The New York Giants may have saved their season this past Sunday, as they overcame a 28-7 deficit against the lowly Arizona Cardinals and picked up the 31-28 victory. Late in the game, running back Saquon Barkley got rolled up on his ankle, which forced him to leave the game, where cameras caught him visibly frustrated on the sidelines. On Monday, it was revealed that Barkley had avoided a serious injury, instead picking up an "ordinary" ankle sprain, which would likely sideline him for three weeks.
With that timetable, Barkley would miss pivotal games against the San Francisco 49ers, Seattle Seahawks and Miami Dolphins. But there was an interesting update regarding the running back on Tuesday.
While speaking with reporters, head coach Brian Daboll said he would not rule out Barkley for the tea's game against the 49ers on Thursday night. Daboll said that he spoke to Barkley, who told him that he's feeling a lot better.
Giants' Brian Daboll won't rule out Saquon Barkley for Week 3 despite ankle injury
Daboll said that he's not going to rule out Barkley until Thursday. While the head coach did call Barkley a "quick healer," could this also be gamesmanship on his part. As in, don't rule out Barkley just yet so 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan can't gameplan for any backups? Who knows.
One thing is for certain, without Barkley in the lineup, the Giants offense will undoubtedly take a hit. Let's not forget that last season, he was a key reason why the team made it to the playoffs, as the pass-catching options in 2022 were less than ideal.
But this year, the Giants brought in reinforcements, trading for tight end Darren Waller, signing wide receiver Parris Campbell, and drafting Tennessee wideout Jalin Hyatt. So there are more options for quarterback Daniel Jones to target downfield, so it could be a pass-heavy night on Thursday.
Which RB can Giants turn to if Saquon Barkley sits due to ankle injury?
The obvious choice to get the start if Barkley were to sit is veteran Matt Breida, who was with the Buffalo Bills in 2021 when Daboll was their offensive coordinator. When Daboll was hired to be the Giants' head coach, Breida followed him. Last year, Breida ran for 220 yards and one touchdown on 54 carries while catching 20-of-25 targets for 118 yards.
Another option the Giants could turn to is rookie Eric Gray, whom the team drafted in the fifth round out of Oklahoma. Gray was an explosive running back for the Sooners for the previous two seasons. In 2022, Gray ran for 1,366 yards and 11 touchdowns on 213 carries while catching 33 passes for 229 yards. Gray was named Second-team All-Big 12 that season.
It could very well be a wait-and-see approach for the two running backs. As in, how the two perform against the 49ers to see who should get the majority of snaps down the stretch of the game. For fantasy football owners, it may be best to avoid the Giants' running backs this week until there is further clarity on the situation.
