NY Giants vs. Saints live updates: Saquon Barkley seeks repeat of last trip to Superdome
NEW ORLEANS - Darren Waller is officially active and back after missing five games with a hamstring injury.
How much the Giants' tight end plays against the Saints remains to be seen, considering the expectation is that Waller will be on a restricted snap count in order to prevent aggravation of the injury.
Left guard Justin Pugh (calf) is expected to start, while star defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence (hamstring) should see an increase in his play volume Sunday after returning in the Giants' Monday night victory over the Packers on a pitch count.
The Saints will be without two integral starters: star receiver Chris Olave (ankle) and right tackle Ryan Ramczyk (knee).
Saquon Barkley seeking repeat of last Superdome trip
The odds were stacked against the New York Giants in their last trip here two seasons ago.
They were 0-3 and down 11 points with just over seven minutes to go, fighting a good football team in the New Orleans Saints and an incredibly raucous atmosphere inside the Caesars Superdome that served as a welcome home for the first time since Hurricane Ida.
Saquon Barkley refused to let that game get away, and in his biggest performance since tearing his ACL the previous season, he helped the Giants escape with the biggest win of Joe Judge's tenure.
Barkley was the all-purpose weapon he needs to be for the Giants, the playmaker they envisioned he could be in all facets. The rushing yardage was a grind - Barkley ran for 52 yards - but his impact in the passing game was undeniable (5 catches, 74 yards, 54-yard TD).
Still, much of that would have been rendered hollow if it were not for Kyle Rudolph.
Barkley was fighting for yards in overtime when he lost the football, and as it squirted away, his first thought, admittedly, was: "Oh no!" That's when Rudolph jumped onto the fumble - only the second for Barkley in 712 career touches! - as the Giants kept possession.
Three plays later, Barkley scored the game-winner from six yards out. To a man, the Giants celebrated Barkley after the game - even those who have been teammates with him for just a short time.
Is Barkley ready for an encore? Well, as good as the current Saints defense is on paper, its struggles against the run shows up. The Giants are set to welcome back Darren Waller after a hamstring injury kept him on injured reserve for five games. They have won three straight with Tommy DeVito at quarterback.
Keep checking back for updates throughout the day.
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: NY Giants vs. Saints live updates of Tommy DeVito, Big Blue
