Barkley and plays at key moments in games

[Ed Vette]

What exactly does this mean?

You've never heard this term before? It means that instead of risking injury to his body where he may be a FA next season, he holds up. Adoree did it when he missed tackling opportunities that resulted in a TD. McKinney did it earlier in the year. Like I said, in his case, I'm not sure but last season when in a short-yardage situation, he had that extra effort. 

[Leek21]

Is it me, or does Barkley seem to come up short in critical situations?   I know it's a bit of a simplification, but great players come up big in big situations.  Yet, I seem to remember more failed plays in key moments with Barkley than I remember successful ones.

Do I remember things correctly?

When the game is on the line Barkley is the man you want getting the ball.  Problem is every DC knows that, so either give it to him or use him as decoy.

Nobody on the Giants is more clutch.

[Rosehill Jimmy]

Barkley is basically not a good receiving running back. He never was. despite this Daboll and Kafka insist on him trying to get in open space with a safe little screen pass and hope Barkley jukes somebody. It never works but, rather than grow a pair and look to a more vertical threat will Hyatt Waller and Robinson and Slayton.

His rookie year he caught 91 passes for nearly 800 yards and over 50 receptions two other years. Disagree with the statement that he never was a good receiving back

[Ed Vette]

Does anyone think Barkley has the same athletic ability and speed he had his rookie season?

[PSUBeirut]

Does anyone think Barkley has the same athletic ability and speed he had his rookie season?

Definitely not, sadly.  Injuries took a generational type talent and prospect and made him just a very good RB.  If he had stayed healthy he'd still be breaking records.

[DaveBrown74]

Definitely not, sadly.  Injuries took a generational type talent and prospect and made him just a very good RB.  If he had stayed healthy he'd still be breaking records.

Assume Barkley had had much better luck/results on the health front. What RB (present day or past) do you think his career might have resembled?

I don't mean precise stats or anything annoyingly pedantic like that but just off the top of your head what names come to mind? I'm curious how great a career you think he would have had.

[PSUBeirut]

Assume Barkley had had much better luck/results on the health front. What RB (present day or past) do you think his career might have resembled?

I don't mean precise stats or anything annoyingly pedantic like that but just off the top of your head what names come to mind? I'm curious how great a career you think he would have had.

Sure...Marshall Faulk, Tiki Barber, Thurman Thomas....  name any great all-purpose RB and I definitely think he would have stacked up if he had stayed healthy.

[DaveBrown74]

Sure...Marshall Faulk, Tiki Barber, Thurman Thomas....  name any great all-purpose RB and I definitely think he would have stacked up if he had stayed healthy.

Yep, makes sense. What he did in 2018 was pretty spectacular. If he had 6-7 years of that type of production with minima to mild at worst injury disruption I could see that. Of course, Tiki's best years were towards the back end of his career, whereas Saquon was sick right from the jump. I was thinking of names like Tomlinson and possibly Faulk. Thomas is a good one too that I hadn't thought of.

Interestingly on Thomas, just as a side point and something I noticed: that guy played forever (until age 34), but you can see in the numbers that his pop started to decline after about age 27 or so. His totals were still solid for a while after that, but he went from being a 4.8/4.9 YPC guy to a 3.8ish guy by the mid 90s and onwards. I'm sure it can be demonstrated that the Bills' O line aged out around then, plus Kelly was in his twilight years then too, but it is another example of the many backs whose burst begins to decline noticeably around this age. Tiki was a major exception. Curtis Martin was another. There aren't that many like that.

[TDToomer]

You've never heard this term before? It means that instead of risking injury to his body where he may be a FA next season, he holds up. Adoree did it when he missed tackling opportunities that resulted in a TD. McKinney did it earlier in the year. Like I said, in his case, I'm not sure but last season when in a short-yardage situation, he had that extra effort. 

No I haven't. I am not sure of his FA status has anything to do with missed tackling. If anything he cost himself money as every team looking for a CB will see that he can't or won't tackle. The entire secondary has a tackling problem which is why I think it is coaching problem. Possibly to avoid roughing penalties or like you suggested injuries.

