With uncertainties surrounding a young Daniel Jones, many believe that for the Giants to win games, their run game, led by one of the best halfbacks in the league in Saquon Barkley, must shine week in and week out.
The Giants, however, were completely out rushed in week 1 by the Pittsburgh Steelers, resulting in a 16-26 loss for the G-men.
Comparing the Rushing Attacks
As a team, the Pittsburgh Steelers rushed for 141 yards on 30 rushing attempts, averaging an impressive 4.7 yards per carry.
On the other hand, the Giants rushed for only 29 yards on 20 rushing attempts, averaging a weak 1.5 yards per carry.
By simply looking at the numbers, it is clear that the Steelers outperformed the Giants on the ground in week 1.
Where Was Barkley?
Saquon Barkley carried the ball 15 times and rushed for a mere 6 yards, averaging 0.4 yards per carry. In fact, Daniel Jones actually rushed for 7 more yards than Barkley on his four carries. This is obviously not the Barkley that Giants fans are accustomed to seeing, and many believe that the offensive line is to blame for the poor week 1 rushing performance as they were not able to create holes for Barkley.
The Pittsburgh defense is an elite group, however, ranking as the fourth-best defense in the league, according to Adam Schein of nfl.com. With run stoppers like Devin Bush, Minkah Fitzpatrick, and T.J. Watt, it is easy to see why the Giants ground game was not its usual self.
Who is Benny Snell Jr.?
Benny Snell Jr. is a running back that came out of Kentucky and was drafted by the Steelers in the fourth round of the 2019 draft. Against the Giants, Snell rushed for an impressive 113 yards on 19 carries, averaging an excellent 5.9 yards per carry.
With 3 runs of 20 yards or more, Snell was running all over the Giants defense, and his rushing performance propelled the Steelers to a win. With another James Conner injury, Snell looks to take a bigger role in the Steelers backfield.
Although it is very early in the season, the Giants must establish a running game if they are going to be successful this season.
With a week 2 matchup against the Bears, the Giants rushing attack will look to bounce back from an ugly performance in week 1.
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