The turf was wet and a little rainy the night before and Thursday morning, but Saquon Barkley took part and participated in the practice, another sign that he is scheduled to play in the first season on Sunday against the Broncos.
Barkley’s progress since knee surgery has been slow and steady throughout the summer, with no setbacks, and there doesn’t seem to be any blockages along his way to the Giants ’bottom field.
“A lot of confidence in him as a player,” offensive coordinator Jason Garrett said. “I think he’s done a great job of recovering healthy and 100%.”
The Giants have been careful throughout the training camp and preseason not to assign any specific percentage to Barkley’s fitness. That Garrett categorizes Barkley as “100%” is a good sign. That doesn’t mean the Giants will give Barkley a full charge against the Broncos, as he is expected to be on an instant count limit.
“We have a lot of confidence in the guys we have, but obviously Saquon is a special player,” Garrett said. “He’ll definitely get his chances.”
As head coach of the Cowboys, Garrett faced Barkley four times and Barkley broke 100 running yards in two of them. In one game, Barkley had 14 receptions. The Giants lost all four games.
“Trust me, I was on the other side with this guy, and he’s one of those dynamic players, both in the race game and in the passing game,” Garrett said. “He’s one of those players who can make a 3 and 4 yard run and a 2 yard or 1 yard run, and then he grabs a screen and makes 65 yards. We’ve experienced it trying to stop it. It’s great to have him by our side. We will try to give him opportunities. “
The news is not so promising for Evan Engram. He was again kept on the sidelines with a tense calf and there is very little chance he can play in the opening. More significantly, can you improve on time to play in the second week, which is a Thursday night game in Washington?