Running Back Saquon Barkley
Q: How do you feel health wise.
A: Pretty good. Came out of the game pretty well. I'm obviously disappointed in the outcome but should be good.
Q: How limited were you? Were you limited at all?
A: I wasn't limited. I think it was part of just the game plan. Obviously, we got down. I know that we were willing to get the rotation going and (Giants RBs) Gary (Brightwell) and (Matt) Breida went in there and did a good job too. But for me, obviously everyone knows my neck—kind of tweaked it or whatever in practice earlier the week—was limited all week but was able to pass the tests and was able to get out there.
Q: Did you have to fight your way into the lineup? Did they talk about holding you out and you said no, I want in?
A: It kind of was up to the last minute with the neck and the only thing I did was just continue to rehab it all week and trust the doctors, trust the trainers and they kept telling me if it keeps getting better, I'll get a shot and get a chance. Woke up this morning and I felt like I was ready to go and the doctor agreed with me I'm good to go.
Q: Does it feel any worse now?
A: No.
Q: It didn't affect you or anything like that?
A: No.
Q: Any doubt you'll be ready for next week? It's a big game next week, any doubt you'll be ready?
A: No doubt.
Q: How's your shoulder? It looks like you took a hard hit.
A: Yeah, someone ran on it, but I think it was flat, so it wasn't like anything crazy. Good run, landed, got four or five yards, came out the game for a play or two, part of the rotation, and that was it.
Q: Is the neck related to the shoulder injury you have been dealing with for much of the season?
A: I wouldn't say that, but you never know. Could be, but I (inaudible). Just talk to the doctors and was able to rehab it all week. Was able to come out here and play.
Q: You guys have lost some games here recently, but not like this. Does this one feel different the way you lost today?
A: Yeah. I mean we got our ass whipped. Point blank. But you can find beauty in everything. I really believe in that, and we've got to double down. We've got to come in, got to prep better, got to practice better. Everything we want is still in front of us. So, we've got a big one next week. Obviously, everyone knows about that, and we've just got to come out ready to play.
Q: Does it tell you anything, this game, about how much more work this organization has to get to that level you want to be at?
A: No, I mean, we have talent. We have talent in the locker room. We put ourselves in a really good position to play meaningful football in December and everything we want is still in front of us. They were the better team today. They got the best of us. They're a heck of a team and they were playing really well, but it's a long season and everything we want is in front of us, so we've got a big one coming this week and we've just got to focus on watching film, put it behind us and get ready for the next game.
Q: What makes you think you have the talent to play with them or beat them after what just happened out there today?
A: That's the NFL. Everyone is talented. Like clearly, they did a really good job today. Like I said, they whipped our ass, but the reason why I believe is because, one, I know the talent and I know the men we have in our locker room and I know the hard work that they put in, the prep that we put in and we're going through a rough patch right now. We're not playing well and that's it, that's on us. We've got to play better, but we've showed what we can do. We played against some really good teams early in the season and we beat some really good teams and that's the reason why we're in this position to be able to put ourselves in the tournament, put ourselves where everyone's goal is to be in the playoffs and play meaningful games in December and if we weren't talented and we weren't a good team, you know we wouldn't be in this situation and we are. So now we've got to double down, continue to believe in each other and it starts with all of us. It starts with myself, it starts with the leaders, and get ready to come out this week and get ready for a big game.
Q: Were your snaps limited today or could you have played more than that if the game was close?
A: I could have played more than that.
Q: I would say every game is important, but was there any thought of you not being 100% for next week's game and to sit out today?
A: Not in my mind. Every game is important. I was ready. I was ready to go, but obviously the game plan and just the way the game played out, that wasn't the case.
Q: Were you the one who wanted to sit? Coaches tell you to sit? It looked like you wanted to come in that one series in the third and from there you didn't play.
A: Kind of, Coach (Brian Daboll) kind of told me go with GB (Gary Brightwell) and (Matt) Breida. And I just tried to be a good teammate and be supportive. I mean, that's really what it is. I really don't know what the balance is like. If I don't play enough, I've got to answer the questions; if I play too much, I've got to answer those questions. I'm not really directly coming at you, but, I mean, I don't know what you guys really want from me with the answers on that. But it was part of the game plan. Obviously, I would have loved to play a lot more. The reason why I didn't play as much was not because of my neck. The Eagles played great. We got our ass whipped. We've just got to do better as a team, and it starts with the leaders and it starts with myself.
Q: Last week you played Washington, next week you play Washington. Have you ever played a team that close together and does it help or hinder your preparation?
A: No, never. I don't think it hinders it. It's part of it. We didn't make the schedule, the schedule is made that way. Can't make any excuses. We've just got to go. We've got to be ready. That's all it is. We've got to do the little things better. We've got to double down on every single thing that if we want to accomplish what we want to accomplish and all of our goals are still in front of us, we've just got to come out. It's a big week. Every week's a big week and it's getting deep in the season and we've got to continue to get healthy, trust the system, trust each other and the rest will play out how we want it if we do that.
Q: Why do you think the team has had this rough patch? Why do you think that's happened?
A: I mean every team kind of goes through adversity as well. Most teams go through adversity throughout the season. And we haven't, what are we the last 1-3-1 in the last four or five games or whatever, so that's why I would say call it a rough patch, I guess you want to call it adversity in our season. We started out really hot and now we've got to figure it out and that's life, that's football, that's in anything. That's in my job, in your profession, that's in someone outside's profession. You're going to have your ups and downs, but it's who you are in those moments and what better opportunity after a game getting embarrassed on tv in front of everyone and everyone outside of us is, 'the sky is falling, the sky's falling'. What better opportunity to come in and go against a divisional opponent, go to their home and try to come out with a win.
Q: How did it (the neck injury) happen in practice?
A: Just a regular play. Caught the ball, tagging off, kind of spun out of it, and something just flared in my neck, but, hey, everything happens for a reason. I'm just happy that I'm healthy, I was able to go today. Like I said, I would love to have played more, but I look forward to the next opportunity and I'm probably sure I will have more of a bigger role than this game.
