Despite the season crumbling for the NY Giants, guys on this team are still doing whatever they can to try and make plays on Sundays. The G-Men are 2-8, which is something no one expected after Big Blue went 9-7-1 in 2022.
The veteran leaders are doing their best to try and keep the spirit in the locker room high, with star running back Saquon Barkley among those who has stepped up. Yes, Barkley hasn't been his best this year, but that can be said for everyone else on the roster. Despite the tough times, wideout Sterling Shepard said Barkley continues to act like a true pro.
Saquon Barkley is doing his part to keep the morale high for the NY Giants
While speaking on the Talkin' Ball Podcast with Giants insider Pat Leonard, Shepard indeed made it clear that he's been impressed with the way Barkley has been able to handle things. No. 26 is one of the best running backs in the game - with that comes extra pressure. Despite the nightmare campaign, Barkley has been able to make a difference for the squad.
Sterling Shepard (@sterl_shep3) on Saquon Barkley’s leadership in a tough year via The Talkin’ Ball with Pat Leonard podcast: “The man has handled it like a true pro. There’s been times where other guys don’t know how he’s handling it that way. But that’s just what type of guy… pic.twitter.com/1haqDklYdL
— Pat Leonard (@PLeonardNYDN) November 14, 2023
Barkley and Shepard are quite close, so it's not a surprise at all to see Shep speak so highly of him. At the end of the day, Barkley is NY's best offensive playmaker and he's not ready to give up on the season. While Giants fans are all about tanking and trying to land the No. 1 overall pick, Saquon and Shep are still fighting their tails off to win games.
That's not going to change with seven games left on the schedule. On the season, Barkley has rushed for 568 yards and one touchdown. We're sorry if you drafted Saquon in your Fantasy Football draft, as he's been a letdown for you. However, even with the going getting tough, Barkley has kept his head up and fought through the pain (ankle sprain) to represent the jersey he puts over his back. You've got to respect him for that.
NY Giants won't be reuniting with Jason Pierre-Paul
Earlier in the week, news broke that former Giants standout Jason Pierre-Paul had agreed to a new deal with the New Orleans Saints to join the practice squad. With the pass-rush depth being an issue for the G-Men this season, plenty of fans were hopeful that Joe Schoen would make a move to reunite JPP with his old team.
We now know that won't be happening. Pierre-Paul was a beast for the Giants during his playing days in East Rutherford, helping the team win a Super Bowl during the 2011 campaign. That season, JPP was nothing short of sensational, as he posted a career-high 16.5 sacks. Fans will never forget what the former All-Pro edge-rusher was able to get done.
Meanwhile for Wink Martindale's defense, Kayvon Thibodeaux remains in the concussion protocol after hurting himself in the Week 10 matchup against the Cowboys. It's up in the air if he'll be able to return in time for the Week 11 matchup with the Commanders. Azeez Ojulari, luckily, is back in the mix, but he's been dealing with injuries all year long.
Multiple Giants players remain in the concussion protocol
Unfortunately for Daboll, Thibodeaux isn't the only player dealing with a concussion. On Wednesday, Thibodeaux, Jalin Hyatt AND Adoree' Jackson were all held out of practice because they remain in the protocol. That's a bit of a headache for Daboll, as all three players are able to make quite the impact on both sides of the ball.
As for Barkley, he's still dealing with some issues stemming from the high-ankle sprain he suffered in Week 2 against the Arizona Cardinals. Because of this, Barkley, who was slowed down a bit against the Cowboys and in discomfort, didn't do much during individual drills on Wednesday as NY gets ready for Washington.
It goes without saying, but if Barkley isn't able to play against the Commanders, it's going to be a major problem for this offense. New York struggles as it is with Tommy DeVito as the starting signal-caller, but the rookie needs Barkley out there to help him out. We can only hope Barkley is able to get a full practice in on Thursday.