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http://www.realfootball365.com/nfl/articles/2006/06/tiki-barber-giants270606.html
The New York Giants finished last season with an 11-5 record and an NFC East title. One of the biggest factors behind their success was running back Tiki Barber, who rushed for 1,860 yards en route to second place in the NFL's rushing race. He also added 530 receiving yards, which was good enough to earn him the league's No. 1 position in total yards from scrimmage.
Entering the upcoming season, the Giants have plenty of expectations heaped on them. Much of those high hopes stem from their talented offense, which does, indeed, include Barber. Unfortunately for the Giants' roster and fans, it would be hard to imagine Barber eclipsing or coming close to his output from last season.
Nobody can deny that Barber has emerged as one of pro football's foremost backs, but at the age of 31, it's evident that his career is beginning to wind down. When running backs hit the 30 mark, they usually begin to see significant decline. In Barber's case, he began to hit his peak at 30 with 1,518 rushing yards, then improved on that total last year, gaining 342 more yards.
Surprisingly, both of Barber's Pro Bowl seasons have occurred after he hit the 30-year-old milestone. Still, is it fair to believe Barber will continue his torrid pace? Probably not. Giants head coach Tom Coughlin and offensive coordinator John Hufnagel may elect to lean on the vertical attack more, since quarterback Eli Manning is one year older, meaning he's closer to full-development.
A key factor not on Barber's side going into the season is the rest of the Eastern division's defenses. The Washington Commanders , Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles are all expected to be above-average, with the Commanders' unit potentially dominant, the Cowboys' capable of being top 10, and the Eagles' could threaten the top 10, too. Barber will have to face those defenses a combined six times, which doesn't bode well for the 200-pounder.
On the Giants' schedule, the only potentially porous defenses they're likely to face are the Houston Texans , Tennessee Titans and New Orleans Saints . Each of those respective units are predicted to finish in the league's lower-echelon, while the Giants' other seven non-divisional opponents have defenses that are expected to at least be above-average. Of course, if Barber is only facing three poor defenses this season, it doesn't spell good things for him.
Although Barber will face some hardships this season from his own age and the threat of the opposition, don't expect him to fade away. The former University of Virginia star will likely go well over 1,200 yards on the ground, but over 1,800 is an unreasonable expectation. At the same time, though, Barber has faced a great deal of doubts throughout his illustrious nine-year career.
All Barber has to do in 2006 is continue to keep defenses honest and be a legitimate threat. That doesn't seem like a difficult task, especially for a runner who's worst ground output in the last four years is a solid 1,216. Perhaps Barber can meet his numbers somewhere in between 1,200 and 1,800 this season, which would be just fine for the New York Giants .
The New York Giants finished last season with an 11-5 record and an NFC East title. One of the biggest factors behind their success was running back Tiki Barber, who rushed for 1,860 yards en route to second place in the NFL's rushing race. He also added 530 receiving yards, which was good enough to earn him the league's No. 1 position in total yards from scrimmage.
Entering the upcoming season, the Giants have plenty of expectations heaped on them. Much of those high hopes stem from their talented offense, which does, indeed, include Barber. Unfortunately for the Giants' roster and fans, it would be hard to imagine Barber eclipsing or coming close to his output from last season.
Nobody can deny that Barber has emerged as one of pro football's foremost backs, but at the age of 31, it's evident that his career is beginning to wind down. When running backs hit the 30 mark, they usually begin to see significant decline. In Barber's case, he began to hit his peak at 30 with 1,518 rushing yards, then improved on that total last year, gaining 342 more yards.
Surprisingly, both of Barber's Pro Bowl seasons have occurred after he hit the 30-year-old milestone. Still, is it fair to believe Barber will continue his torrid pace? Probably not. Giants head coach Tom Coughlin and offensive coordinator John Hufnagel may elect to lean on the vertical attack more, since quarterback Eli Manning is one year older, meaning he's closer to full-development.
A key factor not on Barber's side going into the season is the rest of the Eastern division's defenses. The Washington Commanders , Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles are all expected to be above-average, with the Commanders' unit potentially dominant, the Cowboys' capable of being top 10, and the Eagles' could threaten the top 10, too. Barber will have to face those defenses a combined six times, which doesn't bode well for the 200-pounder.
On the Giants' schedule, the only potentially porous defenses they're likely to face are the Houston Texans , Tennessee Titans and New Orleans Saints . Each of those respective units are predicted to finish in the league's lower-echelon, while the Giants' other seven non-divisional opponents have defenses that are expected to at least be above-average. Of course, if Barber is only facing three poor defenses this season, it doesn't spell good things for him.
Although Barber will face some hardships this season from his own age and the threat of the opposition, don't expect him to fade away. The former University of Virginia star will likely go well over 1,200 yards on the ground, but over 1,800 is an unreasonable expectation. At the same time, though, Barber has faced a great deal of doubts throughout his illustrious nine-year career.
All Barber has to do in 2006 is continue to keep defenses honest and be a legitimate threat. That doesn't seem like a difficult task, especially for a runner who's worst ground output in the last four years is a solid 1,216. Perhaps Barber can meet his numbers somewhere in between 1,200 and 1,800 this season, which would be just fine for the New York Giants .
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