Giants’ Saquon Barkley has standout playoff debut against Vikings

new york giants, saquon barkley
Jan 15, 2023; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley (26) runs with the ball for a touchdown against the Minnesota Vikings during the first quarter of a wild card game at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports

After not making the playoffs and dealing with seemingly never-ending injuries through the first four seasons of his career, New York Giants star running back Saquon Barkley was put to the test with his first career playoff game, and he did not disappoint one bit.

The Giants defeated the Minnesota Vikings 31-24 on Sunday, securing their first postseason victory in over a decade, and Barkley led the way for New York.

Barkley had 109 total yards from scrimmage on nine rushes and five receptions and also recorded two rushing touchdowns in the victory. The Vikings seemed to have no answer for him and quarterback Daniel Jones from start to finish, as both were feasting on the ground for most of the game.

Jones and Barkley combined for 131 rushing yards on Sunday. Both of them continued to show how dangerous they can be as a QB-RB duo when they are each playing at their best.

Saquon Barkley jump-started the Giants’ offense:

After falling behind 7-0 on the opening drive, Barkley ended what was an electric response by the Giants with a 28-yard touchdown run, finding seams through the holes that his offensive line gave him down the left sideline.

Barkley would also later score the go-ahead touchdown on the ground, and the defensive stops that followed would ultimately help secure a trip to the divisional round for the Giants.

The first-quarter touchdown was clearly the spark the Giants needed, as they did not trail at any point throughout the rest of the game, completely dominating Minnesota’s secondary in both the passing game and the running game.

This Giants team has been nothing short of resilient since the very first game of the season and have continued to be just that in their biggest games thus far.

Barkley spoke to reporters after Sunday’s game and described what the difference is between this year’s team and last year’s 4-13 team.

“We have confidence because we know what type of men and women we have in our facility and in our locker room. We believe in each other. We’re a confident group, we’ve shown that throughout the whole season. If you look at this whole first week of the playoffs, that’s the type of team you’ve got to be, because every game is going to be close. You’ve got to lean on each other, you’ve got to trust each other, and keep making plays in critical situations.”

Saquon Barkley via SNY

Indeed, this team is confident, and head coach Brian Daboll has displayed that confidence with his poised style of coaching, where they are not afraid to take the biggest risks. That is what makes a group have such high confidence.

Barkley and the Giants will look to keep their foot on the gas and continue their playoff run when they take on number one seed Philadelphia Eagles on the road next Sunday.

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