Saquon Barkley has been facing an ankle injury this week, which caused him to miss practice on Wednesday. Barkley has since returned, but what is his status vs. the Cowboys in Week 15? Will he be available for those all-important fantasy football playoff matchups, and how has Barkley performed so far this season?
Update 12/19/21: Saquon Barkley is officially active and will play today against the Cowboys.
Is Saquon Barkley going to play today vs. the Cowboys?
Barkley returned to limited practice sessions on Thursday and Friday this week and is good to go today against Dallas. Good news for the Giants, who are already missing QB Daniel Jones to a neck injury. Barkley has been fighting to get healthy all season after returning from a torn ACL he suffered in Week 2 last season.
While Barkley’s performances have not quite been what we’ve come to expect from him, the Giants’ offense as a whole hasn’t ticked the way we thought it might before the season. Offensive coordinator Jason Garrett was fired in late November, but the Giants continue to struggle to find their identity as an offense.
How has Barkley performed so far this season?
Barkley took only 19 snaps in 2020 before he tore his ACL, ending his season prematurely. Returning in 2021, it’s been a process for him to begin to trust that knee again and get himself back to full game speed. Barkley averaged 4.8 yards per carry on average across his first two seasons, but so far this year, that number is down to 3.8. He only has 2 touchdowns on the ground, with another 2 in the passing game.
The concern is that Barkley doesn’t quite look like the same player he was in the explosive days at Penn State and his early days in New York. He hasn’t scored a rushing touchdown since Week 4 and is lacking a little burst. With that said, the offensive line is playing badly, and the holes are not there for Barkley to hit. The offense is not ticking at all, and perhaps Barkley’s output is a product of those struggles.
Barkley is averaging just over 42 yards per game rushing so far this season, but encouraging signs came against the Chargers. I’d argue that it was his best game of the season so far — he managed 60 yards on the ground and looked to be more effective.
With only three games left of the regular season, and the Giants unlikely to make the playoffs, Barkley can use the remaining game time to continue rehabbing himself to full game speed. The ambition then will be to become a centerpiece for the Giants’ offense as they rebuild their identity and try to discover who they will be on that side of the ball.