ARLINGTON, TEXAS - SEPTEMBER 08: Saquon Barkley #26 of the New York Giants carries the ball against Chidobe Awuzie #24 of the Dallas Cowboys in the third quarter at AT&T Stadium on September 08, 2019 in Arlington, Texas.
(Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)

Will New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley break Tiki Barber’s single-season franchise rushing record of 1,860 yards this year?

Jason Leach

If all goes according to plan, the New York Giants will report to training camp in less than a month. It will be the first time head coach Joe Judge will have his team together on the practice field since earning the role back in January.

Big Blue fans are hopeful the team will finally show progress this year after going 12-36 over the last three seasons — the worst record in the NFL over that span.

If the Giants are going to avoid another double-digit loss season, they’ll need to rely heavily on the right arm of Daniel Jones and the quads of Saquon Barkley. And in the event of a full 16-game schedule in 2020, the pair of aforementioned players will have a chance to break some single-season Giants records.

In honor of “Throwback Thursday,” here’s a look at three franchise marks that could be surpassed during the upcoming campaign.

1. Tiki Barber’s record for most rushing yards in a season — 1,860 in 2005

Tiki Barber is, without question, the greatest Giants running back of the Super Bowl era. But he may not possess that title for much longer if Barkley continues to produce the way he has when healthy.

Current Giants offensive coordinator Jason Garrett will be committed to running the ball with Barkley, just as he was committed to feeding Ezekiel Elliott during his tenure with the Dallas Cowboys. Whenever Elliott has played in at least 15 games in a season, he’s notched over 300 carries.

If you’ve seen Barkley’s offseason workouts, you know he’s in tip-top shape. With Garrett calling plays and the offensive line having improved with the addition of No. 4 overall pick Andrew Thomas, Barkley stands a good chance at breaking Barber’s record. It won’t be an easy task though, as he’ll need to average over 116 yards per game. Nevertheless, Barkley is a special athlete who can accomplish this feat.

2. Tiki Barber’s record for most 100-yard rushing games in a season — 9 in 2004

This is another one of Barber’s records that Barkley has a chance to break this season. Saquon was two games shy of tying this mark as a rookie, having racked up at least 100 yards rushing in seven different contests.

The reasons why Barkley can break Barber’s single-season rushing record are the same reasons why he can break this one as well.

3. Eli Manning’s record for highest completion percentage in a season — 65.97% in 2018

One thing that became evident when Jones played in the preseason last year was his pinpoint accuracy. He then continued to display that trait in the regular season. In his first two starts, he respectively completed 63.9% and 74.2% of his passes.

But just like with most rookies, Jones had his fair share of below-average games, including his Week 6 performance against the New England Patriots in which he completed just 48.4% of his throws. Players tend to take their biggest leap in progression from year No. 1 to year No. 2 though, and when training camp starts, he’ll surely be taking the first-team reps, unlike last year.

Jones has some huge shoes to fill when it comes to replacing a Giants legend in Manning. But in his first full year as a starter, he should have a real shot at breaking Eli’s completion percentage record.

Jason's first love was football while growing up in northern New Jersey. For the past three years, he has covered the New York Giants, as well as several boxing events along the East Coast.