Saquon Barkley is entering the New York Giants Week 8 matchup against the New York Jets with an added chip on his shoulder. While he is looking to help lead the Giants to victory, Barkley also wants to reverse some bad personal history.
The running back has faced the Jets just one time in his career, back in 2019. He gained just one yard on 13 carries in a game New York would lose 34-27. Barkley said that that game still weighs heavily and that even his brother gives him a hard time about it. In Week 8, Barkley is looking to leave a lasting Jets memory that won't get him laughed at, via Pat Leonard of the New York Daily News.
“It's New York Giants vs. New York Jets. There's definitely a little more something to the game and I felt that the last time I played in it and we ended up losing a really close game. You could feel the atmosphere of the fans that were there.”
“At the end of the day all you want to do is win and that's our goal, to do what we can, compete and come out with a win,” Barkley continued. “It's going to be a challenge because they're a really good team.”
New York's run defense has taken a bit of a hit through the first half of the season. The Jets rank 26th in the league, allowing 135.2 yards per game. Barkley is going to try to exploit the run game and put the Giants in a position to score.
Heading into the Week 8 battle, Saquon Barkley has run for 284 yards and a touchdown. After embarrassing himself last time, Barkley isn't going to let the bright lights of a New York clash get to him again.