Still bothered by previous matchup, Giants’ Saquon Barkley excited for another opportunity against rival Jets
The last time the Giants and Jets matched up during the regular season was back in Week 10 of the 2019 campaign.
Both teams were struggling mightily at the time, but that didn’t matter in this rivalry matchup. Quarterback Sam Darnold threw for 230 yards and Gang Green scored 13 unanswered second-half points to secure a 34-27 win.
Leading the charge was a talented Jets defense, which limited Giants running back Saquon Barkley to just one rushing yard on 13 attempts and five catches for 30 receiving yards on the afternoon.
It was one of Barkley’s worst games to date, which still bothers him heading into Sunday's matchup.
“I didn’t have too great of a game the last time we played a few years ago, that’s still on my mind,” he said. “At the time, that was probably one of the lowest moments I had in my career, but you learn from it.
“That’s in the past, it’s a new team, I’m excited for the opportunity to go against that team. I know some guys over there and how competitive they are and how challenging they are on the defensive side of the ball, it’s going to be fun.”
Gang Green’s defense is one of the top units in football yet again this season, and it’s a big reason their season hasn’t completely flopped after the potentially season-ending injury Aaron Rodgers suffered in Week 1.
After a bit of a rough start, they’ve heated up, having won back-to-back games, including a victory over the undefeated Philadelphia Eagles. They now sit at 3-3, which is good enough to be just 1.5 games out of the top spot in the AFC East.
The Giants, of course, have been struggling this season but are coming off a home win of their own. Behind their defense and a healthy Barkley, they took down the Commanders to snap their losing streak at four games.
In just his second game back from an ankle injury, the star running back carried the ball 21 times for 77 yards. He also hauled in three receptions for 41 yards and what ended up being the game-winning touchdown.
Saquon’s feeling healthy heading into this rivalry game, and while he knows it’s going to be a tall task to keep the winning ways going, he’s looking forward to the challenge of facing the team he grew up rooting for.
“These are the types of games you want to be part of,” he said. “They play fast, physical, fly to the ball, and create turnovers. All three levels have talented players, their playing really well, it’s going to be a tough challenge.
“There’s definitely a little more something to the game, but at the end of the day all you want to do is win, that’s our goal. We’re going to come out here and do what we can to compete at a high level and keep this winning streak going, but it’s going to be a tough challenge.”
