At some point, the Giants are going to have to line up, knock someone off the ball and run it down their throats. Well, it…
At some point, the Giants are going to have to line up, knock someone off the ball and run it down their throats.
Well, it might never have to be quite that graphic, but you get the idea. What has transpired this summer with the Giants and their running game is not going to be acceptable once the games count for real. Now then, rookie Saquon Barkley missed the past two preseason games and likely will not see the field until the Sept. 9 regular-season opener against the Jaguars, meaning any and all evaluations of the rushing attack must contain a “no Saquon’’ asterisk.
Still, Barkley is not going be able to create his own space and open up his own holes. He is a gifted athlete but not a miracle worker. Small creases and alleys are going to be needed, and thus far, the offensive line tasked with paving the way has not been up to the challenge.
“We need to be better, point blank,’’ right guard Patrick Omameh said.
Whenever the rushing statistics look like misprints, something is very wrong. Second-year running back Wayne Gallman is averaging 2.8 yards on 19 rushing attempts in the preseason. This qualifies as high-octane efficiency compared with Jonathan Stewart, the 31-year old veteran of 10 seasons with the Panthers who, judging solely on his work since coming to the Giants, is not capable of playing an 11th season.
Omameh, asked about Stewart’s struggles, said, “Offensive linemen, we’re accustomed to always putting it on our shoulders so we’ll take the full brunt. The rushing stats, we’re always going to put that on ourselves.’’
The running game has labored more when directing the attack to the right side of the line, where Omameh and Ereck Flowers have not distinguished themselves. The line failed to diagnose a back-side blitz by the Jets that resulted in a 5-yard loss for Gallman.
“Early on, especially through the first half when we were in bigger personnel groupings, they had extra people near the line of scrimmage, which makes it more difficult,’’ coach Pat Shurmur said Saturday. “But nonetheless, we need to do a better job in all areas, whether it’s getting on the right people. There weren’t really missed assignments, so to speak, but we’ve just got to get off the double teams a little quicker and then just hit it up in there and give the runner a little bit more room to get his feet going.’’
The longest run of the night from the first-team offense was 6 yards, by Gallman. The final rushing figure of 87 yards looks acceptable but was inflated by a strong 12-carry, 71-yard outing, reserves versus reserves, from Jhurell Pressley, a recent signing, and there is certainly no guarantee Presley will make the final cut.
“I think with any preseason game, you don’t want to project anything too far out,’’ Nate Solder said. “You do some good things, you are working more of a game scenario, you work together with your teammates. You figure out communication needs and things like that. You don’t want to talk about stats or points. I think about improving and getting better as a team.’’
There is little doubt the Jets were interested, first and foremost, in stopping the run. Their defensive front generated little pressure, allowing Eli Manning the time he needed to scan the field and find second and third options. And Shurmur, in preseason mode, was looking to establish a ground game but was not going to lean on it too heavily, as he wanted to crank up Manning’s right arm — even with Odell Beckham Jr. sitting out again — in what was Manning’s first and last extensive work before the start of the season.
“We’re aware we have some pieces on our team and in our offense that can really help us out,” said Omameh, referring to Beckham and Barkley. “At this time, it’s the preseason, you like to experiment with more things, try different things out.’’
Beckham’s presence on the field should spread defenses out and, if the Giants cannot bulldoze anyone in the ground game, they will have to outmaneuver them.
“You never want to lose yards in the run game, so if you’re gaining a few here and there, keeping it mixed up, that’s fine,’’ Solder said, “but when you’re losing yards, no matter what the defense is doing, you’re doing something wrong.’’
