To Ralph Vachiano
FOX Sports NFC East Writer
Squon Berkeley was prominent for giants On Sunday, he showed everyone that he may indeed have returned to his original form.
And the Giants can’t keep asking him for it.
The truth is, Barkley needs help if the Giants are to ride on the momentum of Sunday’s dramatic 21-20 victory in Tennessee. He needs Robin to Batman, or at least Ant-Man to Thor. And unfortunately, the Giants’ roster just doesn’t have enough players to help him out consistently.
Saquon Barkley sparks Giants’ comeback victory
Running back Sakwon Barkley had a big day on Sunday, totaling 194 yards and a touchdown in the Giants’ 21-20 win over the Titans.
But they have it. And it’s a thing of the past for new coach Brian Daball to get him out of the kennel, and when the 1-0 Giants return to the Meadowlands to take on the Carolina Panthers this Sunday, the new administration will take his place. It’s time to let second-year wide receiver Kadarius Tony play.
After watching him do little in the season opener, it’s easy to forget that Tony had the Giants’ first-round pick a year ago. he had for years. His rookie season was ruined by injuries, and there were questions about his work ethic and how well he knew his playbook. It has certainly been a very difficult year.
Apparently, this summer has not been so good. Tony again battled injuries and was unable to win against the new coaching staff. He played in just seven snaps.
For an offense that challenges talent like the Giants, this really should be the only one: Tony only touched the ball twice on Sunday. Once, on an end-around he took off 19 yards. He next pulled up to throw a wide-receiver option, but saw coverage, pulled the ball down, ran all the way to the other side of the field and back and somehow nothing made it 4 yards.
Last season, when he was healthy, it reminded me of how he often turned something into something — especially in his breakout game at Dallas, where he led the Cowboys defense with 10 catches and 189 yards. It was like an Energizer Bunny tearing up. Early on, I wondered if Tony had been on the sidelines for so long.
It’s only been one game, but the same questions apply to Daboll now. His best receiver on Sunday was Richie James (5 receptions, 59 yards), and in his first three seasons in the NFL in San Francisco, he recorded 38 catches and last year was Missed due to a knee injury. Veteran sterling His Shepherd made a big play with his catch for a 65-yard touchdown, but he fell out with a torn Achilles tendon at age 29 and was nearly amputated this spring. Kenny Goladay (his two catches for 22 yards) is no excuse for the No. 1 receiver. The Giants provided his 27 snaps to camp star David Sills, who records his two catches in his four years in the league. And now, 5-foot-8-inch rookie Wandale Robinson, who was supposed to be a big part of this offense, is out with a knee injury.
Tony is still sitting.
By the way, no player made an impact like Tony last season or two plays on Sunday afternoon. Only Barkley, who led the Giants with 164 rushing yards and 30 receptions, was the only player to impress.
He can certainly do it all, but he doesn’t have to do it alone.
If Dabor will get Tony out of prison, he won’t have to.
“We played more than seven times for him. [on Sunday] But they weren’t called,” Dabor said on Monday. Kadarius has confidence. Our receiver position is highly competitive and will be evaluated on a weekly basis.”
The idea that Tony’s play “didn’t get called” could be that Dabor insisted that offensive coordinator Mike Kafka call or that Tony was more involved in the game plan that week. Clearly, this is more than just a “competitive situation”, it’s a “personnel group” which is how Davor tried to explain Tony’s lack of playing time after the game. It has nothing to do with
This was a deliberate choice for reasons Daboll chose not to publish. That’s fine, except his stubbornness keeps him off the field in what could be the Giants’ best weapon in the passing game.
And this Giants team can’t afford to stubbornly waste such talent.
Asked about Tony after the game, Dabor replied, “Let’s see what happens.” “We do whatever we think we have to do that week. We find ways to get him in the game. Inactive people may be different, and we make those decisions because it depends on everything leading up to it.”
It’s a salad of coach words that leaves nothing to be desired. It sounds like he’s talking about his fifth receiver, but he might be the most talented player on the team outside of Barkley.He’s not a first-round pick.
The Giants have access to players like Tony as they head into a three-game homestand against three foes: the Panthers, the Cowboys without Dak Prescott, and the Bears over the next three weeks. With a little more juice added to the Giants’ offense, there’s no reason they can’t get through that stretch he’s 2-2 or even 3-1.
Tony has that kind of juice. When he is part of the action, he is lightning. He and Barkley could be a very dynamic attacking duo.
There’s only one way the Giants really find out. So it’s time for Davor to unleash him, free him from the sidelines, and give Tony a chance to show what he’s capable of.
Ralph Vacchiano is FOX Sports’ NFC East reporter covering the Washington Commanders, Philadelphia Eagles and New York Giants. He covered the Giants and Jets on his SNY TV in New York for the past six years, and before that, the New York Daily he covered the Giants on the news and he covered the NFL for 16 years.you can find him on twitter @RalphVacchiano.
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