The New York Giants have had one of the worst offenses in football the past few seasons, ranking 31st in yards per game with 287.3 last year. In fact, they ranked 31st in overall points, averaging just 15.2 per game.
The 2022 season should produce far better results, notably as an outcome of better schematics and healthy playmakers. Running back, Saquon Barkley is hoping he can play a featured role in the new system, providing a catalyst for production and success after years of injury-riddled play.
Saquon made 13 appearances last year for the Giants, rushing for 593 yards and collecting 263 receiving yards to go with four total touchdowns. In 2020, he played just two games before suffering a torn ACL against the Chicago Bears. It’s been two years since Barkley has rushed for over 1,000 yards, but new head coach Brian Daboll and coordinator Mike Kara are looking to reverse that trend.
There’s a ton of added pressure for the Giants’ offense moving forward, especially since Daniel Jones and Barkley are in the final year of their rookie contracts. The Giants rejected Jones’s fifth-year option, and Barkley is on his, but the cards are stacked against them in the first year of a new system with an unproven offensive line.
“I don’t just feel that for Daniel, I feel that for the whole offense in general,” Barkley said. “If I’m able to go out there and do the things that I’m capable of doing, it’s going to make life a lot easier — not only on Daniel, but I feel like on everyone. If we all go out there, if we all go out there and do what we are capable of doing, it’s going to make life easier for every single one of us. We just got to come in every single day, continue to get the playbook down and continue to work. All the work that we put in will pay off later on.”
The New York Giants should have a better running game at the very least:
The running game should be far better after signing Mark Glowinski and drafting Evan Neal to play right guard and right tackle, respectively. However, there’s no saying that Jones will get the proper pass protection he needs to operate successfully on offense.
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We should expect to see more short concepts that get playmakers into space, allowing them to rack up yards after the catch. Barkley will be a primary playmaker in that facet, especially after recording 721 yards receiving as a rookie with four touchdowns. The Giants are looking to activate him more as a receiver, splitting it out wide, putting him in bunch formations, and having him run routes out of the backfield.
After seeing what the Kansas City Chiefs have done with their running backs, the Giants will try to replicate that strategy. Luckily for new management, Barkley has superstar potential, but injuries have derailed his career. He’s mentioned multiple times this off-season how he feels 100% healthy, reminiscent of his days with Penn State. Hopefully, that fuels a resurgent 2022 season.