Talking about staying committed to the run game despite Saquon Barkley’s injury is one thing.
Lining up for a first-quarter play with two fullbacks as wings for a shotgun quarterback, plus a deeper halfback, is another thing entirely.
The Giants didn’t let Barkley’s absence deter them from attacking a Raiders defense ranked No. 27 in the NFL at 4.6 yards allowed per carry. Devontae Booker rushed for a career-high 99 yards — a 3-yard loss on his final carry dropped him under the 100-yard milestone — and accounted for about half of the Giants’ total offensive yardage Sunday in a 23-16 win against his former team at MetLife Stadium.
“I was out there having fun with those guys, really just like backyard football,” Booker said of jawing with the Raiders. “Talking smack to them as we were running up and down the field. It was great.”
Booker was given a game ball and the honor of breaking down the victory huddle in the locker room after totaling 123 yards (of the Giants’ 245) from scrimmage, including his three catches. The number would’ve been higher but Booker missed the final five minutes with a hip injury.
“I had an X-ray and everything was good,” said Booker, who was cle ared to return. “I feel great right now. Just enjoying this moment.”
With Booker sidelined after Xavier McKinney’s second interception, fullback Eli Penny ran three straight times for 25 yards and caught a pass to set up an insurance field goal. Penny’s 35 rushing yards (on five carries) were the most of his four-year tenure with the Giants.
Cullen Gillaspia, a core special teams player, even got in the action when offensive coordinator Jason Garrett called the unusual upside-down triangle-backfield formation on the opening drive. Running backs coach Burton Burns and third-stringer Gary Brightwell were not available for the game because of the COVID-19 protocol, but the Giants stuck with their trusted personnel instead of scrambling for a newcomer.
“Eli can do it all and play special teams,” Booker said. “You’ve got everything you need. Watching him finish out the game like that was cool.”
Booker showed extra burst breaking through the pile on first-half runs of 16 and 20 — two of the longest rushes this season by any Giants back. He mostly ran north-south, but he cut back on one long run and showed great patience on a 7-yard stretch play for a first down in the second half.
“We knew what was at stake,” Booker said. “We wanted to prove we could run the ball on these guys, and we did that. Our line was blocking their a– off and opening up holes for me to run through.”
The Giants’ hope is Barkley (ankle) will return after the bye week from four straight missed games. He was not on the sideline (normal procedure) to see Booker nearly top his career-high for yards from scrimmage (125) set just six days prior. The Giants used big packages with offensive tackle Korey Cunningham as a jumbo tight end, not hiding their power intentions.
“Book and Eli both ran strong with good ball security,” coach Joe Judge said. “We didn’t give them any extra opportunities.”