Saquon tops NFL.com’s RB index

Saquon tops NFL.com’s Week 11 RB index

Following last week’s standout performance against the Texans, Saquon Barkley is once again being recognized around the NFL world.

Earlier in the week, Barkley was nominated for the FedEx Ground Player of the Week. A few days later, NFL.com analyst and former running back Maurice Jones-Drew released his updated RB rankings heading into Week 11, where the Giants’ star running back rose all the way up to No. 1.

“Barkley, the NFL leader in rushing yards, had 35 carries in Week 10, the most by a player in a game this season,” wrote Jones-Drew. “In the win over Houston, Barkley amassed 152 yards that included a 2-yard touchdown plunge. He was a huge reason the Giants got back in the win column, and with an Eagles loss, the NFC East mountaintop feels within reach.”

Barkley has rushed for a league-leading 931 yards on 198 attempts this season, good for an average of 4.7 yards per carry, and six touchdowns.

His 1,128 total yards from scrimmage is just 45 short of Miami Dolphins WR Tyreek Hill (who is on bye this week) for the most in the NFL, while Barkley’s 228 total touches lead the league.

In last week’s win over the Texans, Barkley carried the ball a career-high 35 times for 152 yards. It was the second time he’s topped 30 rush attempts in his five-year career, with the first time coming in the Week 4 win over the Bears (31 rushes for 146 yards).

“Obviously, you would think when you touch the ball that many times, you’re going to be sore,” Barkley said about his high-volume game. “It all depends on the week, the team you play. Sometimes you can touch the ball 10 times and be just as sore if you touched the ball 35 times. Sometimes you can touch the ball 35 times and not be that sore. It’s just the grind of the season and that’s how it goes. For me, it’s just continuing to be a pro, take care of my body. We’ve got great people within this facility, and I’ve got great people that I work with outside of the facility to get my body back in shape and get my body right for the next game. There’s never a set day, every week is different.”

Rounding out the top 5 in Jones-Drew’s rankings are Browns RB Nick Chubb, Titans RB Derrick Henry, 49ers RB Christian McCaffrey and Vikings RB Dalvin Cook.