The season-opener against a longtime rival with hopeful Super Bowl aspirations went about how New York Giants fans expected. Despite a thorough and largely-expected 35-17 beatdown at hand of the Dallas Cowboys in Week 1, though, Saquon Barkley has a message to Giants faithful ahead of Sunday's game against the Buffalo Bills.
Speaking with reporters on Thursday, the superstar running back urged New York fans against panicking in wake of another dispiriting loss.
“Don't panic,” Barkley said, per ESPN's Jordan Ranaan.
The sophomore was a rare bright spot for the Giants against the Cowboys. Despite facing a defense geared to stop him, Barkley racked up 120 rushing yards and on just 11 carries on Sunday, and also caught four passes for 19 yards. He provided one of the most impressive individual displays in football during Week 1, too, patiently waiting for a hole to open on his first carry of the season then racing past Cowboys defensive backs before being pushed out of bounds following a 59-yard gain.
Barkley's success certainly wasn't surprising following one of the most impressive rookie campaigns in recent memory. The No. 2 overall pick of last year's draft lived up to that status in his NFL debut, rushing for 1,307 yards and 11 touchdowns while averaging 5.0 yards per carry and hauling in 91 catches for an additional 721 yards and four scores. Not only did Barkley win Rookie of the Year and earn a Pro Bowl nod, but he led all skill players in yards from scrimmage with 2,028, too.
The Bills' defense is one of the best in the league. If his career to date is any indication, though, expect Barkley to continue putting up big numbers in Week 2.
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