The city of PhiladelphiaSaquon Barkley and the running game had yet another outstanding day.
During their 22-16 victory over the Carolina Panthers, the Eagles amassed 211 yards on the ground, their sixth time surpassing the 200-yard mark this season. Most of them came from Barkley, who as usual ran for 124 yards on 20 carries, which is exactly in line with his season average of 6.1 yards.
According to the running back, we had a successful day on the field. A cunning day. Although it wasn’t glamorous, it accomplished the task.
And a historic one.
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Barkley topped LeSean McCoy’s 11-year-old single-season rushing record with four regular-season games left in his rookie year with the Eagles. With a 9-yard run with 7:56 remaining in the game, he topped McCoy’s 2013 total of 1,607 yards, giving him 1,623 yards for the season. With his ninth in 13 games, he also surpassed Wilbert Montgomery’s team record for the most 100-yard games in a season. In 1981, Montgomery had eight.
The fans at Lincoln Financial Field continued to shout “MVP, MVP,” something Barkley had heard from Eagles supporters on the road during the previous two games against the Los Angeles Rams and Baltimore Ravens. The message appeared on the scoreboard as his record-breaking run and play continued.
“Yes,” Barkley responded, “I think it’s pretty cool.” Getting the win was the most crucial thing, and we succeeded. Growing up as a Shady fan and witnessing the amazing feats he accomplished with the ball in his hand, it means a lot to me to have my name mentioned alongside his. The men up front deserve recognition because they greatly simplified my work, and I am grateful for that.
Lane Johnson, a right tackle for the Eagles, was a member of the offensive line when McCoy broke the single-season record in 2013.
When asked if that was an impressive feat for an offensive lineman, Johnson responded, “Hell, yeah.” As a lineman, I have nothing to look forward to, so I’m living through those players’ scores and first downs. Absolutely, it brings me joy.
With a post on X that said, “Big s/o to my boy@saquonon breaking my franchise single season rushing record,” McCoy praised Barkley’s accomplishment. See you everyone in the N O super bow bound @Eagles. Let’s go for that Dickerson record.
Former Rams running back Eric Dickerson holds the 40-year-old Dickerson record of 2,105 yards in a season. Barkley has four games left and is on track to reach 2,122 yards. Additionally, he is on track to surpass McCoy’s franchise single-season record of 2,146 yards from scrimmage.
Barkley claimed that although he is aware of records and likes to break them, he doesn’t obsess about them.
The other day, I saw A Football Life on Cowboys Hall of Famer Emmitt Smith. He used to write goals down because, according to Barkley, “it’s a dream to write things down and it becomes a goal.” I never set a target to break, but I train that way because you’re always aware of it. I want to be the best, so I approach camp and the offseason that way.
Barkley has been outstanding during his debut season with the Eagles. And because of his outstanding play, the Eagles may be about to achieve something truly remarkable. They tied a franchise that is currently shared by four other Eagles teams with their ninth consecutive victory. Championships were won by two of those teams (1960 and 2017).
Barkley has only had one winning season in his six years with the Giants, so earning a title is currently his top priority. It’s okay if the single-season rushing record is included in the agreement. If not, that is also OK.
Barkley recalled, “I saw something about Dickerson telling me and Derrick (Henry) from Baltimore to go get it.” That would be really awesome to do, of course, but if it does happen, it occurs. But winning football games means doing whatever it takes. Should that be a hindrance, then it is. It doesn’t matter to me if it isn’t. I believe we all understand that my goal is to win football games and achieve something unique for the city.
Whether the Eagles can win the Super Bowl as a team that depends more on the run than the pass is one of the major issues around them. The Eagles’ net passing yard total was only 83 after quarterback Jalen Hurts only threw for 108 yards in Sunday’s victory and the Panthers’ four sacks, which resulted in minus-25 yards.
“The main thing is winning football games, and however we get to do it is how we got to do it,” Barkley said, acknowledging that the focus of this week would likely be on our passing-game statistics and other such things. Even though we’ve demonstrated that we are capable of running the football, this club was also quite successful prior to my arrival.
Before I arrived here, Jalen Hurts was a candidate for MVP. The list goes on and on. And A.J. Brown was A.J. Brown. We can run the football well. You must put an end to it, and when the moment comes for us to pass the ball—which occasionally happens during a game—we are more than willing and able to do it.
However, the offense has relied on Saquon Barkley for the majority of this season. He holds the franchise’s single-season rushing yard record as a result. And for that reason, he is a candidate for MVP. Can it get the Eagles to the Super Bowl? In the upcoming months, we’ll find out.
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