Saquon Barkley Uses a Self-Help Book to Befuddle Texans — and J.J. Watt Looks Like He’s Ready to Blow: No More PC Talk From No. 99 as Odell Beckham Makes Himself at Home in Houston

Saquon Barkley leaves the visitors locker room at NRG Stadium with a gold duffle bag in one hand, a self help book tucked under his opposite arm and a Madison Avenue worthy grin on his face. One of the most buzzed over rookies in recent NFL history isn’t just enjoying the moment — a 27-22 win that keeps the New York Giants’ season alive and reminds the Houston Texans just how close theirs is to dissolving into complete and utter disaster.

No, Barkley is already looking (and reading) ahead.

The book the rookie running back sensation from Penn State is carrying is titled Chop Wood Carry Water — and its tagline is: “How to Fall in Love with the Process of Becoming Great.”

Obviously, this particular tome hasn’t been required reading in the Texans’ locker room.

Bill O’Brien’s team falls down 20-3 to the heavy road underdog Giants while falling to 0-3 — and a near old Cleveland Browns worthy 0-9 in their last nine regular season games dating back to last year’s lost season. Along the way, Barkley and Odell Beckham Jr. give the Texans a lesson in what real offensive stars look like when they’re used effectively.

“No, I mean you’re 0-3,” Watt says when someone asks if it’s too early to worry. “It’s not a good place to be…

“I’m not going to give you some PC answer here. It sucks. We don’t want to be here. Nobody wants to be here.”

Watt may be back to sacking quarterbacks, getting his first one (and then his second and third) since 2016, looking like his old dominant self. But he now sounds as frustrated as any Texans standout of the past (see Andre Johnson circa 2013).

When a reporter asks why he still believes in this winless (and often inept) Texans team, Watt does anything but give one of his old reliable optimistic answers of the past.

“Because I’m on it,” Watt shoots back. “What do you want me to do? You want me to give up?”

Yes, three games into a season that once looking promising, the best player in franchise history is making himself believe because he has no other choice.

There’s no such consternation or self doubt down the long winding NRG hallways. Odell Beckham, New York’s all-world wide receiver and fashionista, leans back at a locker, wearing throwback 1990s Chicago Bulls shorts. Beckham’s frosted blonde hair stands out against his red Beats headphones.

This is a star in repose.

The Texans’ very average secondary could not cover Odell. And Houston linebacker Zach Cunningham has no chance of ever sticking with Saquon.

Cunningham is exposed by the Giants’ well-designed offensive schemes several times. Tasked with covering a pass catching running back savant, Cunningham sees himself get twisted around and beat by Barkley multiple times.

None is more damaging than the 21-yard gain on third down that keeps alive the fourth quarter drive that seals the game. Barkley ranges further downfield than ordinary tailbacks are supposed to dare and reaches up to snag the catch.

Cunningham has about as much hope of stopping him as a board did of holding back Hurricane Florence. The Texans coaching staff never should have put him in this situation.

“They were playing man free,” Giants coach Pat Shurmur says. “We had a good matchup. That’s one of the things Saquon can do right there.”

There are few things the 6-foot, 233-pound man with the 4.40 second 40-yard dash time seemingly can’t do. Barkley runs for the game’s first touchdown on a 15-yard bounce back to the outside, averages 6.9 yards per carry in the tone setting first half.

All this after Barkley takes a shot to the knee on the very first play of the game.

“He got cut,” Shurmur charges. “They were hitting us low and that’s sort of how (tight end) Evan (Engram) got hurt on a low tackle…. (Barkley) went back in there.

“He looked pretty good to me.”

The Texans haven’t had a back who looks like anything as close to as good as Barkley since the days of Arian Foster. Which are starting to look more and more like the underappreciated heyday of this underperforming Houston franchise.

Saquon Barkley is No Fantasy

Barkley has many great days ahead. He’s more than the object of fantasy football obsession. He’s a real player.

“I just kind of knew we were going to win this game just the way we were in the locker room before the game,” Barkley says. “It was different than the first two games. The energy was different. The way we looked in warmups was different.

“It was just a different vibe.”

Beckham could feel it too — even if he couldn’t convince the rookie star to dance with him after the first touchdown.

“We just had the energy,” Beckham says. “We came out and played like we loved the game of football… Just go out there and have fun.”

These Texans probably could not even recognize fun, let alone embrace it at the moment. Saquon Barkley has his motivational book about the lessons of a samurai warrior. And some Texas barbecue on the plane back to New Jersey.

J.J. Watt has…. heck, if he knows.