Giants' Saquon Barkley Talks Resurgent Play Through 3 Weeks: 'This Is the Guy I Know'

New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley looks to have regained the form that saw him dominate the league in his rookie year, and he's happy with his performance so far.

Barkley ranks second in the NFL with 317 rushing yards and two touchdowns while averaging 6.0 yards per carry. He told reporters Thursday that his play this year is reminiscent of his first season in the league:

"Yeah, not to be arrogant but when you see plays like when I went back and watched film on the touchdown run I had on Monday, making that jump cut inside a hole, making those two guys miss and finding a way to score, those are plays where it just puts a smile on your face when you're like, 'That is the guy I know.'"

After being drafted No. 2 overall in 2018, Barkley immediately emerged as a star in New York's backfield. He totaled 2,028 scrimmage yards and 15 combined touchdowns on his way to being named NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year.

Barkley's promising career took a turn when he suffered a torn ACL two games into the 2020 season. He played 13 games last year but struggled to produce while he was on the field. He was hobbled with an ankle injury throughout the season and finished with 593 rushing yards and two touchdowns.

The 25-year-old revealed that last season he lacked the confidence he has now, as he didn't fully trust his body at the time:

"That is the guy who was always there. He was there last year to be completely honest. I just had a hard time finding a way to bring him out. That is coming with a mental disconnect, loss in confidence and just human nature. It happens. You're going to have your ups and downs in life, but you have to find a way not to waver and trust yourself. Continue to trust the process and find belief in yourself again. I feel like I'm starting to do that."

Barkley is excited to continue to put his skills on display this week when the Giants welcome the Chicago Bears to MetLife Stadium. He recorded 102 yards on 21 carries in a Week 17 loss to Chicago last year, his first 100-yard game since the 2019 season. The Bears were the team he tore his ACL against in 2020, so any matchup against them always means a little extra to him.

"Last year is when I really felt the hurdle everyone wants to talk about, I kind of felt that was the hurdle for me last year," Barkley said. "Obviously we didn't finish the last game last year--we didn't play well at all as a team. For that one, to go back to Chicago, the place where I tore my knee, to have a 100-yard game, obviously it's all about the team, but to look at it from my mindset, to go to that place that kind of put everything in the past for me and be able to go into the offseason healthy.

"I was able to show glimpses of that, especially inside running," he added. "I just wasn't breaking long runs and now that I have that confidence back all that stuff is starting to happen again."