NEW ORLEANS — There was nothing to make you think this would be the day that Saquon Barkley would turn back into the dynamic playmaker he had once been. Nothing that led you to believe that Saquon would once again be … well, Saquon.
Six of his first-half runs went for just 17 yards. The only pass he caught lost 4 yards. His first two runs in the third quarter both gained just a yard. He looked tentative and uncertain, still not himself after returning from a horrific knee injury early last season. Still not the vibrant all-around running back he’d been in a transcendent rookie season in 2018 and the reliable player he’d been the next season.