Saquon Barkley soars to 146 rushing yards, 2 TDs in Eagles’ sixth straight win: ‘It’s huge to get this one’

It’s the last big game for Barkley in a first season with Philadelphia full of them.

On Thursday, Barkley surpassed 1,000 yards for the fourth time in his career and the first time since a 2022 Pro Bowl campaign with the New York Giants. However, he’s never got there as quickly as he has in his 10 games with the Eagles, according to NFL Research.

After his latest performance, he leads the NFL with 1,137 rushing yards and 1,347 scrimmage yards to go with 10 total touchdowns and a stellar 5.77 yards per carry. On the road to those numbers, he’s posted an NFL-high six 100-yard rushing games and three in which he’s tallied 140 or more. In comparison to his days with the Giants, Barkley had six 100-yard games total from 2020-2023 and his three 140-yard rushing games are as many as New York has as a team this year, per NFL Research.

As Barkley glistened again, social media was littered with memes and takes about the Giants letting him sign with the archrival Eagles this offseason. When he took to the Prime Video stage postgame, the home fans chanted, “Thank you Giants!”

Lost in all the bashing and zinging of the Giants, though, has been just what a stellar fit Barkley has been with the Eagles. With what is likely the finest offensive line he’s ever played behind opening holes, Barkley is on his way to the greatest season of his decorated career as part of the most successful squad he’s ever played on.

“Obviously, Saquon’s gonna get all the credit for that, but you can’t be great without the greatness of others,” Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni said. “Saquon was great tonight, but that offensive line was really good.”

He’s been a boon for the Eagles, just as they have for him.

It was as apparent Thursday when Philly was clinging to a 12-10 win late in the first quarter.

Commanders head coach Dan Quinn made a somewhat head-scratching call to go for it on fourth-and-2 from the Eagles’ 26-yard line, foregoing a 43-yard go-ahead try on a field goal. Washington quarterback Jayden Daniels was stopped short and Philadelphia had a prime opportunity.

“That was huge,” Sirianni said. “That’s a turnover in our eyes.”

Five plays later, Barkley swept right through a gaping hole, hitting 20.78 mph, per Next Gen Stats, as he sprinted untouched to the end zone.

Only two plays from scrimmage after, Barkley took off again, taking a pitch right, deftly cutting back left and running untouched once more, this time up the middle of the field and the parting of the Commanders defense for a 39-yard score.

Barkley set a somewhat plodding affair afire and did the same for the Eagles offense.

He began his season with the Eagles in Brazil, rushing to immediate success as he racked up three total touchdowns and 109 rushing yards in a win over the Green Bay Packers. In his latest prime-time outing, Barkley shined under the lights again.

This is just the first season in Barkley’s three-year pact with Philadelphia and only the 10^th game of a long year. So far so great for Barkley with the Eagles.