When New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley injured his ankle against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, it certainly did not look good.

Late in the first half, safety Mike Edwards tried to bring Barkley down when his ankle got caught under the Bucs defensive back and bent awkwardly. He was down on the field in noticeable pain, needed help being carried to the locker room and then was seen in a walking boot and using crutches. An MRI later confirmed that Barkley suffered a high ankle sprain, and the timetable for return was estimated to be around four to eight weeks.

On Wednesday, some positive developments surfaced that could indicate Barkley's return may come sooner rather than later.

During the portion of practice where reporters were allowed to attend, Barkley was seen running and changing direction on his injured ankle.

The star running back is clearly moving well for someone who was on crutches less than two weeks ago, which should give Giants fans hope that Barkley may miss only a few more games. 

So far, last year's NFL Rookie of the Year has rushed for 237 yards and one touchdown in three games. He vowed after the game in Tampa Bay that he would do whatever he could to get back as quickly as possible, and it appears that he is way ahead of schedule when it comes to his recovery. 

All in all, things are looking up for the Giants. This week, they get back wide receiver Golden Tate, who was serving a four game suspension for violating the league's performance enhancing substances policy. Even at his age, Tate should find success quickly in New York. In turn, we should expect to see Daniel Jones' stats and on-field play improve as well. 

For now, Wayne Gallman will continue to handle the ground game for the Giants. In last week's 24-3 win over the Washington Redskins, he rushed for 63 yards and a touchdown on 18 carries and also caught six passes for 55 yards and another score.