Superstar erupts in MVP statement to cap off former team’s horror week: NFL Wrap

As if New York Giants fans didn’t need to be reminded enough, Saquon Barkley has given them yet another glimpse of what could have been.

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Of course, Barkley was never going to be producing this well in the Giants offence but what the now Philadelphia Eagles running back continues to do in new colours is absurd.

Just over a month ago the former Giant ran for 176 yards and a touchdown in a 28-3 beatdown of his former team and then on Monday, he erupted for 302 total scrimmage yards and two scores in a 37-20 win over the Los Angeles Rams.

It was more than the 255 yards and one touchdown the Giants as a team managed on Monday in a loss to the Buccaneers.

What made Barkley’s latest MVP-level statement all the more painful for Giants fans though was the fact it came just days after they officially released quarterback Daniel Jones, who they decided to pay instead of Barkley, who was once the heart and soul of the franchise.

Barkley left the Giants as a free agent, signing with the NFC East rival Philadelphia, while Jones signed a four-year, $160 million contract after a promising playoff run in 2023.

It has gone all downhill from there for the former No. 6 overall pick, who was benched earlier in the week and then released as he now turns his attention to finding another team.

Barkley, meanwhile, is already on a Super Bowl contender and putting himself firmly in the MVP conversation after the Eagles improved to 9-2 with the win over the Rams on Monday.

It was a big missed opportunity for Los Angeles, who had a chance to move to top spot in the NFC West after the Cardinals and 49ers both dropped games earlier in the day.

Instead, they were overwhelmed by the Eagles’ offensive line and a rampaging Barkley, who scored two 70-plus yard touchdowns in the win.

Barkley’s 302 total yards were the ninth most from scrimmage in a game from a single player in NFL history and the most in nine years.

Meanwhile, Barkley now has 1,649 yards from scrimmage on the season and if he maintains his current pace of 149.9 yards per game, he would be on track to pass the NFL record of 2,509 yards set by Titans running back Chris Johnson in 2009.

If anything will stop him it is Philadelphia’s record, with the 9-2 Eagles sitting comfortably ahead of the 7-5 Commanders and in a solid position to potentially rest players in the final week of the season.

As if Barkley’s eruption wasn’t enough for Giants fans, Tampa Bay quarterback Baker Mayfield mercessliy mocked his New York counterpart after scoring a touchdown earlier in the day.

Mayfield ran for a touchdown with 13 seconds left in the second quarter to give his side a 23 point lead against the struggling New York Giants.

To rub salt in the wounds, Mayfield taunted Giants quarterback Tommy Devito by replicating Devito’s famous Italian touchdown celebration, which involves putting a hand in the air while pinching the fingers together.

Devito, who has an Italian background, debuted the hand gesture last season and it swept the NFL world.

With Devito making his first appearance for the season following the Giants’ sensational release of former quarterback Daniel Jones, Mayfield took the opportunity to troll repeatedly as he ran back to the sideline following his 10-yard touchdown run.

Antics like this aren’t surprising from Mayfield, who plays with a chip on his shoulder every week and has a severe case of white line fever.

While Devito and the Giants showed something in the second half, the Buccaneers were able to keep control of the contest and run out 30-7 winners.

The loss drops them to 2-9 and puts them in prime position to end up with the No. 1 overall pick in next year’s NFL draft.

PRE-SEASON SUPER BOWL FAVS IN FREEFALL AMID WORRYING QB UPDATE

Last season’s NFC champions, the San Francisco 49ers, are in the hurt locker.

Without QB Brock Purdy, who was ruled out with a shoulder injury, the 49ers handed in their worst performance of the season in a 38-10 loss to NFC rivals Green Bay.

Running back Christian McCaffrey was a non-factor for much of the game, as was star wide reciever Deebo Samuel.

It’s the second straight loss for the 49ers and dropped them under .500 (5-6).

Purdy’s backup Brandon Allen wasn’t terrible in relief, and based on how porous their defence was, the 49ers probably wouldn’t have won even had Purdy played.

Yet, it did prove that this team will need Purdy on deck if they are to a) make the playoffs and b) make a run in the postseason.

However, it looks as if Purdy may miss more than just one week following a report that he needed a second MRI as the 49ers don’t quite know what the issue is.

