Meanwhile in LA

[MightyGiants]

I'm not sure why you are surprised; the advanced stats backed up that loss of speed.  Now this year Barkley once again among the top 10 (multiple times) for fastest runs this season in MPH

[Ed Vette]

I'm not sure why you are surprised; the advanced stats backed up that loss of speed.  Now this year Barkley once again among the top 10 (multiple times) for fastest runs this season in MPH

Or he played not to get hurt last year and was hampered by a bad Offensive Line.

[MightyGiants]

Or he played not to get hurt last year and was hampered by a bad Offensive Line.

When I said he wasn't running as fast, I was talking about longer runs where defenders were routinely catching him from behind, which isn't a function of the line.  Possible he wasn't running as fast as possible to protect himself but injury, but that opens another can of worms

[andrew_nyGiants]

Addressing the assertion that John Mara was correct in wanting to keep Saquon:

I wanted to sign him to a long term deal and franchise Jones.

Instead Mara wanted Jones signed to the extension which ruled out Barkley having his extension here unless of course you wanted to limit the other players of need, specifically at CB, LB, DL and OL.

Mara said during Hard Knocks that he was going to have a really hard time sleeping at night if Barkley ended up on the Eagles because he's so damn popular!

Does that sound like an owner worried about X's and O's? It sounds like he was looking for other ways to fill seats other than winning to me.


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[uconnjack8]

Didn't he have a lingering ankle injury last year?

Or he played not to get hurt last year and was hampered by a bad Offensive Line.

They showed a stat last night that he is getting 2.6 yards past the LOS before contact this year, 3rd best in the NFL.  Last year it was 1.5 yards.  I think not getting hit behind the LOS by 330 pound DTs probably helps maintain his motor.

Also, I could be wrong, but it looks like he may have dropped a few pounds and is playing at a lighter weight.  Regardless, physically he was fine when he left he Giants, it just wasn't easy to see.

[MightyGiants]

Addressing the assertion that John Mara was correct in wanting to keep Saquon:

I wanted to sign him to a long term deal and franchise Jones.

Instead Mara wanted Jones signed to the extension which ruled out Barkley having his extension here unless of course you wanted to limit the other players of need, specifically at CB, LB, DL and OL.

Mara said during Hard Knocks that he was going to have a really hard time sleeping at night if Barkley ended up on the Eagles because he's so damn popular!

Does that sound like an owner worried about X's and O's? It sounds like he was looking for other ways to fill seats other than winning to me.


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Andrew,

I agree with what you're saying.  I will say, though, that I am a firm believer in filling your role and staying in your lane.  In other words, it's Schoen and Daboll advocating for maxed-out wins.  While the owner shares that desire, the owner needs to be the advocate for maximizing profits, which allows the team to finance the various moves that need to be made.

[Ed Vette]

Didn't he have a lingering ankle injury last year?

They showed a stat last night that he is getting 2.6 yards past the LOS before contact this year, 3rd best in the NFL.  Last year it was 1.5 yards.  I think not getting hit behind the LOS by 330 pound DTs probably helps maintain his motor.

Also, I could be wrong, but it looks like he may have dropped a few pounds and is playing at a lighter weight.  Regardless, physically he was fine when he left he Giants, it just wasn't easy to see.

Agreed.

[MightyGiants]

Didn't he have a lingering ankle injury last year?

They showed a stat last night that he is getting 2.6 yards past the LOS before contact this year, 3rd best in the NFL.  Last year it was 1.5 yards.  I think not getting hit behind the LOS by 330 pound DTs probably helps maintain his motor.

Also, I could be wrong, but it looks like he may have dropped a few pounds and is playing at a lighter weight.  Regardless, physically he was fine when he left he Giants, it just wasn't easy to see.

Matt,

Those are good points.  Plus, the Eagles' medical staff has also been able to keep Barkley healthy, which is something the Giants could never do

[kingm56]

Or he played not to get hurt last year and was hampered by a bad Offensive Line.

The data supports your suppostion, Ed:

2019: Barkley reportedly reached a top speed of 21.89 mph during his 68-yard touchdown run against the Washington Commanders in Week 16. This was one of the fastest plays of his career.

2020: Due to an ACL injury early in the season, Barkley did not record any notable top speeds.

2021: Returning from injury, his highest speed noted was 20.88 mph, achieved on a long touchdown against the Saints.

2022: Barkley reached a top speed of 21.11 mph during his 36-yard run against the Jaguars.

2023: Barkley's top speed was 20.78 mph

2024: Barkley reached 21.93 mph last night.

His top speed range has been fairly consistent across his career.

[MightyGiants]

2023: Barkley's top speed was 20.78 mph

2024: Barkley reached 21.93 mph last night.

Matt,

Thanks for providing the data which I needed to prove my point.  Almost unheard of for a running back Barkley's age (and injury history) to boost his top speed by over 1.1 miles an hour.

[Ed Vette]

The data supports your suppostion, Ed:

2019: Barkley reportedly reached a top speed of 21.89 mph during his 68-yard touchdown run against the Washington Commanders in Week 16. This was one of the fastest plays of his career.

2020: Due to an ACL injury early in the season, Barkley did not record any notable top speeds.

2021: Returning from injury, his highest speed noted was 20.88 mph, achieved on a long touchdown against the Saints.

2022: Barkley reached a top speed of 21.11 mph during his 36-yard run against the Jaguars.

2023: Barkley's top speed was 20.78 mph

2024: Barkley reached 21.93 mph last night.

His top speed range has been fairly consistent across his career.

It also depends on who's chasing you and the distance. Put a grizzly bear on his tail, and he breaks the 22 barrier.

[andrew_nyGiants]

Rich, that is a very interesting POV. I get where that could indeed be the case.

I will always assert that Mara's insistence on taking care of Daniel who BTW wasn't selling any tickets on his own, is what ruined the opportunity to keep this rebuild on schedule.

In part by building around Barkley NOT as a RB but as an offensive weapon!


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[kingm56]

It also depends on who's chasing you and the distance. Put a grizzly bear on his tail, and he breaks the 22 barrier.

LOL.  Regardless, you're correct in your assertion; his dip in 2023 is exactly on par with 2021, both impacted by injuries.  His chart is remarkably symmetrical. 

[TONKA56]

I think the larger point is that Barkly looked washed up last year; he was slower than he used to be (and the stats support what was seen on the field.  Barkley looked like, at best, one of the better running backs in the league.  Barkley leaves the Giants, and suddenly, he is playing at a level so great they are talking about him being a viable MVP candidate.

That speaks volumes about the dysfunction of a team.  It's not even isolated to Barkley.  We saw a similar resurgence from players like McKinney, Love, and even Feliciano.  That sort of pattern is a strong indicator the Giants are failing to get the most out of the talent they get and failing to properly evaluate the talent they have.

100%

[Doc16LT56]

Matt,

Thanks for providing the data which I needed to prove my point.  Almost unheard of for a running back Barkley's age (and injury history) to boost his top speed by over 1.1 miles an hour.

That's a HUGE increase. It's also a significant increase from 2022. I agree that the data confirms he's back to his rookie speed. We'll see if it lasts but it's impressive right now.