Reaction to Saquon Barkley’s Historic Performance
On Sunday Night Football, star running back Saquon Barkley put the football universe into a frenzy. As Philadelphia controlled the Rams through the duration of the game, Barkley looked like he was shot out of a cannon in open space. Saquon had a 70-yard touchdown in the first half, paired with a 72-yard touchdown in the second half. In total scrimmage yards, Barkley accumulated an astounding final line of 302. On the night, Saquon finished with 255 rushing yards, which shattered the Eagles single-game rushing record. Barkley’s performance on the ground also earned himself the ninth most rushing yards in a game in NFL history. Before the season started, Saquon rightfully had high expectations. Immediate impact was expected, but no one could have predicted the tear he’s on right now. Saquon Barkley is on a historic stretch right now, and it is special to watch.
After last night’s outing, Barkley is the first NFL veteran to eclipse 1,500 total yards in his first 11 games with a new team. This impressive feat even more so proves how great Barkley has been for the Eagles in his first season. Barkley is just under 1,400 rushing yards, which is first in the NFL. Rams star Derrick Henry is trailing, but after Barkley’s massive performance, Henry is over 200 yards behind. Many are starting to add Saquon to the MVP conversation, and rightfully so. He is the nucleus of an offense that is part of a seven-game win streak, and an offense that is scoring an average of 26 points per game. As of today, Barkley currently has the fifth-highest odds for NFL MVP. Considering MVP is largely a quarterback’s award, the reality that Saquon is in the conversation is revealing.
With Barkley just under 1,400 rushing yards with six more games to play, can he gain a push to be the all-time leading rusher in a season? Rams former running back Eric Dickerson holds the record with 2,105 yards in the 1984 season. In the final six games, Barkley would need to have an average of 118.8 yards per game to shatter the record. The Eagles play some extremely weak rushing defenses in the NFL over the next month. The Panthers, Commanders, Cowboys, and Giants are all in the bottom tier of the league against the run. Even if Saquon falls short of the all-time record, there is no skepticism left that he has made Philadelphia his home. He is having a career season behind an offensive line that is bringing the best out of him. After Saquon’s performance last night, the Eagles offense is truly coming to fruition. It will be telling to see how the Eagles can ignite the offense going into Baltimore next weekend.
