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Transcript: Running Back Saquon Barkley

Eric from BBI : Admin : 11/11/2022 7:01 pm
Running Back Saquon Barkley

Q: Their rush defense, statistically, is not good. What do you see?

A: That doesn't mean anything. I don't really read into that – to the numbers. Obviously, statistically their rush defense is not up there. It's not the highest. When we played Seattle (Seahawks), their rush defense wasn't up there. It wasn't the highest. They did a really good job of game planning and scheming the run. Every week it's a new challenge. It's the NFL; there are a lot of good players over there. They've got a talented team – great coach. Great scheme. You've got to take it – take every week (as) a new opportunity and a new challenge to get better. That's the main focus.

Q: You said after the Seattle game about teams now loading up (the box) against the run. It is what it is, and you've got to deal with that. What are the ways to try to attack that to be productive anyways?

A: The beauty of having more people in the box – the safeties, they're a little tired. Once you get passed a certain level, there's really no one else back there. So, you've got to capitalize on that. But that's really not up to me. The coaches are going to continue to do a great job of doing creative things to put the ball in our playmakers hands to make plays – especially when DJ (Quarterback Daniel Jones) can make plays with his feet and when we get down the field and start getting passes together on the drive and be a little more consistent on the drive, the run game is going to continue to open up. It's a balance. We've got to balance each other, and that's something we look forward to doing in the second half of the season.

Q: I know it's only two weeks, but does your body feel any differently having time off?

A: It's more mental I guess you could say. The body, obviously, you give it a week rest, it's going to feel better. But just to step away and not be in the same routine day in and day out, just having that different mindset. It actually makes you appreciate football so much more. You're like, 'I want to get back to it as fast as possible.' But spend more time with your family, I was able to go to Odell's (Former Giants Wide Receiver Odell Beckham Jr.) birthday, spend time with him and some of the guys out there. It was good. Good to get off, but back to work. Get ready for the second half of the season against a really good team.

Q: How much time did you spend at Odell's birthday telling him to re-sign with the Giants? Because it seems like every Cowboys player every day tells him.

A: He knows how I feel. He knows how we feel in this locker room. I've said before, he's a heck of a player. I'm more just, not saying worried, just focused on him continuing attacking his rehab, get ready. He's a special player. He's still got a lot left in the tank. And I know how he is already with his mindset going at his rehab. When he's able to come back, he's going to show his skillset.

Q: You see the Cowboys doing it though, right?

A: Yeah, I saw (Cowboys Linebacker) Micah (Parsons). I saw Micah tweet something at him.

Q: Zeke (Cowboys Running Back Ezekiel Elliott)…

A: I didn't see the Zeke one, but I saw Micah tweet something at him. But he's Odell. He's a heck of a player. When he's healthy, he's one of the best players in the league. Why wouldn't anybody want him on his team?

Q: What would your sales pitch be here? Why is this a desirable spot in your mind?

A: I feel like there's not really a sales pitch. It's New York; it's the Giants. Obviously, he has familiar faces within this facility and this locker room. Personally, I think it would be a great story to come back to a place that you were at before and continue to help build success and continue to come here with the right mindset and be a leader and be the type of player he can be for his team. Like I said, he's a special player. He can help any team. (I'm) not really too focused on that. I'm really worried about the man himself and getting ready and rehabbing and continue to have a successful career.

Q: I would imagine you don't have to reach out to him on Twitter. You might be able to go a little more privately.

A: Yeah, I don't have to tweet at him.

Q: Does your shoulder feel better than it did two weeks ago?

A: I mean yeah, definitely. When you get a week off, your shoulder is going to feel better. It's more just because I didn't have to bang it on Sunday. It's something that hopefully we'll see this week – that's the only real true test of how much better it got, when you get tackled and you land on it. Like I said, it's pain management, something that I'm able to manage and continue to do.

Q: Is there a sense of coming out of this bye week, what you guys have in front of you that this is an opportunity that you specifically have been waiting for here in the pros to have that second half where every game has meaning and there's an opportunity to earn something at the end of this season? Does that factor in at all? Is there any sense of?

