Post-game quotebook: Saquon Barkley on reaching 2,000 yards, more

What were New York Giants’ players talking about after Sunday’s season-ending 36-35 loss to the Dallas Cowboys? Let’s go inside the locker room and find out.

Saquon Barkley

On surpassing 2,000 yards from scrimmage ...

“It’s an amazing feeling. Like I said, 2,000 yards, to be mentioned in the same name as Eric Dickerson and Edgerrin James, it’s definitely an honor and privilege, but you don’t do that by yourself. To be honest, you have to give credit to your teammates and coaching staff. Without them, you don’t get that 2,000 yards or however many catches it was, so definitely got to give thanks to those guys.”

On if he would be surprised if Eli Manning was not the quarterback next season ...

“I don’t know, to be completely honest. The only thing I know is that he has a lot of ball left, that this team believes in him. Even though the season didn’t end up how we wanted it to, we were in a lot of games, we just have to finish those games. I really can’t answer that question, but all I have to say is I know Eli has a lot of ball left in him and I know we believe in him.”

On what he learned as a rookie ...

“I would say, I think a lot of people said coming into the draft, I don’t know how to take the ‘tough run’, or I don’t know how to get vertical or have balance, or that I try to do too much. I think the biggest challenge that I think I did a good job of is blocking that noise out and just staying true to who I am. Obviously, for your coach to come out and say something like that, listen to him and see how to get better, but not letting the media and all of the national attention come with it change you, and that’s a hard thing.

“I’m not going to sit here and lie to you, especially in nowadays age and go through your phone, you see that this person said this and this person said that, but I think that was the biggest challenge, but with the help of my family and the people that I surround myself with, my teammates and the people in the building, I think that they did a good job of helping me stay grounded and helping me understand what really matters.”

Other players

Cody Latimer on fighting back from 1-7 ...

“It was just something built throughout the offseason, through training camp, getting everyone together on one page and we had a lot of new guys filling in, like my guy Bennie (Fowler) he’s over here, guys that came in, bought in and brought more energy to the team, but like I said, it’s just been that dog in us. We don’t give up, we fight until the end.”

Safety Michael Thomas on wanting to be back with the Giants next season ...

“Definitely. I think this team moving forward, especially with all of these young guys, it is going to be great. It is great for the team. They got experience that, at most times, only vets get in these crucial situations with the game on the line. You just have to take it home and take it, if no one can give it to you. All of us will be better and this team will be better. I am definitely looking forward to next year.”

Evan Engram on losing so many close games this season ...

The things that we learn through the losses are going to pay off. You never want to lose, and you never want to be happy about losing or what you learn, but the thing is that we have to get better at the things that happen in those losses. That’s more important; that’s going to help us build in the future.