What the heck are the Giants going to do?
They no longer have Saquon Barkley, and behind capable replacement Devin Singletary, there is a trio of inexperienced running backs with absolutely no NFL pedigree.
How can this team figure out if any of these guys can play at a high enough level to overcome the loss in free agency of one of the best backs in the league?
“You just let them play,” coach Brian Daboll said. “That’s what they need to do. We’ve talked about this. I think I’ve had a lot of questions on that early on about the youth of that room. You let them play.”
That is about all the Giants can do, right?
Let them play and see what transpires.
One preseason game is not indicative of much, but the Giants would like to think that the 14-3 victory over the Lions at rainy MetLife Stadium on Thursday at least hints at the potential of the players assembled in the running back room.
Singletary stood on the sideline with the rest of the starters on offense, and the three running backs used by the Giants all looked solid or better.
The competition to lock up roster spots and to fortify a spot as the No. 2 back behind Singletary is on, and all three helped their cause.
Eric Gray, after a nondescript and uninspiring rookie year, looked like a different player in breaking off a 48-yard touchdown run.
He also plowed into the end zone on a 1-yard scoring run and caught four passes for 46 yards, including an over-the-shoulder grab of a lob from Tommy DeVito for 24 yards.
Undrafted rookie Dante “Turbo” Miller led the team with 12 rushing attempts and 63 yards, averaging 5.3 yards per attempt.
Another rookie, fifth-round pick Tyrone Tracy, ran hard on his five carries for 26 yards, averaging 5.2 yards per attempt.
“I thought they were decisive,” Daboll said. “I thought there wasn’t a lot of stutter-stepping. I thought they were hitting the hole with good vision. They ran in space. Gray had a nice catch there from Tommy. It wasn’t perfect, but most of the time, they were going forward. They ran hard. They got their pads down. They did a nice job for the first game.’’
Barkley was the No. 2 overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, and his physical talent is undeniable.
When healthy, he produced seasons of 1,307 and 1,312 rushing yards.
His lower body is massive and powerful, and yet there were times when the Giants grew frustrated with what was perceived to be a lack of conviction from Barkley at the line of scrimmage.
Thus, it is interesting Daboll mentioned “decisive” and the lack of “a lot of stutter-stepping’’ when analyzing the work of his three young backs.
Miller, a product of Columbia and the Ivy League, broke off a 19-yard run and expressed relief that his training camp indoctrination was worth it, as far as getting him ready for the challenge of a preseason game.
He credited Daboll, Joel Thomas, the first-year running backs coach, and Michael Ghobrial, the new special teams coordinator, for their expertise.
“Coach Dabes and coach Joel Thomas, coach Gobes, all of our coaches prepare us to be in the best situations to perform on game day,” Miller told The Post. “When I was out there, I was like, ‘Dang, they really did. I know exactly what’s going on, I know the reason why we were doing things, the scheme.’ It wasn’t too much because they prepared us for that. It’s a blessing to be coached by great coaches.”
The Giants ran for 155 yards, with the second- and third-team offensive lines used in the game.
There were no glaring mistakes, which is a plus when young players are out there for the first time in the preseason.
Miller was called for a holding penalty in pass protection, which was declined by the Lions.
“I thought they did a good job in protections, knowing who to block,” Daboll said. “It wasn’t overly complicated, but they did stick their face in there and fit the window and block some blitzers. They ran hard. They knew what to do. Again, it’ll be good competition for all those young players, but I think Joel Thomas has done a fantastic job with the development of that youth room.”
Barkley is now with the rival Eagles, and moving on from him is a shock to the system for the Giants.
Gray is the only running back on the scene nowadays who was with the team last year with Barkley, and it is impossible to ignore the absence, even with Singletary donning Barkley’s No. 26 jersey.
“Everybody has felt like what you are saying,” Gray said. “I feel like everybody has done a great job. Whether you’re young and learning the system, or like me, a second-year player in the system, just being comfortable just being yourself.”
