The New York Giants entered week two against the Chicago Bears with a heightened sense of pressure. After a tough week one loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, elevating their game and proving their worth was a necessity.
For new head coach Joe Judge, he has routinely seen teams take a significant step forward from week one to two, but through one half, the Giants haven’t seen that jump.
In the second quarter, Saquon Barkley was tackled and jammed up his elbow. In what seemed to be nothing more than an over-extension, the very next play for Barkley resulted in something much worse. After a jump cut into the outside, Barkley fell to the ground near the sideline after being tackled by a Bears defender. He took his helmet off and was screaming in pain, and was taken out of the game immediately.
Saquon is done, right knee injury, looks REALLY bad… Couldn't even stand, took his helmet off immediately, the Giants are in trouble #TogetherBlue pic.twitter.com/JPQvsvnnPE
— Alex Wilson (@AlexWilsonESM) September 20, 2020
According to the Giants, Barkley was taken for x-rays in the locker room. This is a significant blow to an offense that heavily relied on his explosive playmaking ability. However, it is undoubtedly a test for Dion Lewis and Wayne Garman, despite the former Clemson standouts inactive status against Chicago.
In week one for Saquon, he only tallied 6 yards on the ground, but was a bit better through the air, logging 60 yards. Against Chicago, he already had 28 yards rushing, averaging 7 yards per carry.