Saquon Barkley shines, lifts Eagles to NFC Championship
Former Penn State running back Saquon Barkley‘s renaissance season with the Philadelphia Eagles continued on Sunday afternoon. Hosting the Los Angeles Rams in the Divisional Round of the NFL Playoffs, his best performance was needed.
And, in every sense, he provided it.
Finishing with 26 carries for 205 yards and a pair of electrifying touchdowns, Barkley helped lift the Eagles to a 28-22 win over the Rams. His performance was good for the fifth-most rushing yardage in a single game in NFL Playoff history.
He also moved into third all-time for a single season, including the playoffs, as a ballcarrier. He now is up to 2,320 total rushing yards for the year, including sitting out the regular season finale, and is only 148 rushing yards away from becoming the league’s all-time leader for most rushing yards in a single season, set by Terrell Davis with 2,476.
Saquon Barkley touchdowns set NFL record
The biggest chunks of Barkley’s latest stunning performance were generated on two game-changing runs. In the first half of a 7-6 game in which the Eagles trailed, Barkley broke free for a 62-yard touchdown through the heart of the Rams’ defense.
A play that would give the Eagles a 13-7 advantage that would be cut to 13-10 at the half, it wouldn’t be enough to let the hosts breathe easily. Rather, stuck with a 22-15 lead and trying to put the game away in the fourth quarter, Barkley’s services were needed again.
And, once again, he provided them. This time breaking through the Rams’ defense unabated on a snow-covered field, Barkley scurried 78 yards into the end zone. The play again built a lead for Philadelphia, this time to the tune of a 28-15 advantage with less than five minutes left to play.
Top 10
- 1
ACC commish
Suggesting major change to CFP
- 2Hot
AP Poll Projection
Predicting the Top 25
- 3
SEC dominance over
Booger McFarland delivers strong take
- 4New
SEC fines Vandy
Massive fine after Vols upset
- 5
Caleb Downs
Reflecting on transfer decision
Get the On3 Top 10 to your inbox every morning
By clicking "Subscribe to Newsletter", I agree to On3's Privacy Notice, Terms, and use of my personal information described therein.
Along with becoming the first player in NFL history to have four touchdowns of 60 or more yards against a single team in his career, Barkley’s five for the season also set a record as the most in NFL history in a single campaign.
Penn State running back lineage continues
An ardent believer in the power of team performance as a gateway to individual success, Penn State head coach James Franklin pointed to Barkley’s resurgence with the Eagles as a demonstration of that reality. In the days leading into the Nittany Lions’ College Football Playoff quarterfinal tilt with Boise State, Franklin called attention to Barkley as a great example.
“I think the running back position, just like the quarterback position, they get a ton of credit, and deservedly so. He’s earned that. But Ashton (Jeanty) will tell you, just like every other running back, if you don’t have an offensive line in front of you, if you don’t have a great offensive coordinator that’s calling the plays and taking advantage of your skill set, that [he would] not [be] nearly as successful as he is right now. Obviously we got a great example of that,” said Franklin. “I want to be careful how I say this, because I don’t want to be disrespectful anybody, but our guy Saquon Barkley. He’s in a great situation with the Eagles, my hometown team, and flourishing right now. And part of it is because he’s playing behind a great offensive line and maybe the best offensive line coach in the history of the NFL, or is part of that conversation.”
Barkley will return to action next Sunday when the Eagles host the Washington Commanders in the NFC Championship (3 p.m., FOX).
Talk about it with our premium members in the Lions Den, here!