[AZGiantFan]

His rookie year he caught 91 passes for nearly 800 yards and over 50 receptions two other years. Disagree with the statement that he never was a good receiving back

Then the DCs of the league sussed him out and limited his production. 

[BluesCruz]

Then the DCs of the league sussed him out and limited his production. 

Why does this special attention not affect other players like Tiki, Jim Brown, Faulk, Riggins, and on and on and on

Barkley was not a legit #2 pick in the draft.  Gettleman has having as they say in the AI world "Hallucinations"

He is a mid level back with poor receiver and blocking skills.  He needs a belly catch to secure the ball and Ive seen him miss those incredibly.

The endless attempts to justify Barkley have cost us dearly. Especially when it comes to short yardage and 1st and 2nd down yardage.  We are constantly facing 3rd and long and wearing out the Scottish Hammer.  We are 2nd only to the Jets with 90 punts this season.  Barkley should be in a RB rotation not taking 90 percent of the snaps

90 punts 90 sacks taken, 90 percent Barkley. Bad combination

[uconnjack8]

Why does this special attention not affect other players like Tiki, Jim Brown, Faulk, Riggins, and on and on and on

Barkley was not a legit #2 pick in the draft.  Gettleman has having as they say in the AI world "Hallucinations"

He is a mid level back with poor receiver and blocking skills.  He needs a belly catch to secure the ball and Ive seen him miss those incredibly.

The endless attempts to justify Barkley have cost us dearly. Especially when it comes to short yardage and 1st and 2nd down yardage.  We are constantly facing 3rd and long and wearing out the Scottish Hammer.  We are 2nd only to the Jets with 90 punts this season.  Barkley should be in a RB rotation not taking 90 percent of the snaps

90 punts 90 sacks taken, 90 percent Barkley. Bad combination

The guys in bold had a lot more around them to take the heat off than Barkley does.  Jim Brown was just a beast and the basically the best player at his position ever.  The Lawrence Taylor of RBs if you will.

Tiki had, Eli, Shockey, Toomer to name a few and don't forget the OL was just a tad better than today's version.  Barkley has had no passing game to worry opposing defenses at all and one of the worst OLs for several years.  Faulk was part of the greatest show on turf.  Riggins wasn't all that good until later in his career when he had Theisman Art Monk and the hogs.

[BluesCruz]

The guys in bold had a lot more around them to take the heat off than Barkley does.  Jim Brown was just a beast and the basically the best player at his position ever.  The Lawrence Taylor of RBs if you will.

Tiki had, Eli, Shockey, Toomer to name a few and don't forget the OL was just a tad better than today's version.  Barkley has had no passing game to worry opposing defenses at all and one of the worst OLs for several years.  Faulk was part of the greatest show on turf.  Riggins wasn't all that good until later in his career when he had Theisman Art Monk and the hogs.

Sorry I cannot make excuses for the guy anymore
Enough, DONE, cut him free

[Fletch]

His rookie year he caught 91 passes for nearly 800 yards and over 50 receptions two other years. Disagree with the statement that he never was a good receiving back

His rookie season he was playing with a hall of fame QB or just under that. Enough said.

[Woody]

Is it me, or does Barkley seem to come up short in critical situations?  I know it's a bit of a simplification, but great players come up big in big situations.  Yet, I seem to remember more failed plays in key moments with Barkley than I remember successful ones.

Do I remember things correctly?

I agree and brought this issue up a while ago. Jets game    Giants going in to clinch game with a touchdown and for some reason on third down Barkley, with little time left, goes down on his own before the first down marker on about the 5 yard line..what ! I think Giants missed FG and Jets go length of field to win . If he gets first down they run out the clock ...!!! last year going out of bounds in Baltimore game and stops the clock with little time left giving the ball back to Ravens ....ran out a couple of other times as well. know there are others but ....really ?