No one is comparing Saquon Barkley to Christian McCaffrey because there really is no comparison, other than the position they fill and the basic job description they share.
Both are elite running backs. Both are the fulcrum for their teams’ offenses, but McCaffrey is surrounded by better players and thus he has greater opportunity to thrive. Both were high draft picks, but McCaffrey was not selected so high that no matter what he accomplishes in the NFL he will forever be saddled with the unfair weight of unreachable expectation.
McCaffrey is what the Giants hoped and needed Barkley to be. This is more the byproduct of what the 49ers did for McCaffrey and what the Giants failed to do for Barkley.
McCaffrey and the Niners are still playing, having escaped a stiff challenge from the Packers, coming back to win their NFC Divisional playoff game, 24-21, and now setting their sights on the Lions in the NFC Championship Game in Santa Clara, Calif., on Sunday.