“So, what nobody knows is they gave him another MRI on Thursday, but it didn’t really show anything else,” Fox Sports’ Jay Glazer said on the NFL pre-game show.

“So they’re kind of living with a question of when he’s going to come back there. They’re going to just try and rehab it, hope he comes back next week. They just don’t know right now.”

The 49ers are lucky to still be in the hunt with their record because of the state of their NFC Wesr division.

All four teams have been inconsistent this season, with the Seattle Seahawks leading the way with a 6-5 record, meaning the 49ers are only one win off the pace.

CHAMPS GIVEN ALMIGHTY FRIGHT AS QB CONTINUES REDEMPTION TOUR

Maybe Bryce Young isn’t so bad after all.

The first pick in the 2023 NFL draft has endured a rocky couple of seasons since entering the league.

He’s been benched multiple times and struggled mightily for an ordinary Carolina Panthers football team, who went 2-15 last season

Young would be benched after just two games this season and his future looked bleak amid constant chatter that the Panthers would trade him.

When the quarterback won his starting spot back last month, the Panthers were 1-7 with a bleak outlook.

However, Young and the Panthers have fought back with vigour, winning two straight before pushing the Kansas City Chiefs until the final whistle.

The Panthers trailed the Chiefs 27-19 in the final quarter on Monday morning, needing a touchdown and a two-point conversion to level things up.

Young orchestrated a five play, 49 yard drive which ended in a Chuba Hubbard rushing touchdown. Hubbard than tied it up by punching in the two-point conversion.

Unfortunately for Carolina and every single NFL fan who doesn’t support the all-conquering Chiefs, Patrick Mahomes did what he does and led his team into field goal range inside the final two minutes, with kicker Spencer Shrader winning the game with a 31-yard field goal as time expired.

It was the Chiefs’ 10th win of the season, with that the best mark in the AFC.

However, despite the loss, the story of the day was Young and the Panthers.

UNDER FIRE DALLAS SAVES SEASON IN WILD FINISH (New York Post)

Talk about tough ways to lose for the Commanders.

Washington managed to score a late fourth-quarter touchdown with less than a minute on the clock to pull within one point of the Cowboys.

But Austin Seibert shanked the extra point after a bad snap and rushed hold. Dallas returned an onside kick on the ensuing kickoff for a touchdown to cap a crushing 34-26 loss for Washington at Northwest Stadium on Sunday.

Commanders’ quarterback Jayden Daniels connected with wide receiver Terry McLaurin for an 86-yard touchdown pass with 21 seconds left on the clock, setting up Seibert with what should have been an easy extra point kick. Instead, a low snap was a precursor for the shanked kick that went wide left leaving the Commanders still trailing 27-26.

Washington attempted the onside kick and it bounced right to Juanyeh Thomas, who took the ball right through a hole in the Commanders’ line for the 43-yard return to the end zone.

The touchdown all but ended the Commanders’ hopes of staging another comeback attempt.

The Cowboys’ win snapped a five-game losing streak and stunned plenty of prognosticators who had expected the Commanders, who have been chasing the NFC East lead, to come away with their eighth win of the year.

The game had already been a bit of a bizarre afternoon for the Cowboys and Commanders, who had scored a combined 19 points through the first three-quarters of the game before exploding for 41 in the final quarter.

Seibert had a forgettable day trying to kick, as he missed a field goal attempt earlier and missed on two extra point attempts.

The missed extra point at the end drew plenty of reactions, including from former NFL star Shannon Sharpe.

NFL SCORES – WEEK 12

Kansas City Chiefs 30 @ Carolina Panthers 27

Dallas Cowboys 34 @ Washington Commanders 26

New England Patriots 15 @ Miami Dolphins 34

Tennessee Titans 32 @ Houston Texans 27

Detroit Lions 24 @ Indanapolis Colts 6

Minnesota Vikings 30 @ Chicago Bears 27 (OT)

Tampa Bay Buccaneers 30 @ New York Giants 7

Denver Broncos 29@ Las Vegas Raiders 26

Arizona Cardinals 6 @ Seattle Seahawks 16

San Francisco 49ers 10 @ Green Bay Packers 38

Philadelphia Eagles 37 @ Los Angeles Rams 20