NEW ORLEANS — When Tommy DeVito is the leading rusher for the Giants and has more than twice as many yards as Saquon Barkley, something is wrong with the rushing attack.
Something was definitely wrong with the ground game in the Giants’ 24-6 loss to the Saints on Sunday inside the Caesars Superdome. Barkley ran it nine times and gained only 14 yards.
DeVito on four runs picked up 36 yards.
“Not my first time, probably won’t be my last,’’ Barkley said of his lack of production.
The Saints entered the game allowing 131.5 yards a game on the ground, but the Giants could not solve the movement up front.
Barkley might as well have been running into a wall, with linebacker Demario Davis (10 tackles) charging downhill at him at every turn.
“Probably one of the best linebackers I ever played against,’’ Barkley said. “He really stood out to me. They beat us. You got to win your one-on-ones and your matchups and we didn’t do that.
“They did a really good job not letting me get into a flow, getting confidence. I think they did a little more movement on first and second down but that’s been a common theme the last couple of weeks, a little more pressure and movement to mess up our eyes in the run game. They were just winning, everywhere.’’
With kicker Randy Bullock out of commission with a hamstring injury incurred in the first quarter, punter Jamie Gillan turned into the emergency place-kicker, with returner Gunner Olszewski moving in as the fill-in holder, replacing Gillan. The revamped operation worked smoothly and Gillan hit a 40-yard field goal as time expired in the first half to pull the Giants within 7-6.
“I wish for a better result but to be able to put one through the pipes on a Sunday was pretty cool,’’ Gillan said.
It was the second field-goal attempt and first make of Gillan’s five-year NFL career. He missed a 61-yard attempt for the Browns against the Jets on Dec. 27, 2020, also on the final play of the first half.
TE Darren Waller returned after missing the past five games with a strained hamstring and, playing on a snap-count limit, caught four passes for 40 yards, including a 29-yard pickup over the middle.
“I feel good coming out of the game,’’ Waller said.
It seemed as if the Giants caught a break before the game ever started, as Chris Olave, the Saints’ top wide receiver, was declared inactive.
Olave was listed as questionable even though he did not practice all week because of an ankle injury. The Saints also were without one of their best offensive linemen, as right tackle Ryan Ramczyk was out with a knee injury.
The Giants, though, had only one sack and minimal pressure on Derek Carr. Kayvon Thibodeaux, who leads the Giants with 11.5 sacks, had a quiet game, with no sacks, no quarterback hits and only one tackle.
WR Parris Campbell was a healthy scratch for the second consecutive game.
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