Eagles’ Saquon Barkley wants to “rewrite” his story. He’s also rewriting the record book, MVP odds

Eagles run back Saquon Barkley had a play in his head from earlier in Sunday’s game against the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California. Barkley had just stumbled earlier in the match on a counter play that almost gave him a long gain if not for an uncooperative shoe that tripped him up. As the Eagles looked to seal the game in the fourth quarter, Barkley closed in on the quarterback Jalen hurtslobbying for the play to be replayed.

“This thought is going to pop,” Barkley recalled telling Hurts.

This time the piece worked to perfection. With key blocks from the offensive line and tight end Grant Calcaterra, Barkley exploded for a 72-yard touchdown run. The score capped a historic performance, as Barkley finished with 255 rushing yards – ninth-most in NFL history – and 302 yards from scrimmage, setting franchise records in both categories. His two touchdowns moved the Eagles to one 37-20 winimproving their record to 9-2. Barkley’s dominant performance not only highlighted his impact, but also strengthened his case as an MVP candidate leading the Eagles’ playoff run.

After the game, Barkley said he was unaware of his 302 yards from scrimmage until informed by a reporter. He initially believed he accomplished the feat during a 2019 game with the Giants against Washington, but he achieved “only” 279 yards that day. Barkley became the 12th player in NFL history to surpass 300 yards from scrimmage in a single game.

“That’s big, but I can’t do it alone,” Barkley said. “I’m surrounded by great players, and if you look at every play I made today, you’ll see so many other players doing their very best for me.”

Barkley also credited the Eagles’ coaching staff with halftime adjustments that helped create opportunities for his two runs of more than 70 yards. The offensive line dissected the Rams’ defensive schemes and opened up huge rushing lanes.

“There were runs earlier in the game where I stumbled,” Barkley said. “Our O-line is super smart and versatile. They can block any plan. The defense does a lot to stop our run game, but that also puts them in danger. I trusted the system and got the chance to make some big ones today.”

Hurts praised Barkley’s performance, noting how the running back’s presence has added a new dimension to an already potent Eagles offense.

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“He’s a great player,” Hurts said. “I said it after the game in Jacksonville: he’s blessed with an incredible skill set. When you combine that with everything else we have, it’s a problem for the defense. He set the tone for us today, especially at the end.”

Head coach Nick Sirianni echoed those sentiments, praising Barkley’s explosive ability and the efforts of the offensive line.

“Saquon is a special player and the offensive line played special,” Sirianni said. “That’s a very good line of defense we came up against. We knew it would be a challenge coming in, so hats off to our guys. Saquon has the ability to hit home runs, and the O-line has done a phenomenal job of handling the Rams’ variations up front.”

Barkley’s patience and speed have played a major role in balancing the offense for the Eagles. His six runs of 40-plus yards led the league and doubled the totals of Baltimore’s Derrick Henry and Los Angeles’ JK Dobbins ahead of their Monday night game. According to Next Gen Stats, Barkley reached speeds of more than 21 miles per hour on two flights in the second half of Sunday, a feat he has accomplished six times this season.

With 1,392 rushing yards in 11 games, Barkley is on pace to break LeSean McCoy’s 2013 team record of 1,607 yards, and he also has an outside shot at Eric Dickerson’s 1984 NFL rushing record of 2,105 yards. It’s also conceivable he could eclipse 2,000 yards mark in yards from scrimmage and McCoy’s milestone of Breaking 2,146, also in 2013, all numbers that will make him a serious contender not only for the Offensive Player of the Year title, but also to become the league’s MVP, something Barkley says he is not doing at the moment. is focused on.

Beyond the numbers, Barkley rewrites his story after leaving the Giants. After starting his Giants career with much fanfare, he faced inconsistent offensive line and quarterback play that hampered what his numbers could have looked like, impacting his career resume. However, Barkley hopes that the recent memory of his play and the turnaround he has had with the Eagles will be the turning point in the story he is trying to write on the field.

“I’m grateful to be here and I’m grateful to have a fresh start,” Barkley said. “A big reason why me, my family and my fiancée wanted to come here were the conversations where we thought this is a place where I can rewrite my story a little bit and feel like I can show everyone the type of player that I am so feel. could be and was intended to be. It works now. But the great thing about it is that the NFL happens week to week. We are warm now, but we have to get ready for next week and keep moving.”