NYG Postgame (vs. Cardinals) Transcripts: RB Saquon Barkley -- October 20, 2019
Q: Overall how did you feel today?
A: It felt good to get back out there and compete with your teammates. Unfortunately, we lost so that part of the game you are never happy with, but the good thing is you play a full season and we just have to go back to the drawing board and get ready for Detroit.
Q: Did you aggravate your ankle injury, you came out and got taped up?
A: Someone just landed on it, that’s kind of part of the healing process with this thing. I just went out real quick, got it taped up and came back and played.
Q: Overall, how did you feel about the offense?
A: I think as a whole we have to do better. It is what it is, we didn’t win the game so anytime you don’t win the game, we have to be better. The object of offense is score more points than the other team does and we didn’t accomplish that today. We have to find a way to do that.
Q: Does it put it any more pressure on you guys when you get down so early?
A: No, that’s part of football. Sometimes the team over there is going to make plays and is going to get ahead and sometimes we are going to get ahead. When you’re down you can’t panic and when you’re up, you can’t get too happy or too overexcited. You have to find a way to continue to grind out the game.
Q: Did you feel like yourself today, did you feel any rust?
A: I felt like I was running well. I think I did a little too much on some stuff, but that’s part of my game. Sometimes it doesn’t work, most of the time it works, so just have to go watch film and see what I could do better to help my team win.
Q: How did you feel about the draw call?
A: I think it’s a great call, we knew we were going to be in two down territory. It’s third and 18, they played it well, but if they drop back like most teams do on third and 18, I think you have one of your best playmakers on the field with the ball in his hands and get a one on one. We weren’t able to get a one on one situation, we got three or four yards on it, we still got a positive play.
Q: Talk about your ankle, were you able to cut on it, what were your limitations?
A: I think you guys watched the game just as much as I played it, cutting was fine. I think I broke some long ones today, made some people miss. Even when I went negative, I made some people miss. I think I did fine, I know I felt fine. I didn’t do enough to help my team win.
Q: Do you feel like you were back to your old self?
A: Yes
Q: At 2-5 what is the message to your team?
A: Get ready for Detroit. That’s just the mindset that we have, go back to the drawing board, watch film, learn from it and move on.
Q: With the way this offense played today, is it troubling, you guys put up 14 points against one of the worst defenses in the league?
A: I wouldn’t say troubling, I think we just have to do a better job because we didn’t win the game. I don’t care if we play the worst defense or the best defense if we won, 3-0, the object of the game is winning football games. You have to play complementary football, you have to have three phases of your team playing well. Our defense played well, special teams made some big plays for us, we didn’t make enough plays. We made a lot of plays, but we didn’t make enough because we didn’t put up more points than them.
Q: What kind of spot is this team in at 2-5?
A: We are in a spot where we have to go back to the drawing board and watch film and get ready for Detroit because that’s our next game. Try to get a win and try to get some things going.
Q: What’s the biggest takeaway as you get ready for Detroit?
A: Go back to the drawing board and learn from what we did, learn from the mistakes because it’s a copy cat league. The things that we messed up or allow to happen in this game, we are probably going to see it again, so we just have to prepare for those and watch game film on them and get better.
Q: Even with the ankle injury, in the second half you rushed the ball better than the first half. What went into that?
A: I think the offensive line did a tremendous job blocking. We were able to get downhill, even though, I wouldn’t say banged it up, but someone landed on it. I knew that was part of the healing process and that’s part of football, it’s going to happen. You just have to grind it out and I was able to do that. No matter what, if I had a better second half than first half, we didn’t win the game, so it doesn’t matter.
Q: What is the frustration level in here after three straight losses?
A: I don’t think its frustration at all. I think we just have to go back to the drawing board, I know I sound like a broken record, but that’s what it is. I know you guys are going to say what you guys want to say about us being 2-5, but our season is not over. We still have a positive mindset in this locker room, we always will no matter what. We just have to get ready for the next game.
Q: After your first game back, how do you feel?
A: It felt good, I was able to take my normal workload. Physically, I feel good but we didn’t win so you are never satisfied with that.
Q: How does Daniel go about getting back on track?
A: I think he is a very hard worker, I think he is passionate, he cares about this game and he is competitive. He’s going to go back and watch the things he did well, watch the things he didn’t do well and improve on that. I think we all need to do that.
Q: On the third and 18 draw, did you see any kind of daylight?
A: No, I think they played it well, that’s part of the NFL. The defense is going to make some great calls and they are going to make some plays. The question before you was, do I have any question about the third and 18. You know it’s a two-down situation, so if it’s third and 18 and it pops how it should pop, nobody even asks that question. I don’t question that. Yes, they played it well. We have to find a way to convert that third down.
Q: How should it pop?
A: It’s a draw play, it’s third and 18, a lot of teams in the NFL back off and play the stick because they don’t want you to get to the sticks. Usually there is a lot of running room. We had it, but I think Patrick Peterson, I think he kind of flew, everyone knows how great of a talent he is, he played it pretty well and the linebackers played it pretty well. They took off the two lanes I could cut but we still got a positive gain on it, three to four yards, we made it fourth and 14. We just have to find a way to convert that.
