Saquon Barkley's career has been rather up-and-down so far. There was a time when the New York Giants running back was one of the best players in the league. The Big Apple loved his ability to tear through defenses methodically. As teams adapted to his style, though (as well as injuries), Barkley's status in NY has waned over the years.

On Thursday, Barkley fired back at critics of his playing style. The Giants running back slammed critics who he said “didn't play running back” that were saying that his shifty style was not good. (via Connor Hughes)

The traditional running back style of play often revolved around running into windows opened up by your offensive line to burst through. Barkley, however, adapts a different style, where he's more willing to go laterally to try and find a better opening to go through. This style has given the Giants some big plays back when he was healthy. When it isn't working, though, it can be a bit infuriating for fans to watch.

The Giants have failed to find any semblance of success in the last few years. Their tenure under Joe Judge was disastrous, marred by both injuries and bad coaching from the team. Barkley had his worst season by a mile last year, totaling only around 600 yards after going for 1000 yards in his first two seasons prior to injury.

With a new promising coach at the helm, can the Giants finally turn around their fortunes this year? They have a lot of promising rookies in the fold, but the biggest questions are with the incumbent veterans of the squad.