this season.
