Saquon Barkley has Decent Odds to Break Dickerson’s Yards from Scrimmage Record
- Former Penn State star making seamless transition to NFL
- Barkley a threat to top 1,000 yards in both rushing and receptions
- Giants’ porous offensive line an obstacle in Barkley’s bid to set rookie records
Saquon Barkley turned in another huge performance last weekend, racking up 130 rushing yards and 99 receiving yards in the New York Giants’ 34-13 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles as 1.5-point road underdogs.
One of the few bright spots to shine during the Giants’ dismal 1-5 start, Barkley has amassed an impressive 811 yards from scrimmage over six appearances this season.
However, the second-overall pick in this year’s NFL Draft remains a bit of an underdog to break Eric Dickerson’s 35-year-old record for most yards from scrimmage by an NFL player during his rookie season.
Odds Barkley Breaks Dickerson’s Rookie Yards from Scrimmage Record
| Saquon Barkley Breaks Eric Dickerson’s Rookie Yards from Scrimmage Record | Odds |
|---|---|
| YES – Breaks 2212 Rookie Yards from Scrimmage Record | +150 |
| NO – Breaks 2212 Rookie Yards from Scrimmage Record | -200 |
Suiting up for a playoff-bound Los Angeles Rams squad during the 1983 NFL campaign, Dickerson set the NFL rookie mark by piling up an eye-popping 2,212 total yards from scrimmage.
The two-time All-American out of SMU rushed for over 100 yards nine times during his rookie debut, and also became the first player to crack 1,000 total yards from scrimmage in his first seven games.
Seamless Transition to NFL for Penn State Star
Twice hailed as the Big Ten’s Offensive Player of the Year while rewriting the record book during three seasons at Penn State, Barkley has not missed a beat in his rookie NFL campaign.
With 373 receiving yards so far this season, Barkley is a threat to top 1,000 yards in both rushing and receiving, and could smash Dickerson’s rookie-season total of 404 receiving yards as early as next Monday night, when the Giants visit the Atlanta Falcons as 6.5-point underdogs.
Barkley vs Dickerson Rookie Season Stats
| 73.0 | Rushing Yards per game | 113.0 |
| 438 | Total Rushing Yards | 1,808 |
| 62.2 | Receiving Yards per game | 25.2 |
| 373 | Total Receiving Yards | 404 |
| 135.2 | Yards from Scrimmage per Game | 138.25 |
| 811 | Total Yards from Scrimmage | 2,212 |
Hampered by a rash of injuries, the Falcons defensive line has struggled to contain opposing aerial attacks.
The Atlanta pass defense currently ranks 29th in the NFL, surrendering an average of 295.8 yards per game, and was stung by four scoring catches while allowing 395 passing yards in last weekend’s narrow 34-29 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Rookie Rushing Yards Record Out of Reach for Saquon
Conversely, Barkley faces a huge challenge to pay out on lengthy +500 odds in his bid to surpass Dickerson’s rookie record of 1,808 rushing yards.
The Giants rusher has topped the 100-yard mark on the ground twice so far this season, capped by last weekend’s breakthrough performance against the defending Super Bowl champions.
Odds Barkley Breaks Dickerson’s Rookie Rushing Yards Record
| Saquon Barkley Breaks Eric Dickerson’s Rookie Rushing Yards Record | Odds |
|---|---|
| YES – Breaks 1808 Yards Record | +500 |
| NO – Breaks 1808 Yards Record | -900 |
However, the early favorite on the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year odds has not benefited from a porous offensive line that has allowed Giants quarterback Eli Manning to be regularly punished by 20 sacks and 40 hits, while the Giants’ ground game ranks a distant 27th in the NFL.
Those stats come in stark contrast to those of the 1983 Rams, a far more complete squad that ranked among the Top 10 in a number of team offensive categories including total rushing yards, rushing TDs, and first downs by rushing, while ranking 12th in the league in total aerial yards.
For Giants, offensive line has become the hog follies https://t.co/sGSHDz8yJP pic.twitter.com/YQPYNlcVCy
— Zesty NY Giants News (@zesty_ny_giants) October 16, 2018
As a result, Barkley has been limited to fewer than 50 rushing yards in three of his six outings, leaving him on pace to amass just 1,168 ground yards in his rookie season.
Barkley is also scheduled to face opponents with defenses currently perched among the top 10 against the rush in five of New York’s next seven outings, further bolstering the massive -900 odds of him coming short of Dickerson’s long-held rookie ground yards record.
Barkley Poised to Surpass Kareem Hunt’s Rookie Record
However, at least one record is nearly ready to go down at the hands of the uber-talented rookie.
Barkley is perched as a heavy -175 favorite to top the record for most consecutive games with 100 or more yards for scrimmage to start an NFL career, set last season by Kansas City’s Kareem Hunt, who accomplished the feat in his first seven outings.
Odds Barkley Surpasses Kareem Hunt’s Rookie Record for Most Games with 100+ Yards from Scrimmage
| Saquon Barkley Breaks Kareem Hunt’s Rookie Record for Most Games with 100+ Yards from Scrimmage | Odds |
|---|---|
| YES | -175 |
| NO | +135 |
Hunt tallied 1,002 total yards from scrimmage during his historic seven-game debut, leaving him just short of Dickerson, who became the first NFL rookie to rack up over 1,000 total yards from scrimmage in his first seven outings.
But while Barkley is poised to eclipse Hunt’s record, it will take a 234-yard prime-time performance next week on Monday Night Football to equal Dickerson’s historic record of 1,045 yards over his first seven NFL games.
Daniel has been writing about sports and sports betting for over 23 years. The seasoned pro has contributed to the likes of Sports Illustrated, Sportsnet, NESN, Bleacher Report, OddsShark, the Globe and Mail, and The Nation magazine.
