EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — The Saquon Barkley Show is coming back to MetLife Stadium and it could be the most anticipated game on the New York Giants' schedule.
The fact that the Philadelphia Eagles (3-2) are at the Meadowlands to face the Giants (2-4) in this heated New Jersey Turnpike rivalry game is not as important.
Barkley is back. The face of the Giants since being drafted No. 2 overall in 2018 and becoming the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year, the star running back is now an Eagle. He signed a three-year, $37.5 million contract in March and this will be his first game against his former teammates.
Barkley wants to treat this like any other game, but he realizes it's not.
“It’s more like the balance of how I want to attack it," he said. "I want to be locked in and focused. No one is making more of what it’s not. I’ve done that before. I didn’t like the outcome of that. It’s going to be a fun environment. It’s football. I love being a part of stuff like that. Especially being part of the history of these two teams going against each other, especially in this division.”
The emotions are similar for the Giants, who are 0-3 at home and need a win to tighten up the NFC East race.
Quarterback Daniel Jones said he has not texted Barkley so far this week. Inside linebacker Micah McFadden was looking forward to finally getting a chance to hit Barkley. While defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence has long joked about hitting Barkley, he said it would be nothing new. Former coach Joe Judge allowed his No. 1 offense and defense go at it at times in practice.
“I’ve been against other guys that were here and then went somewhere else,” Lawrence said. “At the end of the day, to me, it’s football. You’ve got to beat whoever is in front of you and this week it’s the Eagles. That’s the game plan. I’m excited to compete against Saquon for a full game. Just put my will on him a little bit.”
No matter who has the ball, watch the left tackles.
Jordan Mailata of the Eagles will miss the game with a hamstring injury and Andrew Thomas of the Giants sustained a foot injury on Sunday that required season-ending surgery.
Both teams will be using replacements, so expect the defenses to test them out. Both coaches have options for left tackle and neither is likely to say who is starting until Sunday.
The Eagles wouldn’t mind a field goal, a safety, heck, any kind of score in the first quarter.
The Eagles haven’t scored in the opening quarter this season, a dubious achievement they last reached in 1934, when they went scoreless in the first quarter of their first seven games.
“If there was something magic, we would be doing it,” coach Nick Sirianni said. “We’ve got to put the guys in positions to succeed. We’ve got to be ready, and the guys have to go out and execute.”
Sirianni said he learned a lesson after his sideline outburst toward Eagles fans last weekend.
“I think you always have to be your authentic self. But maybe your authentic self is only for your players and in the building,” he said. “There is a time and place for that.”
Sirianni gestured and jawed at fans in the final moments of a win over Cleveland. Restless fans booed a listless performance and “Fire Nick!” chants could be heard at Lincoln Financial Field.
He apologized for his trash talk the next day.
The Giants lead the NFL with 26 sacks, four more than the Denver Broncos and six more than the Jets and the Minnesota Vikings (who have played five games).
New York had 34 sacks all of last season. The Giants' total through six games is the highest since they had 30 in 1985, when Lawrence Taylor was the star of a fearsome defense under coach Bill Parcells and coordinator Bill Belichick.
Lawrence leads this year's team with seven sacks and is tied with Will McDonald of the Jets for second in the league. Detroit’s Aidan Hutchinson has 7 1/2, but he broke his leg Sunday and is out for the season.
The Giants' Greg Joseph missed field goal attempts of 45 and 47 yards in Monday night's loss to Cincinnati. The first one would have tied the game early in the fourth quarter and the second would have kept New York in the game in the final minute of a 17-7 loss.
The Eagles' Jake Elliott is 6 of 8 on field goal attempts with his only misses from 50 yards or more. He hit from 49 and 44 yards last weekend and had a 57-yarder blocked.
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AP Sports Writer Dan Gelston contributed to this report.
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