Saquon Barkley’s competition for a rushing title he wants
Saquon Barkley’s recent rushing surge vaulted him into third place on the NFL’s leading rusher list. His 1,124 yards puts him in hailing distance of Ezekiel Elliott (1,262) and Todd Gurley (1,203).
“It’s an honor to be up there, but at the end of the day that doesn’t really matter, it matters how many wins you get and we got to figure out how to continue to get those wins,” Barkley said.
It does matter to Barkley, though, as he admitted a rushing title is a goal.
“I want to be great,” said Barkley, who is averaging more yards per attempt (5.4 yards) than Elliott (4.7) and Gurley (4.9). “I want to go down as one of the best. That’s not gonna just happen in one day. You’re gonna have to work for it and obviously with the help of your teammates. If I don’t get it this year, I’m gonna get it at some point, I promise you.”
This is the quiet confidence Barkley brings to the locker room and onto the field. He is humble, but not unaware of his talent and his impact. He is 138 yards behind Elliott, but Barkley is on a tear, having run for 142, 101, 125 and 170 yards in his last four games. At that pace, he could overtake Elliott and Gurley and claim the rushing title as a rookie.
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“If it’s a big deal to him, it’s a big deal to us,” rookie guard Will Hernandez told The Post. “That’s our No. 1 priority, make sure these guys are successful in whatever they do, whether it’s catching the ball, getting the balls thrown and running the ball, that’s our job. We want to make sure these guys get to where they want to get. We’re gonna give them 100 percent of us.”
Barkley went over 1,000 yards on his remarkable 78-yard touchdown sprint at FedEx Field, becoming the first Giants rookie to ever surpass the 1,000-yard rushing mark as he ran the Giants past the Redskins 40-16.
“It’s big because even though my name might go in the record book, it’s not by myself. It’s the offensive line play and the guys in the running back room, from active to practice squad to IR, all those guys have been tremendous help to me,” Barkley said. “We got that record as a whole.”