A: No. I don't look at it like that at all. I don't think we do, either. It's another game. It's another opportunity to come out, play the sport that we love and try to have a 1-0 mindset and most importantly – do it at home in front of our fans.

Q: Do you look at these games and see it's Houston with one win and Detroit with two wins and those are W's for you?

A: That's your job.

Q: Can you see Odell (Beckham Jr.) wearing a Cowboys jersey?

A: I want the best for him. Whatever decision he makes – like I said, it's deeper than football. That's my brother. Like I said, I want the best for him. I can see him in any jersey. Obviously, I would love to see him back with the New York Giants but like I said, that's up to him. That's his decision. I just hope a healthy rehab and when he comes back, show the world that he's still Odell.

Q: What do you think about getting (Guard) Shane (Lemieux) back, if it's not this week, just having him back in the fold after what he's been through physically?

A: He's battled some injuries, but he's a great player. He definitely can be a help to this team. We know that. Obviously, it sucks to see him go down early in the season – preseason game. It's just great to see him getting back out there, taking some reps. Coming back from injury is all about the mental part of it, getting mentally right. But like I said, he can help this team. I'm excited for him. Whatever the opportunity is or whenever that chance comes, he already knows – I don't need to say it. I have much confidence in him from myself but also all the players in the locker room have a lot of confidence in him, too.

Q: How much do you need something from (Wide Receiver) Kenny (Golladay) here? He was a big free agent signing – hasn't really worked out so far regards to production-wise – but how much does this offense need that receiver to step into that role?

A: I really don't need anything from KG. I just need KG to be KG. Just go out there and play the game that you love. I think I saw he said something in the media where you guys asked him if he had anything to prove or to prove to coaches. His responsibility is to go out there and play the game he loves and do it for his brothers, do it for his teammates. We all have high respect for KG in this locker room and for every single player in this locker room. We know that's the way, how we win games. Whatever it is, whether it's catching the ball, whether it's blocking. We know when KG's out there, he'll give it his all. And that's all we can ask him.

Q: If he does come back and play like you think he should or he thinks he should, how much could that take this offense to a different level?

A: At the end of the day if you have anybody that comes out and plays at a high level, it's always going to help the offense, not just KG. Whether it's myself, whether it's Daniel or it's KG. Whoever it is, going out there making plays, it's good for the team. That's what we need to do to come out with a win this week.

Q: Even Dabs (Head Coach Brian Daboll) has said, you're facing stacked boxes all the time. A big play receiver would theoretically help you out quite a bit, no?

A: I don't know. I mean, I don't look at it that way. I take the mindset that I've just got to be the best player I can be for this team. It might sound arrogant or confident, (but) I want that. I want to be the guy that teams want to stop. You've got to take pride in that, especially as a running back or the type of running back that I think I am. Like I said, not just only KG. Every single one of us needs to step up. I guess going back to your question, yes, it's the second half of the season. We started off really good and we've got to continue to keep it going. All of us need to step up and take it to another level.

Q: When you see the safeties up, I would imagine the antenna goes up. It's the idea of this is a big play possibility here if you have the right call. Has that developed over the seasons where you kind of recognize that even more so when you break the huddle, and you can see that this is what's coming?

A: Yeah, I've always had that confidence that every time I touch the ball, I'm going to score. But when I was a rookie, it was more like I'm going to score just because I think I'm going to make everyone miss, and I'm going to do this. But now it's more of like just understanding the game, seeing the rotations, seeing who's down, knowing the blocking scheme, knowing who's my guy to beat. When you have that, when you're able to identify defense like that, it just puts you in the right position to be more successful in the run game.
Way Too Many Questions About Beckham  
Trainmaster : 11/11/2022 7:30 pm : link
That ship has sailed.

I agree with others that say Beckham will want more money than the Giants can afford and likely wants to play with a more likely Super Bowl team than the Giants or a team with future HOF QB.

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