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          Sterling Shepard and Giants WRs joining in on the block party

          Saquon Barkley broke a 52-yard run late in the first half against the Redskins, and he credits the Giants receivers' downfield blocking for making it a big play. Icon Sportswire
          • Jordan Raanan, ESPN Staff WriterDec 14, 2018, 01:00 PM
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              Jordan Raanan is a reporter for NFL Nation at ESPN. Raanan covers the New York Giants. You can follow him via Twitter @JordanRaanan.
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          EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- Saquon Barkley was talking about one of his jaw-dropping runs after Sunday’s demolition of the Washington Redskins and seemingly stopped mid-sentence.

          “Can we talk about Shep’s block on that play?” Barkley said.

          The New York Giants' rookie running back wanted to credit wide receiver Sterling Shepard for his part in the 52-yard run right before the two-minute warning in the first half. The play began running left away from Shepard, who locked up cornerback Fabian Moreau. As Barkley made defenders miss and broke free, Shepard raced 45 yards downfield for one final crushing hit that put Redskins cornerback Josh Norman on his back side and allowed Barkley to gain another 14 yards and almost reach the end zone.

          Shepard gave up his body and ended the play on the ground alongside Norman. He immediately knew the impact and flexed to celebrate what he had just done before being greeted on the sideline moments later -- after the Giants scored another touchdown -- by an ecstatic Barkley.

          It was that kind of effort throughout the game that earned Shepard a game ball, primarily for his blocking.

          “They put the stats up there, and I was like, OK, two receptions for 17 yards. But some of the downfield blocking was great. It sprung some big runs for Saquon,” Shepard said. “But, I mean, that’s what we take pride in, in the wide receiving room, is blocking, which a lot of receivers you see don’t really like to do that, but Coach Tyke [Tolbert], he’s implanted that in us since he’s gotten here. That’s what we love doing.”

          This has become an underrated part of the Giants’ recent run-game success. Their wide receivers’ blocking hasn’t been just good. It has been difference-making. Odell Beckham Jr. took out two defenders on Barkley’s big run in overtime the previous week, and Shepard had several key blocks in Sunday’s victory over the Redskins, including one that sprung Barkley on a 78-yard touchdown run earlier in the second quarter. It has been happening all season.

          Shepard has a 79.1 grade as a run-blocker, according to Pro Football Focus. That ranks eighth among all wide receivers. Beckham isn’t far behind at 70.8, third among receivers with at least 1,000 yards this season, behind only the Rams’ Robert Woods and the Chargers’ Keenan Allen.

          It has been a contributing factor -- along with an improved offensive line -- to the Giants' averaging 150.8 rushing yards in the five games since their bye week. They averaged 90.0 yards in their first eight games.

          “It’s exciting because those guys on the edge don’t know how much of an impact they make in helping us and making our job easier,” said right guard Jamon Brown, whose arrival coincides with the Giants’ recent success. “So seeing those guys … throwing big blocks and springing them, it builds the confidence.”

          It doesn’t matter that Shepard and Beckham are often the smallest players on the field. Both are put together firmly and play with an edge that is especially helpful in this area of the game. Shurmur said he doesn’t even view them as smaller wide receivers.

          They perhaps make up for their size with effort, which is often the great differentiator when it comes to blocking. Not every wide receiver wants to dive into that physical nature of the game, but it isn't a problem with this group, which includes Russell Shepard, Bennie Fowler, Corey Coleman and Jawill Davis.

          “There’s some terrific blocks,” Shurmur said after watching the film of Sunday’s win. “I thought Sterling Shepard, he had some terrific blocks.”

          The biggest came on Barkley’s 78-yard touchdown. Shepard came from across the formation to deliver a crack-back block on safety D.J. Swearinger on the weak side. It opened a massive hole between Shepard and left tackle Nate Solder on one of the Giants’ staple running plays, a play they had used earlier in the game with much less success.

          This time, Barkley cut back through the hole and ran untouched to the end zone for the score that broke the game open.

          “The one long run, [Shepard] kind of slid back and blocked [Swearinger], and that was the key block that sprung Saquon,” Shurmur said. “And then on Saquon’s next run, he flipped around and saw [Norman] and had a good block that helped spring him even further. That’s his nature. He’s gritty. He’s tough. He understands the importance of being a good blocker, and he found his way in the end zone as well.”

          Shepard said he will have two catches for 17 yards written on that game ball. But it will also have a mention of the blocks.

          “Yeah, it says the block -- downfield blocking,” he said.

          That means something to this group.