When looking at Saquon Barkley, you have to be extra-intrigued by the offense he's going to. That's because in New York he'll be joining a team that loved to throw to its running backs a year ago, while simultaneously being the league's worst team at getting quality performance out of those receiving backs.
New York has a new coaching staff, of course, but it's the same veteran quarterback who'd prefer getting the ball out of his hands and into the hands of a running back rather than absorbing a sack. Last year only five teams completed more passes to running backs than the Giants.
PASS COMPLETIONS TO RUNNING BACKS, 2017 | |||
---|---|---|---|
Team | No | Yds | TD |
New Orleans | 143 | 1254 | 6 |
New England | 120 | 919 | 9 |
San Francisco | 113 | 845 | 2 |
Baltimore | 113 | 690 | 4 |
Cleveland | 109 | 923 | 3 |
NY Giants | 105 | 608 | 1 |
Chicago | 98 | 731 | 3 |
Jacksonville | 96 | 785 | 3 |
Buffalo | 96 | 665 | 2 |
Carolina | 94 | 752 | 7 |
LA Chargers | 93 | 816 | 7 |
Kansas City | 90 | 683 | 5 |
Pittsburgh | 89 | 670 | 3 |
Denver | 87 | 699 | 2 |
Oakland | 87 | 637 | 2 |
Washington | 86 | 885 | 6 |
NY Jets | 86 | 709 | 2 |
Arizona | 84 | 737 | 0 |
Minnesota | 84 | 682 | 2 |
Detroit | 82 | 634 | 3 |
Cincinnati | 81 | 750 | 2 |
Seattle | 79 | 749 | 3 |
LA Rams | 74 | 842 | 6 |
Miami | 70 | 491 | 2 |
Tampa Bay | 69 | 521 | 1 |
Atlanta | 68 | 650 | 4 |
Green Bay | 68 | 499 | 3 |
Houston | 67 | 605 | 3 |
Indianapolis | 62 | 542 | 2 |
Dallas | 57 | 542 | 3 |
Philadelphia | 53 | 496 | 4 |
Tennessee | 50 | 402 | 2 |
On the other hand, no team in the league did less with those receptions than the Giants. New York averaged a league-worst 5.8 yards per reception by running backs, and its longest catch went for a league-low 20 yards. New York had only 1 TD catch by a running back, fewer than everyone but the Cardinals and Bucs.
YARDS PER RECEPTION BY RUNNING BACKS, 2017 | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Team | No | Yds | Avg | Lg |
LA Rams | 74 | 842 | 11.4 | 80t |
Washington | 86 | 885 | 10.3 | 36t |
Atlanta | 68 | 650 | 9.6 | 39 |
Dallas | 57 | 542 | 9.5 | 81t |
Seattle | 79 | 749 | 9.5 | 66 |
Philadelphia | 53 | 496 | 9.4 | 32 |
Cincinnati | 81 | 750 | 9.3 | 67 |
Houston | 67 | 605 | 9.0 | 34 |
LA Chargers | 93 | 816 | 8.8 | 49 |
Arizona | 84 | 737 | 8.8 | 25 |
New Orleans | 143 | 1254 | 8.8 | 54 |
Indianapolis | 62 | 542 | 8.7 | 34 |
Cleveland | 109 | 923 | 8.5 | 41t |
NY Jets | 86 | 709 | 8.2 | 38 |
Jacksonville | 96 | 785 | 8.2 | 29 |
Minnesota | 84 | 682 | 8.1 | 41 |
Tennessee | 50 | 402 | 8.0 | 66t |
Denver | 87 | 699 | 8.0 | 29t |
Carolina | 94 | 752 | 8.0 | 37 |
Detroit | 82 | 634 | 7.7 | 63 |
New England | 120 | 919 | 7.7 | 27 |
Kansas City | 90 | 683 | 7.6 | 78t |
Tampa Bay | 69 | 521 | 7.6 | 34 |
Pittsburgh | 89 | 670 | 7.5 | 42 |
San Francisco | 113 | 845 | 7.5 | 44 |
Chicago | 98 | 731 | 7.5 | 70 |
Green Bay | 68 | 499 | 7.3 | 54t |
Oakland | 87 | 637 | 7.3 | 39 |
Miami | 70 | 491 | 7.0 | 47 |
Buffalo | 96 | 665 | 6.9 | 39 |
Baltimore | 113 | 690 | 6.1 | 37 |
NY Giants | 105 | 608 | 5.8 | 20 |
The more you look at it, the more certain it appears that Barkley will be busy in New York's backfield, and that the team really needed him.
--Andy Richardson