The Steelers Sparked A Devastating Motivation In Saquon Barkley During The 2020 Season

The Pittsburgh Steelers have always been known for their tremendous defenses, a trend which has continued recently. TJ Watt, Minkah Fitzpatrick, and Cam Heyward can make the defensive unit absolutely stifling when they are all healthy. They have been able to force some of the league's best players into playing their worst, which is exactly what happened with star running back Saquon Barkley at the start of the 2020 NFL season.

Pittsburgh traveled to the Big Apple to take on the New York Giants and Barkley in the 2020 season opener. Neither team made the postseason in the year prior, and both organizations were hoping for a bounce-back season. Pittsburgh won the game with a score of 26-16, which was the first win of 11 in a row for the Steelers. Barkley spoke with Dianna Russini on Scoop City about his performance in the game against Pittsburgh, and the aftermath.

"Before Chicago [In Week 2], in my third year, we played the Steelers on Monday night or Sunday night, and I didn't have that great of a game. People talked about me in the media, and that next week like, I was practicing way harder than I always did, and I practice hard. I had like this hate in my heart, like I wanted to go out there and show everyone that I am who I say I am. And like, I didn't play that game for the love of my teammates, I went out there just for like me, to show everyone this is me, and I tore my knee."

Barkley wound up tearing his ACL in Week 2 of the 2020 season when the Giants took on the Chicago Bears. While speaking with Russini, the running back made it clear that the media's comments about his poor performance against Pittsburgh took a toll on him. They motivated him to show what he can do, and perhaps over-working himself led to such a devastating injury.

Barkley couldn't do a thing against the Steelers. He recorded just 6 rushing yards on 15 carries. He was able to chip in 60 yards in the passing game, but overall, he couldn't move the ball at all on the ground. He was outgained on the ground by his quarterback, Daniel Jones, who had 16 more yards on 11 less attempts.

It was a bad game, which every player goes through. But, having a bad game while you play for a big market is a different story. The local New York media will rip you to shreds, and since it's a big market team, so will the national media. It's the same reason Dak Prescott gets torn to shreds on a weekly basis, despite being one of the better quarterbacks in the league over the last near-decade. 

Barkley went out there against the Bears playing for himself. He wanted to show everyone he is the superstar he is supposed to be, and he wound up missing the rest of the season. The 2020 season is a serious blemish on his resume, as he ran the ball just 19 times for 34 yards.

Steelers' Najee Harris And Other First-Round Running Backs Are Held To High Standards

A lot has been said about the value of the running back position. They have an early expiration date, which makes it hard to argue taking one with a first-round selection in the NFL Draft. Pittsburgh's own Najee Harris was selected by the organization in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft, with the 24th overall pick. 

Harris has rushed for over 1,000 yards in every year of his career, while playing behind below-average offensive lines and a less than ideal offensive coordinator in Matt Canada. Yet, he still receives hate and gets labeled a "bust," and that is magnified for Barkley. Barkley has been an electrifying player so far in his career, but he was the second overall pick in his draft class. The Giants expected more from him, and it's the reason the two sides never inked a long-term deal. 

What do you think about Barkley's comments? Let us know below!

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