Tiki Barber: Phillip Lindsay is putting himself on people’s radar

When asked about Denver Broncos rookie sensation Phillip Lindsay by “Pritchard and Cecil” on Friday, the first thing former New York Giants running back Tiki Barber said was, “I love the kid.”

And now, says the “Tiki and Tierney” co-host, the rest of the world should be catching up to his enthusiasm about the Broncos back.

“I remember seeing him in the preseason, and I’m like, ‘Phillip Lindsay, huh? Colorado? What? Who the heck is this kid?’ Now you look at him, last week he had a huge game with 157 yards and two touchdowns,” Barber said. “There’s a dynamism that comes with having a player like that, and he brings it to Denver.”

Barber said Lindsay, who earned AFC Offensive Player of the Week honors for his performance against the Cincinnati Bengals, needed a game like that to “get on people’s radars.”

“He needed a game like he had last week. He needed a 157-yard performance with that highlight touchdown,” Barber said.

Compared to fellow rookie Saquon Barkley, who in his own right is having a stellar season, Lindsay may have been lost in the shuffle due to where he played college football or his undrafted status, Barber said.

“It was like, who is this kid? Is he going to even make the team? And then, all of a sudden, he’s makes it, he’s a contributor, and they’re finally realizing he’s actually our best asset out of the backfield,” Barber said. “But, it’s all happened under the radar. There’s no expectation that’s being met.

“He’s exceeding them, obviously, significantly.”

Barber said the quality that has him “jazzed” and jumping off the couch is Lindsay’s “ability to change the nature of a football game,” as he did with a 65-yard run against the Bengals last Sunday.

But what sets Lindsay apart, Barber said, is his ability to be “the guy who proves it week in and week out.”

“The one thing that matters most toward being a great player is availability. And you know exactly what you’re going to get from that guy every single week,” Barber said.

After Sunday’s game, Broncos head coach Vance Joseph said something similar.

“I think you judge lead backs by their durability. He’s available every week. It seems like everyone sees his physical size, and they’re amazed at what he’s doing right now. He’s a tough guy,” Joseph said, adding that “his maturity and mentality each week has been very impressive.”

Barber also touted Lindsay’s toughness, especially for a guy listed at 5-foot-8, 190 pounds.

“If you get a running back like Phillip Lindsay, who can catch the ball out of the backfield, who can run to the edges, but also is tough enough — even though he’s 5-8 — to run through the tackles, you have so much versatility in your offense.”

Follow digital content producer Johnny Hart on Twitter: @JohnnyHart7.